Our Fully Non-Technical & Honest Review Of The Cool New Earbuds, Nothing Ear (1)

We got our hands on the rad new earbuds Ear (1) by Nothing (OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei's new tech startup), and they’re far from nothing! They’re unique looking, the design is sleek and they sound good. As you can see, I'm no tech expert. Nor are my colleagues! We just wanted to try it out as laymen and see how these fare in daily life, and regular use. Think of us as Functional Fitness experts of the tech world. So we tested the Nothing Ear (1) buds on our normal routines, without doing anything extravagant or different. One of us uses earphones all day long, another is a transit-time user, I use them mostly while exercising and on some calls, and well, our sales person just would not get off calls! Here’s our honest opinion...it's not Nothing. Read on...

Finally, some stylish, new earbuds that are NOT Airpods, and do not cost an arm and a leg. Phew! That is my main takeaway. The next thing I noticed was that the two earbuds have different coloured dots (red and white) on them, and on the case, so there’s no fumbling about figuring out which bud is for which ear. Oh, the devil really is in the details!

Since I love my music, these ones have quality sound. If you like that extra bass, then look elsewhere, but for a balanced sound with even the faintest sounds being picked up, I really enjoyed these. I listened very specifically to Whole Lotta Love by Led Zepplin, and it was crystal clear. Even the blues riff at the beginning came through properly! The audiophiles at Teenage Engineering have clearly done a fantastic job with the hardware and software, to create this fine balance of bass, mid, and treble performance. 

I tested it while running in the park as well; I was most excited that they don’t fall right out every ten yards! These fit snugly, but not painfully. I vouch for them withstanding water as well because in addition to the sweat (what, I was out on a proper run!) it began to drizzle, and the sound, mechanics and fit remained entirely unchanged. I also took a few meetings using this, and the battery didn’t drain out quick. Mostly though, I love, LOVE that the buds are not a replica of every other bud/pod in the market. I’m just waiting to see when the scratches start to show on these transparent, and dainty looking buds. Hopefully, never!

It was crucial to say ‘lives with family’ for the sole reason that I have to speak highly of the light active noise cancellation feature! Either the fan is whirring in the background, someone is popping into the room for something or just general ambient noises can get distracting. So, I liked that these had a light ANC setting which didn’t completely cut me off from the surrounding but made it peaceful enough. I also didn’t realise I had them in because they’re super light. I also love to record cover songs so using these as a microphone was quite a pleasant experience. But, my voice did end up sounding a bit muffled. Still, it’s nice to not have to have different earphones, and devices for different uses. This one ticks off the boxes nicely! Including a funky, new design! 

While I usually am not too keen on spending too much on earphones or earbuds, I’d recommend these ones for INR 5,999. The battery lasts about 3-4 days, so I’m good with that. The only downside is that for all the features to be available, you’ll need to download the app. But you can still have some features minus the app. 

I’ll start out by saying these earbuds look super sleek, and really stylish. I love that they’re transparent and you can see the mechanics of it all. There’s just something about being able to see into electronics that makes it all-the-more special. Now onto the rest. I’m into video games, but not like a full-on gamer, so these earbuds work well for that. Don’t expect that explosive sound; they’re not built for it! But what they are built for is Active Noise Cancellation at the highest level, and now I can officially take work calls in an auto! It nicely drowns out the outside sounds - both when listening and while speaking. Of course, those loud horns are still jarring! I used it on the maximum mode so the battery did run out quicker than when the ANC mode is off entirely. So, make sure to keep her charged up when you need this more. But the Clear Voice Technology is super useful so don’t stress about the battery. Especially since there’s an option of ultra-fast charging that gives you an extra 7-8 hours, on a quick 10-minute charge of the case. 

Did I mention that you can also download the app, and get features like the Find My Earbud (definitely need this!)! 

Wow, I got to try these beauties after everyone else did, and they left me with not much else to say without being like a repetitive parrot! So, I’ll speak about the battery life which is the only thing that matters in the life of a salesperson. I am on calls for about 4-5 hours a day, minimum, and these Nothing earbuds lasted, and how! I kept wondering when I’d have to recharge them, and hovered around my laptop and the charger incase I had to dive in and charge it. But I did not need to at all. In fact, I went on a quick stroll post work, listening to music and the battery survived that too. I also like that it charges wirelessly too; I literally cannot put, nor find, another wire in my handbag. That the design is so different, and cool, adds brownie points. I’d love to see how long they last, but I suspect they’re durable enough at the price they come. 

The ear buds will be available to buy on Flipkart, starting August 17.