Choose the Nothing Ear (a) for standout value, comfortable fit, strong ANC, and a polished app. Skip it if you need elite transparency, wireless charging, repairable batteries, or the most refined sound.
Best for shoppers who want stylish, comfortable ANC earbuds under $100 with strong app controls, bass-friendly sound, LDAC support, and easy everyday use across devices.
Not for buyers who need class-leading transparency, wireless charging, repairable batteries, deep EQ control, or the absolute best audio performance versus newer budget rivals.
Across the reviews, the Nothing Ear (a) comes across as a rare budget earbud that feels more complete than its price suggests. Reviewers repeatedly praised its comfortable fit, distinctive transparent design, effective ANC, strong app, useful EQ, and lively sound with satisfying bass. The main tradeoff is that its strengths are not absolute: sound quality ranges from excellent-for-the-money to merely good, transparency mode is inconsistent, call quality can sound processed, and the compact case draws complaints about scratches or fiddly handling. Fast charging and LDAC add value, but the lack of wireless charging and replaceable batteries keeps it from feeling fully premium.
Products reviewers directly compared with this model, grouped into quick takeaways.
Compared with other Earbud Headphones, this product is above average in LDAC, Codec support, below average in Sustainability materials, Voice assistant integration, Auracast support.
| Attribute | This product | Category average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sustainability materials | 2.4 | 4.4 | -2.0 |
| Voice assistant integration | 2.0 | 3.6 | -1.6 |
| Auracast support | 2.0 | 3.6 | -1.6 |
| LDAC | 4.2 | 3.0 | +1.2 |
| Spatial audio | 2.0 | 3.0 | -1.0 |
| Smudge resistance | 2.4 | 3.4 | -1.0 |
| Codec support | 4.3 | 3.4 | +0.9 |
| Frequency response accuracy | 2.8 | 3.7 | -0.9 |
Yes. Most reviewers described them as comfortable for hours, commutes, work, or everyday use, with lightweight buds that generally stay secure.
Reviewers generally found ANC strong for the price and useful for commute, office, and street noise. It is not consistently at the level of pricier flagship earbuds, especially for some mid and high frequencies.
Most reviews praised the sound as lively, detailed, and strong for the money, especially with bass and LDAC. A few reviewers found the tuning merely good or said newer rivals can match it.
It depends. Some reviewers called it good or acceptable, while others preferred removing an earbud because voices did not come through openly enough.
Call quality is mixed. Some reviewers reported clear voices and good noise filtering, but others heard compression, artificial tone, or obvious earbud processing.
The most repeated drawbacks are no wireless charging, a case that can feel fiddly or scratch easily, limited EQ compared with stronger apps, and non-replaceable batteries.
Choose Sony WF-1000XM6 Earbuds. It scores 5.0 vs 2.4 for Sustainability materials, with a 4.1 overall score.
Choose Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 Earbuds. It scores 5.0 vs 2.4 for Smudge resistance, with a 3.7 overall score.
Choose OnePlus Buds 3. It scores 4.5 vs 2.0 for Voice assistant integration, with a 4.1 overall score.
Choose Apple AirPods Pro 3 Wireless Earbuds. It scores 4.8 vs 3.3 for Transparency mode quality, with a 3.7 overall score.
Choose the JBL Tour Pro 3 if you want feature-packed earbuds with strong sound, ANC, LDAC and a genuinely useful smart case. Skip them if you have smaller ears, want...
Pros: Codec support, Dongle
Cons: Sound leakage, Find My
Choose the Technics EAH-AZ100 if sound quality, bass, ANC, battery life, and multipoint matter most. Skip them if you need flawless calls, Bose-level ANC, the most natural transparency, or a...
Pros: Volume output, Maximum volume clarity
Cons: aptX, Auracast support
Choose these for excellent sound, deep app control, strong codec support, and a premium true-wireless package. Skip them if call quality, best-in-class ANC, iPhone integration, or a compact case matters...
Pros: Maximum volume clarity, Stability
Cons: Spatial audio, Microphone noise reduction
Choose the Sennheiser CX 80U for detailed, comfortable USB-C wired listening at a low price. Skip them if you need deep sub-bass, waterproofing, wireless features, volume buttons, or a cleaner...
Pros: Comfort during long use, USB-C
Cons: Microphone noise reduction, Water/sweat resistance rating