Nothing Ear vs Nothing Ear (a): Which Should You Buy?

Which should you buy, the Nothing Ear or the Nothing Ear (a)? If you want wireless charging, the LHDC codec, an 8-band equaliser and a hearing-test sound profile, the full Nothing Ear is the one to pick. If you mainly want ANC, LDAC and a smaller, lighter case, and you can live without those extras, the Ear (a) covers most of what an everyday listener needs.

Both pairs claim the same headline of up to 45dB active noise cancellation, both use an 11mm driver and both carry Nothing’s see-through design, so the difference comes down to features, sound character and charging rather than raw ANC numbers.

How this comparison was made: our picks are based on official specifications and published reviews summarised in our individual reviews, not hands-on testing. We have not tested either pair ourselves. Prices and availability on Amazon.in change, so we do not quote prices here; please check the live listing before you buy.

Quick verdict: Nothing Ear or Ear (a)?

• Choose the Nothing Ear if you want LDAC and LHDC 5.0, wireless charging, an 8-band equaliser and a Personal Sound Profile, and you are happy with pinch controls on short stems.
• Choose the Nothing Ear (a) if you want 45dB-claimed ANC and LDAC in a smaller, lighter package, care more about comfort and style than the deepest sound customisation, and do not need wireless charging.
• Skip both if your top priority is the strongest possible noise cancelling for gyms or flights, since reviewers call the Ear’s ANC good rather than class-leading, or if you take a lot of calls and want proven microphone quality.

Nothing Ear vs Nothing Ear (a): specifications side by side

The battery splits above come from GSMArena’s spec breakdown as quoted in our reviews. Nothing’s India pages list only the headline figures (45dB ANC, 40.5 hours for the Ear and 42.5 hours for the Ear (a)) without saying whether the case is included or ANC is off, so treat the longer numbers as best-case.

Sound quality and codecs

The Nothing Ear has the stronger sound toolkit. It supports both LDAC and LHDC 5.0, and its app offers an 8-band equaliser, four presets, five Bass Enhance stages and a hearing-test-based Personal Sound Profile. Tom’s Guide found the balance impressive without sacrificing bass, and Trusted Reviews called it energetic and balanced with good detail. GSMArena was more critical of the default tuning, saying the treble was over-boosted until the EQ was adjusted, so plan on a few minutes in the app.

The Ear (a) is the simpler listener. MySmartPrice described springy bass, vocals that are not overwhelmed and a decent soundstage, but wanted more volume and found some guitar solos listless on the stock EQ. GSMArena’s direct comparison calls the Ear (a) a little muffled, less crisp and roughly 10-15% quieter than the Ear, while still adequate on its own. It has Balanced, More Bass, More Treble and Voice presets plus three sliders, and no Personal Sound Profile.

A practical point on codecs: LDAC and LHDC both need a compatible phone. Many Android phones support LDAC, LHDC support is more limited, and iPhones fall back to AAC, so iOS users will not hear a codec advantage on either pair. Suits whom: the Ear for people who like to tune their sound or have an LDAC or LHDC phone; the Ear (a) for casual listeners who just want a pleasant default.

Noise cancellation and transparency

On paper this is a tie, with both claiming up to 45dB. For the Ear, GSMArena called the ANC very good against constant noise but not impressive in a quiet office, and Tom’s Guide rated it good rather than great, noting that gym noise was still audible and placing it behind the AirPods Pro 2 for workouts.

For the Ear (a), MySmartPrice called the ANC among the best at its price, with even suppression on a five-hour flight and no uncomfortable pressure, and found transparency mode good for voices at low volume. One caution from our review: MySmartPrice lists four ANC levels in a table but mentions three in the text, so check the Nothing X app on your unit for the exact modes.

Fit decides how much ANC you actually get. GSMArena found the Ear sits looser than some rivals, which makes it comfortable but less isolating, so use the three tip sizes and the in-app fit test. MySmartPrice found the Ear (a) secure and comfortable with thin stems. Suits whom: neither pair is a noise-cancelling specialist, so choose on features. If a snug seal matters most, try the tip sizes and check the return terms on the listing either way.

Battery and charging

With ANC on, the two are close: about 5.2 hours in the Ear’s buds and 24 hours with the case, against about 5.5 hours and 24.5 hours for the Ear (a). With ANC off the figures stretch to 8.5 and 40.5 hours for the Ear, and 9.5 and 42.5 hours for the Ear (a). In GSMArena’s own test at 100% volume with ANC on, the Ear lasted about four hours and the Ear (a) about 25 minutes longer. Test conditions differ, so read all of these as ranges.

The clearest hardware difference is charging. The Ear’s case takes USB-C and 2.5W Qi wireless charging, and Nothing claims 10 minutes in the case gives up to 10 hours of listening with ANC off. The Ear (a) is USB-C only, per GSMArena. Suits whom: if you keep a wireless pad on your desk or bedside, the Ear fits better; if you always plug in, the Ear (a) loses little.

Design, controls and everyday comfort

Both keep Nothing’s transparent look and use pinch gestures on the stem rather than touch panels. Pinch controls avoid accidental taps, but Tom’s Guide found the short stem on the Ear fiddly for larger hands, and MySmartPrice would have preferred tap controls with tactile feedback on the Ear (a) and a pinch-and-swipe volume gesture.

The Ear (a) has the smaller case and lower weight (4.8g per earbud and 39.6g for the case, per MySmartPrice), which helps if you carry earbuds in a jeans pocket. Durability ratings are IP54 for the earbuds on both; the Ear’s case is IP55, while sources disagree on the Ear (a) case (IPX2 per GSMArena, IPX5 per MySmartPrice), so treat that detail as unconfirmed. Neither is swim-proof or shower-proof. Suits whom: the Ear (a) for portability, the Ear for a case with a firmer water rating.

Calls and extra features

Each earbud on both models has three microphones with Clear Voice processing, but neither review gives hard call-test results for the Ear. For the Ear (a), MySmartPrice rated the mics as average, said noise suppression was too aggressive and reported a tinny voice to recipients. If calls are central to how you use earbuds, check recent buyer feedback on both listings before you decide.

Among extras, the Ear lists multipoint support and a low-lag mode, and GSMArena reports a built-in ChatGPT pinch function that works only with specific Nothing phones (Phone (1), Phone (2) or Phone (2a)). The Ear (a) offers dual connection, which you should confirm in the app after a firmware update. Suits whom: heavy callers may want to look beyond both; everyone else can treat calls as a minor factor.

Who should buy which

Nothing Ear: for Android users who care about codecs, equaliser depth, wireless charging and a personal hearing profile. Read our full Nothing Ear review, then check the current price on Amazon.in.

Nothing Ear (a): for buyers who want a first proper ANC pair with LDAC in a compact case and who value comfort and style over critical listening. Read our full Nothing Ear (a) review, then check the current price on Amazon.in.

Variant check before you order: our Ear (a) link points to the Amazon.in listing titled “Nothing Ear (a) 2024”, which does not show a colour, while the official page lists White, Black and Yellow. Confirm the colour and model on the listing, and do not assume it is the Ear (3a) or the full Ear. We also could not confirm in-box items or warranty terms for either pair from the sources we used, so check the listing and Nothing’s India support pages.

Final verdict

Pay for the full Ear if wireless charging, LHDC and a deeper equaliser matter to you; choose the Ear (a) if you want the same 45dB headline and LDAC in a smaller body and can accept quieter, slightly less crisp sound and USB-C charging only. Either way, check the current price of the Nothing Ear on Amazon.in or the Nothing Ear (a) on Amazon.in before you decide.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Nothing Ear (a) worth buying over the Nothing Ear?

It is if you do not need wireless charging, LHDC, the 8-band equaliser or the Personal Sound Profile. GSMArena called the Ear (a) a great option for the less picky buyer who cares about style and comfort.

Do both support LDAC?

Yes. Both list LDAC, but the Ear also supports LHDC 5.0. Either codec needs a compatible phone, and iPhones use AAC instead.

Do the Nothing Ear and Ear (a) have the same noise cancelling?

Both claim up to 45dB, but that is a maximum from Nothing, not a guarantee. Reviewers describe the Ear’s ANC as good rather than class-leading and the Ear (a)’s as strong for its class, and fit affects both.

Which is better for calls?

Neither review offers firm call-test results for the Ear, and MySmartPrice rated the Ear (a) mics as average with aggressive noise suppression. Check recent buyer feedback if calls matter to you.

Our full reviews

• Nothing Ear review: 45dB ANC, LDAC and LHDC
• Nothing Ear (a) review: 45dB ANC, LDAC and the trade-offs against the full Ear

Sources

• gadgetsoch Nothing Ear review, which draws on Nothing’s India page, GSMArena, Tom’s Guide and Trusted Reviews
• gadgetsoch Nothing Ear (a) review, which draws on Nothing’s India page, GSMArena and MySmartPrice