review with features, price and specifications

Nothing returns to its old ways with new headphones, the Nothing Ear (3a). With a price of 99 euros, the headphones seek to compete in, probably, most saturated segment of the audio world. After having tried them, it is clear to me that they go straight to my list of products to recommend when someone asks me for advice.

✅ Buy them if…

• You have a tight budget of less than 100 euros.
• You want headphones with personality.
• You are looking for headphones that you can connect to several devices at the same time.

❌ Don’t buy them if…

• You want the best noise cancellation and transparency mode.
• Wireless charging is an essential requirement.
• You value high definition, although this applies to any TWS headphones.

The essentials in 30 seconds

The Nothing Ear (3a) are Nothing’s new mid-range headphones. They do not seek to be the reference TWS headphones, but rather to offer a solid alternative for less than 100 euros with three key pillars: design, sound and connectivity. They do not reinvent the wheel nor do they need to, since they work well and fulfill their purpose, which is what they have to do.

Do they have the best sound? No. The best noise cancellation? No, but they cost what they cost and, for that money, you can say that they work very well. In addition, they are headphones with a lot of personalitydifferent from all those in this saturated market, so, at the same price, at least these put an eye-catching proposal on the table.

One of its differential values ​​is Audio Snapshot, a function that allows you to record what is playing and transcribe it to revisit it later. Its practical usefulness on a day-to-day basis is questionable, but well tuned it could be a useful feature for those of us who, like yours truly, tend to think out loud and keep ideas in notes.

Our experience with the Nothing Ear (3a)

How nice it is to be surprised. In a world where technology has become boring, Nothing products are a breath of fresh air. Not only because they are transparent and, in my case, yellow, but because they have personality. The case is one of the coolest I’ve seen in a long time (LEDs included) and the headphones, colors aside, are comfortable, light, and don’t fall out while moving. I have zero complaints in this regard.

Good in sound. For 100 euro headphones, the Nothing Ear (3a) sound really good. They have been quite a surprise, in fact. The sound comes out clean, the bass is quite punchy and the treble is kept at bay, although when there are sudden changes you can see that the headphones are missing a bit. Nothing serious and we will notice it only if we know what we are looking for. For day to day they go like a shot.

The noise cancellation is adequate and sufficient for mundane noises, such as the air conditioning or the hustle and bustle of the street, but it is not close to the best in this segment. The transparency mode is correct, but again, without highlighting; and during calls there is a certain echo in the microphones.

Audio Snapshot. One of the novelties that these headphones bring is the possibility of recording audio fragments of what is playing, storing them in their 32 MB capacity and transcribing them with AI (free and locally, although the most powerful model is paid and online). The idea is good, but I would have liked it if, instead of recording just a piece of a podcast or an audiobook, I could do it at the same time with my voice, so that I could record a reflection out loud or an idea that comes to me suddenly, and transcribe it.

• In theory, the headphones offer the possibility of recording and transcribing calls, but this function will not reach Spain, at least in the first phase.

The minipoint of connectivity. Spending 99 euros is no small feat, especially now, which is why it is appreciated that we can use the headphones with several devices at the same time thanks to the multipoint connection. Being able to have them connected via Bluetooth 6.0 to the Steam Deck and to the mobile phone or the tablet and switching from one to the other interchangeably is fabulous, even more so in these price ranges. Not to mention that they are fully compatible with iOS and Android.

Battery to get through the day without problem. The headphones deliver what they promise: around six hours of autonomy with noise cancellation activated, which rises to about a full day if we take into account the charging of the case. Charging is via USB type C, no wireless charging, something that, on the other hand, is to be expected.

Nothing Ear technical sheet (3a)

Nothing Ear (3a), Xataka’s opinion

The Nothing Ear (3a) are one of those alternatives that we must take into account If we want to spend less than 100 euros. They have good sound, good performance in general, more than acceptable autonomy and excellent connectivity. They’re not the best at anything, but all things being equal, at least these have a different design.

For me the key is that I have not found anything strange in this week of use. If I want to find faults with the sound or the ANC I can find them, but I doubt that the target audience of these headphones cares in the slightest about the LDAC codec or high-resolution music. They are, as I say, solid headphones for what they cost, and that’s the important thing.

Do I recommend it to you?

For 99 euros, without a doubt. There are infinite proposals in this price range and they are all similar, you can’t ask for anything from 100 euro headphones to do crazy things. Nothing devices, however, have that aroma of a well finished product which works well. With other headphones of this price you might have some doubts, but not with these.

Images | Xataka

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This device has been provided for testing by Nothing. You can consult how we do reviews in Xataka and our relations policy with companies.