Nothing Ear (1) Black Edition

₹ 6,999

Back in Black

Sambit Satpathy | 22 Dec 2021 04:09 PM Share -

Nothing’s Ear (1) cut through all the pre-launch hype, and took us all by surprise in just how good they really were. Now, the earbuds are back – well sort of. While the hardware and design remain the same, they now come in black.

Design: Dark mode

Let’s start with what’s clearly (pun unintended) its highlight – the transparent design. In a segment where most earbuds seem to have been designed in a Xerox machine, the Ear (1) stood out with its transparent design. The see-through design remains, and the designers at Nothing have simply switched on dark mode.

The transparent case is slightly darker than before courtesy of a darker tint. Everything else from the silicone tip to the plastic earpiece are now black, and we must admit they look much better.

Comfort: All-day wear

Since the design hasn’t changed, the Ear (1) are still among the most comfortable earbuds in this segment. I’ve worn the earbuds at home during office calls, taken them with me on runs, and even wore them during a recent trip to Delhi.

They have proved to be comfortable, and at no point was I worried that they would pop out. The size and lack of weight also means there’s no fatigue after using them for long hours.

Performance: Balanced like a gymnast

We’ve said it before, and we are saying it again, the Ear (1) sound great. The overall audio quality belies the low price tag, and sound as good as some of the more expensive earbuds.

The soundstage created by the 11.6mm drivers is well defined and the tonal balance between the bass, mids and treble is spot on. What this means is you’re going to enjoy listening to R&B/Hip-Hop songs like The Weeknd’s Take My Breath or the jazzy vocals of Yashraj and Dropped Out’s Galat/Sahi.

Another impressive bit is the active noise cancellation (ANC). It works well whether you’re indoors or outdoors. It was able to cut the noise of the fan and AC, as well as the traffic noise outside. The real test will be when flying somewhere, and I’m fairly confident it will cut the loud hum of the airplane with ease. The overall battery life too is good enough to last an entire day on a single charge. With the case, you can get up to 24hrs of usage with ANC on.

Verdict

In our review of the Nothing Ear (1), we called it an absolutely all-rounder that does everything well. The Black Edition doesn’t change anything, but the Batman-approved colour just makes it look so much better. At ₹6,999, it continues to surprise us, and still sounds like nothing we have encountered in this price segment before.

Stuff Says

A head-turner in this black avatar, and is still a fun-sounding in-ear with a penchant to punch above its weight.

Good stuff

Standout design that looks better in black

Great audio performance

Less buggy than white variant

Bad stuff

Inconsistent audio call quality

No support for voice assistants

Specifications

Driver: 11.6 mm Dynamic
Battery Life: Up to 24hrs in the case (ANC on)
Bluetooth: 5.2
Compatibility: iOS 11 and above, Android 5.1 and above
Features: IPX4 Splash Proof
Dimensions: 28.9x21.5x23.5 mm
Weight: 4.7 grams