Nothing Ear (3a) Earbuds Introduced
Credit: Nothing
Nothing, alongside the announcement of the Phone (4b) smartphone, unveiled its new earbuds (3a). Despite being an affordable model, the new product not only features active noise cancellation and LDAC audio codec support, but also an unusual Audio Snapshot feature that allows you to record voice memos directly to the earbuds’ memory without using a smartphone.
The Nothing Ear (3a) is available in black, white, yellow, and pink. The charging case boasts a soft, rounded shape and includes XS-size silicone eartips, ensuring a comfortable fit for a wider range of wearers. The case now features a 1×3 LED indicator that displays battery level, connection status, and other useful information.
The key innovation of the Nothing Ear (3a) is its 12mm drivers, which deliver louder bass (up to 5 dB) and more detailed highs thanks to a lightweight polymethacrylimide (PMI) membrane, a material used in aviation and space technology. Thanks to LDAC support, the headphones are Hi-Res Audio Wireless certified, supporting audio quality up to 24-bit/96 kHz. The included Nothing X app offers an 8-band equalizer with the ability to share audio profiles.
Spatial audio support and active noise cancellation (ANC) up to 45 dB are included, increasing noise cancellation by 17.1%; it’s particularly effective in the 400 to 2000 Hz frequency range. A transparency mode is also included. Among the interesting features is Audio Snapshot, which records short audio fragments to the 32 MB internal storage directly in the earbuds. Simply tap both earbuds simultaneously to record. A touch command can also start recording calls up to two hours long. This recording can then be played back, edited, and transcribed.
The earbuds (3a) have a battery life of 10 hours without ANC and up to 6 hours with ANC enabled when using the AAC codec. When using LDAC, the battery life drops to 6 hours and 4.5 hours, respectively.
Nothing ear (3a) will be available in four colors: white, black, yellow, and pink. The new product will retail for $99.
