8Rank 08 of 10 · Noise-Cancelling Wireless Earbuds
Nothing Ear (3)
A mid-price pair with LDAC and a 45 dB noise-cancelling claim for 149 euros. The shortest ANC runtime here, and the product page we opened showed only headline claims.
7.2BPR score
- €149Price
- 5.5 h (ANC on) — as reported by GSMArena; Nothing's product page showed no battery figureBattery life per charge with ANC on
- 8 of 10in Noise-Cancelling Wireless Earbuds
- 7.2BPR score 0–10
Review
What this product is
Written after the analysis, from the same sources the score is built on: the manufacturer's documentation, available studies and verified owner feedback.
The Ear (3) suits buyers who want LDAC and a distinctive design at mid-range money and can live with a short runtime. Nothing's German store page, as we could read it, showed the price of 149 euros (struck-through 179 euros) and three claims: 45 dB noise cancelling, 24-bit Hi-Res LDAC audio and a Super Mic. No battery, weight or protection data were visible there.
The remaining figures therefore come from GSMArena's review: 5.5 hours per charge with ANC on and 22 hours with the case, 10 and 38 hours with ANC off, 55 mAh per earbud and 500 mAh in the case, Bluetooth 5.4 with multipoint, AAC, SBC and LDAC, 12 mm drivers, IP54 and 71 g for case and earbuds together. In GSMArena's own use the earbuds reached 6.5 hours with ANC on over AAC. The review calls the ANC quite good but short of Sony's WF-1000XM5, and the bass punchy and loud, needing the equaliser for balance.
What is missing: a manufacturer datasheet we could read in full, any method behind the 45 dB figure, LC3 and aptX, and owner ratings. Treat every specification here as second-hand until Nothing's own sheet confirms it.
Technical data
Specification
Figures from the manufacturer's documentation, verified against available outside sources. Values we could not confirm are marked as declared.
- Battery per charge, ANC on
- 5.5 h (per GSMArena)
- Battery per charge, ANC off
- 10 h (per GSMArena)
- Total with case
- 22 h (ANC on) / 38 h (ANC off) (per GSMArena)
- Battery capacity
- 55 mAh per earbud, 500 mAh case (per GSMArena)
- Charging
- 70 min wired, 120 min wireless (per GSMArena)
- Bluetooth
- 5.4, multipoint (per GSMArena)
- Codecs (as published)
- LDAC (Nothing); AAC, SBC, LDAC (per GSMArena)
- Ingress protection
- IP54 (per GSMArena)
- Weight
- 71 g case and earbuds together (per GSMArena)
- Driver
- 12 mm dynamic (per GSMArena)
- Independent test (GSMArena)
- 6.5 h with ANC over AAC; ANC quite good, below Sony WF-1000XM5
Component scores
Where the score
comes from.
Four components, equal weight, each on a 0–10 scale and each resting on a named source. The overall score is their mean — the full procedure is in the methodology.
What we liked
- 149 euros in Nothing's German store
- LDAC listed by Nothing
- 6.5 h with ANC over AAC in GSMArena's use, above the 5.5 h figure
- IP54 and wireless charging as reported by GSMArena
- Bluetooth 5.4 with multipoint
Worth knowing
- 5.5 h with ANC on is the shortest figure in this ranking
- Product page as read showed no battery, weight or IP data
- 45 dB claim without frequency or method
- No LC3 or aptX reported
Comparison
How it compares
within the category
All values come from the same analysis and are comparable only within the category Noise-Cancelling Wireless Earbuds.
| Product | Score | Battery life per charge with ANC on | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| WF-1000XM6Top score | 8.1 | up to 8 h (NC on) — published by Sony; 9 h 41 min measured by SoundGuys | €270 |
| Ear (3)This product | 7.2 | 5.5 h (ANC on) — as reported by GSMArena; Nothing's product page showed no battery figure | €149 |
| Category average10 products analysed | 7.5 | — | — |
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How long does the Nothing Ear (3) battery last with ANC?
GSMArena reports 5.5 hours per charge with ANC on and 22 hours with the case, and reached 6.5 hours in its own use over AAC. Nothing's product page as we read it showed no battery figure.
What does the 45 dB noise-cancelling claim on the Ear (3) mean?
Nothing states 45 dB noise cancelling without giving a frequency, a test fixture or a standard on the page we opened. It cannot be compared directly with another brand's figure.
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