ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The Nothing Ear Open are the design-forward London tech brand’s first open earbuds that go for $150, and are exceptional
- The earbuds are amazing to exercise in, thanks to their comfortable build and wonderfully loud sound, but they also would work well for anyone who’s looking for an alternative to noise cancellation
- Multipoint Bluetooth didn’t always work, but other than that, these earbuds are nearly perfect
Earbuds work best when you forget that they exist, even as they are in your ears or wrapped around your head. In actuality, a good earbud is a conduit for something else, like a good workout with bone conduction headphones or a locked-in eight hours of uninterrupted work at your chatter-filled desk job with noise-canceling earbuds.
Also: I swapped my favorite $300 Bose earbuds for a $50 pair. Here’s how the two compared
So when I was sent the Nothing Ear Open earbuds, the latest from one of my favorite design-forward tech companies, I was eager to see just how much of a difference the headset would make on my afternoon runs and walks. The short answer? The Nothing Ear Open earbuds are a runner’s new best friend and exceed its $150 price tag. For the long answer, keep reading.
This is Nothing’s first pair of open-ear headphones, which are designed less for noise cancellation and quiet listening and more for situational awareness and people on the go. If you don’t like how noise-canceling earbuds build up pressure within your ear and take you out of your environment, open earbuds may be a better choice.
Open earbuds are great for exercise, first and foremost, but the best open earbuds work in many situations if they have loud enough sound and a comfortable build.
Also: Forget the Pixel 8a: Nothing’s $399 Android phone may be your best budget option
The Nothing Ear Open check both boxes. Let’s start with comfort, an essential factor of open earbuds. These are the lightest and most comfortable open earbuds I’ve tried, and much of this is credited to the flexible and lightweight ear hooks, which are wrapped in a sticky silicone. The earbuds hang from your ears in an unnoticeable way that bodes well for all-day wear.
The speaker is positioned right above your ear without fully covering it, which keeps it open for sounds nearby to come through. There is absolutely nothing uncomfortable about these, especially on my runs or during my mat workouts, when they stay around my ears and deliver pleasant sound.
These earbuds get miraculously loud, while also keeping situational awareness at the forefront. You can turn your volume halfway up and hear everything clearly while running on a busy street or exercising at a packed gym. The highest possible volume is too loud for me when listening in a silent room, but is fine while I’m out running in a busy street.
You might think that because these don’t fully seal into your ears that the Nothing Ear Open produce lots of sound leakage. On the contrary: at mid-range volume, the volume that most people will listen to these earbuds on, my roommate couldn’t hear my music. A foot apart from him and on high volume, however, he began to hear the music. This is thanks to Nothing’s Sound Seal tech that minimizes leakage through its directional speakers.
Also: Best headphones for working out
The soundstage is wide, clear, and crisp on the earbuds, and the earbuds offer a detailed, bass-forward listen. Turning up the volume all the way promises an immersive experience while also maintaining environmental awareness. As I type this article, the earbuds’ volume is maxed out, but I can still hear the clicks and clacks of my keyboard.
I have had no issue with the earbuds’ eight-hour battery life, nor the 30 hours of battery stored in the case. They’ve powered me through a few days of desk work and park runs without any battery light going off. Multipoint Bluetooth also works well (most of the time), and the connection, like for the rest of the Nothing earbuds I’ve tried, is a breeze.
ZDNET’s buying advice
In truth, I can’t think of one bad thing about the Nothing Ear Open, especially considering the $150 price point. The quality of these open earbuds exceeds the asking price by a couple of miles. I’d recommend these to active people who are in the market for an aware earbud to power them through long-haul workouts and stay comfortable in the ear for the whole day.
I think people outside that demographic would also like wearing these on walks, on calls (that, by the way, deliver clear audio), and to pass the day with music and podcasts in the office, where you may not want to be fully separated from the work chatter around you. You can have conversations, clearly hear what’s happening around you, and listen to your favorite songs.
