Hello, geekzone community. You can watch the video unboxing Nothing ear (1) by clicking on the video above before starting to read the review.
Let me introduce one of the most viral True Wireless Earphones of 2021, namely Nothing Ear (1). Nothing Ear (1) itself is said to be one of the most formidable rivals of the Apple Airpods Pro. But before getting to that point, I will discuss the attraction of this TWS one by one.
"Nothing" is one of the newcomers in the audio world, especially TWS. Their first product is named Nothing Ear (1), and this is their first product, so it is given the code number 1 in its TWS name, and maybe The following product will be coded or named with the number 2.
In making this product, Nothing collaborated with audiophiles from Teenage Engineering to create superb audio quality and develop stable sound and connectivity in their first TWS. However, this collaboration can bring Nothing Ear (1) to compete with Airpods Pro? Therefore I will invite you to look in more detail and review them one by one.
As a music lover, of course, the ergonomics of TWS are very influential in listening to music because the more ergonomic the shape of an earphone, the more comfortable it will be when used for a long time.
Nothing Ear (1) pay attention to this. Its ear-fitting shape makes it so comfortable to use that I almost always get a warning notification saying that I have been using the device for a long time, and it is recommended to me to rest my ears.
The design presented by Nothing Ear itself is unique because it carries a transparent concept so that you can see all parts of the TWS. But make no mistake, even though it uses transparent housing made of plastic, this TWS already supports IPX4 rating certification, so it is very safe when used while exercising. And the weight is only about 4.7 grams each. And the presence of pressure-relieving vents will certainly increase comfort when used. Furthermore, Nothing Ear (1) has two colour variants for the colour, namely black and white.
From the design, I like it. Even though the material is made of plastic but it is excellent. Furthermore, transparent housing makes it even more eye-catching when used. The charging case is also made transparent to add to the eye-catching impression, the drawback is that the charging case gets scratched quickly, so when you want to buy it, you should also think about looking for a charging case protector.
For the ear tips, I don't think there are any complaints. Although I use the default ear tips, Nothing Ear (1) is not half-hearted in trying to provide comfort to its users. The ear tips are made of silicone, like most ear tips in general, and the M size fits perfectly in my ears. Unfortunately, some other brands sometimes have an M size that is too small or too big, so I have to replace it with another ear tip.
The sales package is standard and, like most TWS in general, contains a pair of earbuds, a charging case, additional ear tips in sizes S and L, a type-c charging cable, a manual, and a warranty card. You can go to their official website page for complete technical specifications of Nothing Ear (1).
As I mentioned in the title, Nothing Ear (1) can last for 5 hours on a single charge, 34 hours with the charging case with ANC Off, and 24 hours when ANC is On. 5 hours of endurance is not just a title, of course, I have also tried this TWS to see if it can last 5 hours on a single charge, and of course, the answer is Yes. In about 1.5 hours, the remaining battery in each earbud is at 70% with the ANC ON condition. Every 1.5 hours, the battery is reduced by about 30% in total, then within 4.5 hours, the battery will be left by 10%. Of course, this is also influenced by the volume level used while listening to music. In this TWS test, the volume I used was not more than 70%.
Nothing Ear (1) also supports wireless charging, but I can't test it since I don't have wireless charging. I think charging from 0-100% on the charging case using a cable is pretty long, maybe around 2 hours. I hesitate to use a charger with fast charging capability because the Nothing Ear (1) specification doesn't say whether this TWS supports fast charging, so I'm looking for a safe way to use a standard charger to avoid damage.
"Nothing" clearly offers the ease of operation of the TWS that they make so that we can easily customize it according to our habits in operating the TWS. My favourite thing is the ease of adjusting the volume level. All you need to do is swipe up or down on one of the earphones. And, of course, the sensitivity level on the touch control is perfect. So even though it is blocked by hair (not in direct contact with the earphones), I can still change music or pause. And you can be setting the touch control directly in the Nothing Ear application. For example, you can see it in the image below:
Having a standalone app makes me like Nothing Ear (1) even more because it's only natural for wireless earphones to provide an app to make settings on their device. The application offered by Nothing is a place for all setting options, ranging from touch control settings, ANC, Equalizer, and of course, a place for updating TWS devices. In addition, we can find out the remaining battery capacity remaining in this application.
The ANC feature is also one of the must-have features for TWS today, and Nothing Ear (1) is no exception. This TWS has a perfect ANC feature, in my opinion. We can set the ANC level on the application itself, namely Light and Maximum. The goal is to save battery.
In addition, to the ANC on/off feature, there is also a Transparency Mode, which is a mode that can be used when we are in a public place so that we can still hear ambient sounds from outside without the need to remove earphones.
When not using ANC, I think the noise cancellation feature of Nothing Ear (1) is outstanding because it can reduce noise from outside. This is also because the earphones themselves have ear tips that fit perfectly. So my advice to get the proper noise cancellation is to use ear tips that fit on ear holes so that sounds from outside can be well muffled.
When ANC is turned on, it can eliminate noise from outside to the maximum. For the record, I tried this ANC in a coffee shop that was quite busy, and as a result, the sounds coming from outside disappeared instantly. In addition, when I turned on the ANC, I didn't feel nausea or discomfort because of the loss of air pressure. I think this is also due to the pressure-relieving vents presented at TWS.
I don't feel a significant difference between ANC mode with light mode and maximum, so we can choose the ANC feature with light mode when we want to save battery. But I don't think it's necessary. I will use the maximum ability on the ANC because before the battery runs out, I think I'm bored enough to listen to songs for 5 hours non-stop.
Collaborating with a master audiophile certainly makes people expect a lot with Nothing Ear (1), and this is also why Nothing Ear (1) is a competitor to Apple Airpods Pro. Furthermore, Nothing Ear (1) had disappeared from the market because of the enthusiasm of audio enthusiasts who pre-ordered it, so the TWS was sold out without a trace. And finally, in 2022, I have this audio device, and of course, it has an official warranty because a distributor imported it to my country.
So is the sound quality that good? Yes, I liked the sound quality from Nothing Ear (1), and they didn't waste their time getting Teenage Engineering to work with them. I am an audio enthusiast with a warm type with punchy bass, and Nothing Ear (1) managed to make a sound with that type. Even though their slogan is more toward the audiophile, the sound of the bass is still felt.
As for the audiophile's voice, they usually feature a clean and clear voice so that all instruments can sound well and fit. Moreover, even vocals blend well with musical instruments. But don't get me wrong, even though Nothing Ear (1) is more advanced from the audiophile side, I can still enjoy the punchy bass boom from this TWS. They have an equalizer in their application that you can choose according to the sound criteria you like.
As you can see in the picture above, you can choose 4 settings in the equalizer section, namely balanced sound type, more treble, more bass, and finally, voice. Of course, as a bass lover, I would choose more bass, which made the bass sound more profound and punchy than before. However, the resulting bass sound is not excessive. On the contrary, the resulting bass is impeccable and organized without the slightest lack of power. And even though using the "more bass" equalizer, it doesn't sacrifice other instruments, so the sound it produces is very fitting and comfortable for listening to music with dance, RnB, EDM, and other genres.
I think there's no need to hesitate for those who like audiophiles or bass heads because Nothing Ear (1) is perfect for those of you who like that type of sound.
You will love the Nothing Ear (1) because it is a big rival to the Apple Airpods Pro. After all, you won't get the full features of the TWS for the same price as the Nothing Ear (1).
Nothing Ear (1) is only priced at $100 compared to TWS within that price range. Of course, you will find it difficult to find more complete features than Nothing Ear (1) from ANC to Applications, and of course, because of the unique design compared to TWS on the market today.
The sound quality is also not inferior to TWS, far from this price range. On the contrary, thanks to the collaboration with Teenage Engineering, it is even more optimal. It's just that the only drawback is the charging case which scratches very quickly. The wireless charging feature also makes it easier for those who like charging without using cables. This is one of the TWS you must think about if you want to buy TWS for under $100.
Apart from that, I like the "Find My Earbuds" and the "Latency Mode" feature, which is useful when playing games or watching videos. But I still haven't had time to try the latency mode feature because I'm too focused on using it to listen to music. Maybe I will do a review when used in playing games on another occasion.
▶️ 3Speak
