👉 Subscribe to main channel for all videos.

The main superpower of the Nothing Ear (3) is Super Mic which is a microphone built into the charging case so that if you’re taking calls in very noisy situations, you can pull it out and speak into this mic close to your mouth instead of relying purely on the earbuds’ mics.

I think it’s a great idea, and why it’s better than simply using your phone’s mics is you don’t have to tap multiple times to switch inputs, you can just press and hold the Talk button to speak, or double press to toggle it for longer conversations. What makes it super is that it applies heavy noise gating and voice filtering, but you get cleaner mic pickup than the earbuds.

👉 Have a listen to the mic quality samples

Physically, they also don’t look too far off from the previous version in shape and size. Both the earbuds and the case are a little flatter, and now there’s a metallic housing which looks more premium. They even have the same fit which is lighter and looser than the Bose, AirPods Pro 3 and Sony.

As for features, it doesn’t look too different from the previous model, the Nothing Ear 2024, it has the same app and EQ settings, the same controls and nearly the same audio codecs. The only codec it lacks compared to the previous version is LHDC V5, but users can still stream over the more common Hi-Res codec LDAC.

The Nothing Ear (3) is now refreshed with Bluetooth 5.4 support and slightly larger drivers, and it now has a Spatial Audio, which puts the sound through a diffusion layer. It sounds a little boxy in Spatial Audio mode, but you do get that sensation of space.

But what’s more important is how does its performance compared to its predecessor, and some of the most popular earbuds in the market like the AirPods Pro 3, Bose QC Ultra Gen 2, and the Sony WF-1000XM5? We’re going to find out so buckle up!

Microphone Quality

In terms of mic pickup from the earbuds, the Nothing Ear 3 has one of the best mic pickups, just like the previous model. Whether on Android or iOS, voice capture is well amplified, and background noise is reduced to nothing. The Bose is a little better in the sense that voice sounds less robotic, and you can get better mic quality on AirPods if you’re using iPhone, but I’m comfortable giving the Nothing a rank A in my rankings list.

👉 Have a listen to the mic quality samples

Active Noise Cancelling

In terms of active noise canceling, it is better than the previous model at dealing with low frequency noises, and it’s quite effective compared to the Bose and Sony offerings. But compared to the AirPods Pro 3, the AirPods is the best noise canceler in the midrange, able to deal better with everyday sounds and human voices.

The Sony, however, will provide better muffling against upper mids highs simply because it comes factory fitted with hybrid foam tips. But overall, the Nothing Ear (3)’s noise canceling is quite good.

👉 Have a listen to the ANC quality samples

Transparency Mode

Its transparency mode is decent, but not great. It can deliver general awareness, but it doesn’t do a great job at passing through voices. You can hear what the other party is saying, but your own voice will sound very occluded when you’re trying to reply. Probably because it doesn’t amplify much above 1kHz. In my case, I had to take one earbud out to have a verbal exchange.

If we compare them to the previous model they are an improvement, as they amplify closer to the base noise level represented by the white line, but their transparency doesn’t sound as airy or clear as the Bose, the AirPods and the Sony with its default foam tips.

Sound Quality

In terms of sound quality based on its default settings, frequency sweeps show that the Ear 3 is very emphasized in the upper treble and lower bass. So if you’re a basshead, it is very bass heavy, reaching pretty low and deep without even touching the EQ, whereas the others (save for the Bose) have a flatter response.

I would also describe the Ear (3)’s sound as ‘hot’, ‘vibrant’, but laid back in the mids which is very similar to how the previous version sounded. Although they are similar, the new version sounds better to me as its mids do sound smoother and more laid back compared to the overly aggressive sizzle of the previous version.

But compared to the rest in this comparison, they sound pretty scooped-out in the mids, which can be a problem for those looking for a flatter, richer midrange response. Let’s dive a little deeper. Do note that this is on its default settings, with Bass Enhancement turned off.

👉 Have a listen to the sound quality

Comparison

Compared to the AirPods Pro 3, you’ll notice the AirPods sound noticeably darker on default, even vocals sound tonally different, fuller, richer with more body, whereas the Nothing Ear 3 sounds more hissy in the mids. It’s also a cleaner sound.

But what the Nothing does better on default is delivering an airy, open soundstage. Whereas if you want that same level of airiness on the AirPods, you can do so on iOS. Just turn on Headphone Accomodations and go through the Custom Audio setup.

However, you cannot tweak the AirPods to match it in terms of bass response, so if you’re a basshead, the Ear 3 will be more appealing.

Compared to the Bose, it matches the Bose in terms of bass response, but the Bose’s bass is a little cleaner, less muddy. I also prefer the Bose’s smoother, laid back and relaxed signature. But for those who might prefer a more engaging signature, something brighter and more forward, the Ear 3 will sound better.

Compared to the Sony WF-1000XM5, the Ear 3 is more bass heavy in the sub bass region, and it is, again, brighter and more sizzly in the upper mids and highs, so background details do shine a bit brighter. But it doesn’t have as much body in the mids as the Sony. In fact, after repeated A-B comparisons, it sounds quite scooped out in the mids compared to the flatter, more balanced midrange response of the Sonys.

Conclusion

So in terms of performance it is an improvement over the previous model, and I do think Super Mic is a great idea. Would I use it though? I’m not sure yet. The mics built into the earbuds are quite good already so I may never feel the need to use the Case’s microphone instead.

Besides, when I was testing it, it’s a little buggy. Even after stopping the microphone, the activation tone keeps playing every 3 seconds so I had to put them back into the case to reset. So until a software update fixes it, it’s going to be just a backup in case people can’t hear me over the earbuds, which may never happen.

But compared to the rest, aside from its design, what I do love about the Nothing Ear 3 is how customizable it is, specifically, its sound settings. It’s got a 8-band parametric EQ as well as automatic sound profiling, which the earbuds remember, and can be carried over to other devices. So in terms of sound settings, it’s not very different from the previous model, but it is richer than what the Bose and AirPods provide.

And compared to the AirPods, there’s more flexibility because all the settings are available on Android and iOS.

Things that could be better are its squeeze controls which aren’t too bad, but it’s not that great either because you can’t do every control on one earbud only, just like you can with the Bose or AirPods. But you can set it to do specific things per gesture in the Nothing X app, which is better than what Sony offers.

Transparency is not great, to say the least. Sound quality out of the box is okay, but sounds very scooped out in the mids to trained listeners, so it has to be EQed to sound good.

But all things considered, as long as transparency mode is not that important to you, it’s a great pair of earbuds worth checking out. And Supermic could indeed solve the microphone problem that some people.

Check latest prices:

Nothing Ear (3) - Link TBA
Nothing Ear 2024 - https://amzn.to/48yS038
AirPods Pro 3 - Link TBA
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Gen 2 - https://amzn.to/46N1zsL
Sony WF-1000XM5 - https://amzn.to/3JGI1uN

Affiliate Links

When you make a purchase through the Affiliate Links here, I earn a small cut for the sale at no cost to you, and this helps the channel out in a big way. Thank you for your support!