Nothing Ear (Open) review - The open-ear headphones that surprised us positively

The Nothing Ear (Open) have proven to be a successful debut for the company in this segment and in our test, they impressed us with a broad sound, great wearing comfort and very good battery life. The charging case is also nice and slim and fits easily into a trouser pocket. The headphones can be adapted to your own needs in terms of sound and controls via the app, and thanks to their IP54 certification, they can also be used outdoors without any problems. 

The Nothing Ear (Open) offer a good total package that, unfortunately, comes with a few gaps in their features. 

It isn't entirely clear why Nothing has chosen not to use high-res Bluetooth codecs for its headphones fitted with the most powerful drivers. Plus, at 8.1 grams, the open-fit headphones' weight is noticeable and the ear hook may be uncomfortable for people who wear glasses. Dual Bluetooth and a low latency mode are available, but no wear detection.

Nothing's Ear (Open) are the first open-fit headphones that don't need to be inserted into the ear canal or held in the tragus. The manufacturer's design and idea is based on the Shokz OpenFit, but they come with a much more compact charging case.

Another strong competitor: the Huawei FreeClip, that are even more lightweight and subtle.

The Nothing Ear (Open) are only available in white and come in a very slim charging case, which is slightly longer in shape. The IP54 certification means that the wireless headphones are resistant to dust in harmful quantities as well as splashing water on all sides.

The case is made entirely of plastic and left a high-quality impression during our test. The lid is magnetically attached to the underside and closes the case securely. The earphones are largely made of plastic and feature Nothing's typical transparent design. The ear hooks are covered in soft-feeling silicone and protect the nickel-titanium wire inside. At the end of the wire is a small aluminum container that houses the battery.

The Nothing Ear (Open) are therefore extremely comfortable to wear, especially as they do not need to be inserted into the ear canal. There is no risk of losing the headphones, even during hectic movements or when working out.

The Nothing Ear (Open)'s outer packaging consists of a foiled cardboard box, and no additional plastic is used.

Nothing puts the headphones' CO₂e footprint at 3.0 kg over their entire life cycle. In addition, the solder paste is made from 100% recycled tin and the energy for the final assembly comes entirely from renewable sources.

Nothing hasn't provided any information on their reparability.

Unlike the in-ear headphones from Nothing, the Ear (Open) don't have access to a high-res codec. However, they more than make up for this with their better drivers. At 14.2 mm, these are comparatively large and the diaphragms are made of titanium-coated polyethylene terephthalate.

In terms of sound, the Nothing Ear (Open) perform great and, unlike most in-ears, deliver a very balanced sound. At high volumes, however, the low tones could do with having more power. The More Bass equalizer doesn't seem to change this—on the contrary, it simply makes the sound duller. The OpenFit are better in this case, but the Nothing headphones are more balanced and clearer in the treble range.

Although the sound is shielded from the outside world, it is still audible to other people in the vicinity—depending on the volume. The Nothing Ear (Open) don't offer active noise suppression, nor do they have a transparency mode. However, the latter isn't necessary, as the surroundings can still be heard clearly when wearing them.

Phone calls are clear and natural in quiet environments, but the voice quality deteriorates when compensating for loud ambient noise and especially in windy conditions.

THD (Total Harmonic Distortion): Harmonic distortion quantifies the amount of distortion caused by non-linear distortion (harmonic content) in relation to the original signal. THD only refers to the fundamental component. The distortion factor is often mentioned in the same breath, but refers to the overall signal. 
THD+N (Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise): This value is comparable to THD, but in addition to the interference power of the harmonics, that of the noise is recorded as an effective value.
For the measurement, a low harmonic sinusoidal signal (1 kHz, > 0 dB) is played back via the headphones to be tested, which is recorded by a linear measuring microphone (measuring distance: approx. 1 cm) in an artificial head. 

Both values are given as a percentage. The lower the value, the better the signal fidelity. 

Thanks to their largest batteries in the comparison field, the Nothing Ear (Open) come out on top in terms of battery life. In our test with the volume adjusted, they lasted almost ten hours—a very good result, and well above the manufacturer's specification of eight hours.

The open-ears are charged inside their charging case, whose integrated battery can supply the headphones with two additional charges. A playback time of two hours is possible after just ten minutes of charging.