Nothing Ear (3a) launches today with LDAC support, 12 mm drivers, and new colorway

After detailed leaks surfaced yesterday, Nothing has now officially launched the Ear (3a), the successor to its best-selling Ear (a) from 2024, priced at €99 in Europe and 89 CHF in Switzerland. It goes on sale today through nothing.tech, with MediaMarkt, Amazon, and Otto in Germany joining from July 8.

A new feature here is Audio Snapshot — a first for the (a) series. The Ear (3a) packs 32 MB of onboard flash storage, which lets users capture audio moments by pressing both buds simultaneously. The feature records a buffer of audio from just before and after the trigger. This creates a clip that syncs automatically to the Nothing X app for playback, editing, transcription, and sharing as quote cards. The use case is anything from lecture highlights to voice notes.

Call Recording is the other new addition. A single gesture starts recording calls and meetings for up to two hours without touching the phone. Recordings sync to Nothing X for transcription, and an automatic notification gets sent to all parties when recording is active.

On the audio side, the Ear (3a) moves to a new 12 mm dynamic driver with a PMI membrane — aerospace-grade material used to keep the diaphragm lightweight. Compared to the Ear (a) (curr. $149 on Amazon), Nothing claims that the bass output is up by 5 dB and the ANC coverage has been extended by 17.1%, now reaching up to 45 dB across a wider frequency range, particularly between 400 Hz and 2,000 Hz where most everyday noise sits. LDAC support with Hi-Res Audio Wireless certification means up to 24-bit/96 kHz wireless transmission, bringing it on par with the pricier Ear (3) (in codec terms, at least).

Battery life is 10 hours per bud without ANC, 42 hours total with the case. ANC drops that to 6 hours per bud, 25 hours total. A five-minute quick charge gets you an hour of playback.

The redesigned charging case has a rounder silhouette and a revised 1×3 LED status indicator. The Ear (3a) is available in Black, White, Yellow, and Pink — the latter being a first for the (a) lineup. New XS ear tip sizes are included for a better ear fit as well.