Nothing Ear (Open): Brand new premium wireless earbuds that aim to harmonize sound and surroundings

Carl Pei-led Nothing has come out with a new product in the audio segment- the Ear (Open). Priced at $149, the Ear (Open) strives to maintain situational awareness while delivering respectable sound quality - a fact that is indicated by its open-ear design. These earbuds utilize the ‘Open Sound Technology’ developed by Nothing which enables the user to hear outside noise like passing vehicles and conversations while still listening to music. The company also boasts of its ‘Sound Seal’ system, which helps prevent sound from escaping during playback, so that users can enjoy their content in peace. 

The Ear (Open) is quite diminutive and portable, with each unit weighing in at 8.1 grams. A compact, 19mm-thin charging case is also provided. The earbuds have been designed with comfort in mind, with a three-point balance system and a 50-degree tilt for a secure fit. But, as it is with every earbud, the real-life comfort levels may vary from person to person. From the outside, the transparent design is characteristically Nothing, providing a clear view of internal components - a design choice that may or may not sway potential customers. 

Regarding sound quality, the Ear (Open) looks promising - at least on paper. The 14.2mm titanium-coated diaphragm has been engineered to reduce distortion and improve bass response. Now, of course, sound quality is subjective, but Nothing's previous offerings, such as the Ear (currently $148 on Amazon) have received positive reviews, hence, it would not be unreasonable to expect fairly good sound from the product this time around as well. Whether or not Nothing delivers on that front, remains to be established with independent testing. 

According to Nothing, the Ear (Open) is good for 8 hours of playback, with an additional 22 hours being supplied by the charging case that was mentioned earlier. For those who are pressed for time, the Ear (Open) delivers 2 hours of listening with just a 10-minute charge. Other features include dual-device connectivity, deep learning-enhanced voice clarity for phone calls, AAC and SBC codec support, and a low-latency mode for gaming. Other than that, control settings and sound profiles can also be further fine-tuned using the Nothing X app.