Nothing Ear 2 review: The £129 wireless earbuds that sound as good as they look

The design is identical to the previous model, but sound quality has had a giant upgrade

The earbuds sport improved active noise cancellation and more customisation options (The Independent)

Nothing has just launched its latest pair of wireless earbuds for Android and iPhone – the Nothing Ear 2 are available to pre-order for £129 from today.

The sequel to the company’s first earbuds, the Nothing Ear 2 are almost identical to look at. You’d be forgiven for thinking not much has changed since the originals – the Nothing Ear 2 feature the same futuristic, transparent design, white finish and boxy charging case (albeit a bit thinner).

But Nothing has made lots of upgrades under the bonnet. The Nothing Ear 2 are all about improved sound quality, running on the latest high-resolution LHDC 5.0 codec for better-sounding audio, and featuring way more customisation when it comes to fine-tuning the buds for your ear.

They’re affordable too, compared with some of the best wireless earbuds of 2023. Our early impressions of the buds put them on track to be included in that hallowed list. These are a great-sounding, great-looking and very capable pair of buds.

The Nothing Ear 2 are available to pre-order now from Nothing’s store, and will go on general sale from 28 March.

Read more: Best budget smartphones

Nothing Ear 2: £129, Nothing.tech

(Steve Hogarty/The Independent)

The Nothing Ear Buds 2 are easily the most striking earbuds we’ve tested, arriving in a unique transparent casing that lets you see all the electronics inside.

But, as brazenly stylish as the earbuds are, the fashion-first tech brand hasn’t skimped on the fundamentals. The Nothing Ear 2 feature improved active noise-cancellation, which kicks in only when it’s needed to help extend battery life and improve audio fidelity. The upgrade to high-resolution audio won’t be noticeable for the average user, but it’s a necessary step up from the previous version.

Read more: Nothing Phone 1 review

The Nothing X app can also personalise the buds for your uniquely beautiful ears, by running a series of audio tests, which not only helps make sure you’re wearing the correct size of ear tip, but also promises to tune the output of the drivers to suit the exact frequencies your eardrums are capable of picking up.

During our early testing, we’ve been impressed with the buds’ performance and sound quality, especially at this price. Features such as the multi-point connection, which seamlessly switches you over from your laptop to your phone if you get a call, aren’t often seen on earbuds costing less than £150. The microphone has been massively improved too, so you sound better during phone calls.

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