Is the Nothing Ear worth the upgrade from the Nothing Ear (a)?
Verdict
Downgrade
The Nothing Ear actually scores 6.0 points below the Nothing Ear (a), so on aggregate review consensus this is a step backwards. It loses ground on battery (8.5 to 7.5) and calls (8.0 to 7.0). On paper: codecs SBC, AAC, LDAC to SBC, AAC, LDAC, LHDC 5.0, wireless charging and wear detection. Worth checking: battery life goes 9.5 h to 8.5 h and battery incl. case goes 42.5 h to 40.5 h. And it costs $29 more for a lower score, which is hard to justify on the data alone. Only worth it if a specific feature above matters more to you than overall quality does.
What actually changes
Sub-scores both products have, on the same 0-10 scale. Bars extend right for a gain, left for a loss.
- Sound8.07.5
- Noise cancelling7.57.0
- Battery8.57.5
- Calls8.07.0
- Value8.57.5
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | Ear (a) | Ear | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 9.5 h | 8.5 h | |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC | SBC, AAC, LDAC, LHDC 5.0 | |
| Battery incl. case | 42.5 h | 40.5 h | |
| Drivers per side | 2 | 1 | |
| Case weight | 39.6 g | 51.9 g | |
| Wireless charging | No | Yes | |
| Wear detection | No | Yes | |
| Quick charge | 10 min = 10 h (ANC off) | 10 minutes for 10 hours | |
| Controls | touch | buttons | |
| Frequency response | 20Hz-20kHz | 20 Hz - 20,000 Hz |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "Ear (a) to Ear". The other direction is a separate question with a different answer. Scores blend published review verdicts across true wireless and shift as new reviews land, so a marginal call today may not be one next quarter.