Is the Nothing Ear 3 worth the upgrade from the Nothing Ear?
Verdict
Meaningful upgrade
The Nothing Ear 3 scores 6.0 points above the Nothing Ear. That's a real improvement, though not the kind you'd notice on every track. The gains are concentrated in sound (7.5 to 8.0), noise cancelling (7.0 to 7.5) and battery (7.5 to 8.0). On paper: battery life 8.5 h to 10 h, bluetooth 5.3 to 5.4 and driver size 11 mm to 12 mm. Worth checking: codecs goes SBC, AAC, LDAC, LHDC 5.0 to SBC, AAC, LDAC and weight goes 4.6 g to 10.4 g. That costs $52 more, or about $9 per point of score - reasonable value for the jump. Worth doing if you're replacing anyway; harder to justify as a pure upgrade if what you have still works.
What actually changes
Sub-scores both products have, on the same 0-10 scale. Bars extend right for a gain, left for a loss.
- Sound7.58.0
- Noise cancelling7.07.5
- Battery7.58.0
- Calls7.07.0
- Value7.58.0
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | Ear | Ear 3 | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 8.5 h | 10 h | |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC, LHDC 5.0 | SBC, AAC, LDAC | |
| Weight | 4.6 g | 10.4 g | |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.4 | |
| Battery incl. case | 40.5 h | 38 h | |
| Driver size | 11 mm | 12 mm | |
| Case weight | 51.9 g | 71.4 g | |
| Quick charge | 10 minutes for 10 hours | 5 min = 10 h | |
| Controls | buttons | touch | |
| Frequency response | 20 Hz - 20 kHz | 20 Hz - 40 kHz |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "Ear to Ear 3". 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.