Is the Nothing Ear (a) worth the upgrade from the OnePlus Buds Pro 4?
Verdict
Downgrade
The Nothing Ear (a) actually scores 6.0 points below the OnePlus Buds Pro 4, so on aggregate review consensus this is a step backwards. The gains are concentrated in calls (7.5 to 8.0). You do give up ground on sound (8.5 to 8.0) and noise cancelling (8.0 to 7.5). On paper: drivers per side 1 to 2 and case weight 50.62 g to 39.6 g. Worth checking: battery life goes 13 h to 9.5 h and bluetooth goes 5.4 to 5.3. One caution: this steps down a line tier (Buds Pro 4 to Ear (a)), and base models usually trade away tier features - check the codec and ANC rows above before trusting the score gap alone. It is at least $50 cheaper, so the lower score comes with a saving. 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.
- Sound8.58.0
- Noise cancelling8.07.5
- Battery8.58.5
- Calls7.58.0
- Value9.08.5
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | Buds Pro 4 | Ear (a) | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 13 h | 9.5 h | |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC, LHDC 5.0 | SBC, AAC, LDAC | |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | 5.3 | |
| Water resistance | IP55 | IP54 | |
| Battery life (ANC on) | 7 h | 5.5 h | |
| Battery incl. case | 45 h | 42.5 h | |
| Drivers per side | 1 | 2 | |
| Case weight | 50.62 g | 39.6 g | |
| Wireless charging | Yes | No | |
| Wear detection | Yes | No | |
| ANC type | adaptive | hybrid | |
| Quick charge | 10 min = 11 hours playback | 10 min = 10 h (ANC off) | |
| Driver | dual drivers; 11mm woofer + 6mm tweeter | dynamic | |
| Frequency response | 10Hz-40kHz | 20Hz-20kHz |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "Buds Pro 4 to Ear (a)". 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.