Nothing, an upstart firm backed by OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, has lastly launched its first product, the Nothing Ear 1 true wi-fi earphones. Getting into the crowded mid-range true wi-fi phase in India, the Nothing Ear 1 is priced at Rs. 5,999, and guarantees loads. From its daring design to its spectacular characteristic set, there’s loads to love in regards to the Nothing Ear 1 on paper, however simply how good are these earphones in comparison with the competitors?
The design, with liberal use of see-through plastic, is what instantly stands out, however there may be rather more to the Nothing Ear 1. I’ve had an opportunity to make use of these true wi-fi earphones for a number of days now, and have tried among the key options on supply. Listed here are my first impressions.
There’s Nothing to cover
Early idea renders of the Nothing Ear 1 teased the liberal use of clear supplies, and the completed product largely sticks to that concept. Not solely are the earpieces clear on the stems, however the charging case can also be fully see-through. This clearly is not the primary time that transparency has been used as a design component, however Nothing has executed it properly on the Ear 1.
Though inner parts can typically look a bit odd, the bits that you may see via the stems of the Nothing Ear 1 earpieces are fairly properly put collectively. The motive force casings aren’t clear, however are designed to supply a safe and comfy in-canal match. Three pairs of ear suggestions are included within the field for match customisation.
The stems are touch-sensitive, letting you management playback, quantity, and noise cancellation modes utilizing faucets and swipe gestures. The earpieces are IPX4 rated for water resistance, and may have the ability to deal with gentle splashes of water or rain.
You possibly can see proper via the charging case of the Nothing Ear 1
The highest of the case has a small indentation, which aside from providing a little bit of grip, additionally holds the earpieces down in place when the lid is closed. Down the center of the case is the battery. There’s additionally the {hardware} for Qi wi-fi charging. The facet of the case has the pairing button and USB Kind-C port. Contained in the case is a small indicator gentle, which might usefully be seen even when the case is closed. The charging case is sort of giant, and never very pocketable in consequence.
The Nothing Ear 1 earphones have 11.6mm dynamic drivers, and use Bluetooth 5.2 for connectivity with assist for the SBC and AAC Bluetooth codecs. There’s energetic noise cancellation with two ranges of depth, and app assist for each iOS and Android. The controls will be customised utilizing the app, and you may as well toggle between a milder degree of noise cancellation and the complete depth. It’s also possible to see the battery ranges for the earpieces and the charging case within the app.
Nothing to complain about with regards to sound
Whereas my upcoming full assessment can have rather more to say in regards to the sound high quality and energetic noise cancellation efficiency, my preliminary impressions have been beneficial. The Nothing Ear 1 has a considerably balanced sonic signature that does not overtly favour the bass and treble like most consumer-grade earphones do, as an alternative giving the mid-range ample emphasis alongside the remainder of the frequency vary.
The sound is clear and pleasant, and is helped alongside by the efficient energetic noise cancellation. Whereas some individuals would possibly choose the milder ANC degree for indoor use, I most popular the complete depth because it made for a extra targeted and exact listening expertise indoors, and in comparatively quiet outside environments. There’s additionally a transparency mode for hear-through, which affords a reasonably pure sound.
The facet of the charging case has the pairing button and USB Kind-C port for charging
Though the marketed Google Quick Pair functionality did not work for me, pairing was fairly fast, and the connection was steady on each Android and iOS. The SBC and AAC Bluetooth codecs are supported; whereas assist for extra superior Bluetooth codecs would have been good for customers on Android, the AAC codec will at the very least guarantee a good degree of efficiency with most compressed audio, together with streaming music.
Remaining ideas
After months of hype, the Nothing Ear 1 has lived as much as most expectations, notably with regards to the design and options on supply. At Rs. 5,999, the earphones are additionally priced significantly extra competitively in India than in international markets, giving the Ear 1 an extra benefit right here.
There’s extra to be mentioned in regards to the Nothing Ear 1 with regards to audio high quality and battery life, which I am going to cowl in my full assessment. Nevertheless, for now, I can say that sound high quality is nice sufficient for on a regular basis listening, and the energetic noise cancellation works properly in most indoor and concrete outside eventualities. The Nothing Ear 1 is a promising pair of true wi-fi earphones that is likely to be value if in case you have a price range of underneath Rs. 10,000.
