Nothing Ear (2)

Rapid, detailed and organised sound ; Good control options ; Hi-res audio certification

Treble sounds can get quite lively ; Noise-cancelling isn’t all that special ; Plenty of competition

Nothing ups the features and functionality count, improves battery life and retains its mildly individual aesthetic to produce something quite special.

Lightweight and super comfortable ; Distinctive design ; Good for everyday listening

Below average battery life ; Divisive design ; Slight issues with vocals

The Nothing Ear (2) true wireless earbuds are packed with features, extremely comfortable to wear all day and have a distinctive design. Active noise cancellation (ANC) is good, sound quality is fine for everyday listening, but battery life is...

Bright, immediate sound ; Distinctive, eye-catching design ; Clever, easy-to-use app

Overly harsh upper ranges ; Lacking in subtle detail ; Rhythmic drive could be better

The Ear (2) wireless earbuds are a game effort but struggle to compete at this level when it comes to delivering really great sonic performance

Transparent mode which actually works ; Cool Design ; Brilliant app with powerful sound sculpting ; Brilliant ANC

Quirky sound effects on the app

The Nothing Ear (2) builds on the brands' position as a fashionable start-up to offer a genuine knockout product. ANC earbuds don't come more complete than this, with excellent sound quality, a top-notch app interface and great battery life.

Clean, energetic sound ; Unique, comfortable design ; Decent noise cancellation ; Strong feature set

Middling battery life ; Wear sensor is hit and miss

The Ear (2) are fantastic at their price and a superb addition to the noise-cancelling headphone market. While we'd like a touch more battery life to truly make them the full package, their performance, feature set and unique design mean they demand...

Great sound ; Superb personalised sound ; Cheaper than predecessor in the UK ; Cool design

Hi-Res function broken on Nothing Phone (1) ; Audio-visual lag on video ; Dodgy multipoint connection

The Nothing Ear (2) sound great and have solid noise cancelling, plus extra features at a very competitive price. However, the new high-quality audio mode doesn’t work well on the company’s own smartphone.

Engaging, high-resolution sound ; Unique, eye-catching design ; Lots of features and customisation options

Battery life with ANC could be better ; LHDC 5.0 support is limited

Nothing has really upped the ante with the Ear (2). Although the Ear (1) sold well, they lacked the audio chops to truly stand out and were beset by buggy firmware at launch.

Energetic audio with hi-res codec support ; Streamlined software adds lots of customisation ; Smaller case made from higher quality materials

A bit treble-heavy out of the box ; Personalised sound not always an improvement ; Battery life still behind the competition

Delivers the sound quality and noise cancelling we expect for the cash – after some tweaking – while improving on the original in all the right places. And without losing what made it so visually distinctive.

Cool minimalist design Active Noise Cancellation Wireless charging Personalization features work well

Battery life falls behind the competition Harsh at high volume

“The Nothing Ear 2 have a fantastic design, and several personalization features that make a real difference to the sound, all for a reasonable price. The battery life lags behind, though.”

Excellent audio performance with robust lows and detailed highs ; Solid noise cancellation for the price ; App offers customizable EQ ; Dust- and water-resistant build ; Case supports wireless charging ; Cool see-through design

Below-average battery life ; Case seems prone to scratches

Nothing's Ear (2) wireless earphones offer good noise cancellation and a detailed sound signature in a supremely stylish design.