Nothing Ear (3) vs Sony WF-1000XM5: Which to Buy?

What actually differs

The Nothing Ear (3) and the Sony WF-1000XM5 sit two years apart. The Sony launched on July 24, 2023 at a US list price of $299.99 1, and RTINGS says it has since been succeeded by the WF-1000XM6 2. The Nothing was released on September 18, 2025 at $179 3. Those prices are dated differently, so they show what each cost at launch, not what each costs today.

The more useful differences are about what each pair does well. Sony’s case rests on noise cancelling, battery and a detailed sound. Nothing’s rests on a lower price, a bassier tuning that can be reshaped in the app, and a case that doubles as a microphone.

One caution applies to the whole page. Almost every outlet reviewed only one of these earbuds. GSMArena is the exception, and only on noise cancelling. Where a section says no source settles a question, that is a finding, not a gap to be filled by pairing one publisher’s praise of one model with another’s praise of the other.

Which has the longer battery life?

Sony rates the WF-1000XM5 at 8 hours per charge with ANC on and 12 hours with it off 1. Nothing rates the Ear (3) at 5.5 hours per earbud with ANC on 4. Both are manufacturer figures under the same stated condition, so the gap is arithmetic: the Sony is rated about two and a half hours longer.

Measurements do not line up as neatly. For the Nothing, SoundGuys measured 5 hours 12 minutes with ANC on 5, RTINGS 5.3 hours 6, and GSMArena 6.5 hours over AAC 7. Tom’s Guide got only 3 hours with ANC and LDAC both on 8. For the Sony, SoundGuys measured 9 hours 32 minutes without stating the ANC setting 9, and TechGearLab measured 14.0 hours with ANC off at 75% volume 10. Because the conditions differ, those Sony numbers cannot be set against the Nothing’s ANC-on results as a like-for-like test.

Two reservations apply to the Sony. Tom’s Guide counts its unchanged battery life versus the predecessor as a con 11, and The Verge says it will keep watching battery longevity after complaints about the WF-1000XM4 12. On the Nothing, TechRadar lists battery as poor 3, and HardwareZone calls it below average 13. Reviews.org lists long battery life as a pro 14, and GSMArena calls its 6.5-hour result respectable though not class-leading 7.

For the charging case, Nothing quotes up to 38 hours without stating the ANC condition 4, while Sony quotes 16 hours for the case alone with ANC on and 24 with it off 1. Those figures rest on different conditions, so they are not comparable either.

Verdict: the Sony wins on rated earbud battery life. The measured runtimes point the same way, though under unmatched conditions.

Which has the stronger noise cancelling?

This is the one dimension with a direct comparison. GSMArena reviewed the Nothing and wrote that its adaptive noise cancellation is quite good with the right tips, “not as potent as something like the Sony WF-1000XM5” 7. That is a single outlet’s judgment, made in a review of the Nothing and not a side-by-side test, but it names the Sony as the stronger of the two.

The lab figures are not directly comparable. SoundGuys measured the Nothing at up to 35 dB of low-frequency and 38 dB of high-frequency attenuation, below the 45 dB that SoundGuys says Nothing advertises 5. In its Sony review, SoundGuys measured more than 30 dB of low-frequency attenuation below 1 kHz 9. The two figures are reported on different terms (a peak value in one case, a band in the other), so they cannot be ranked. TechGearLab’s Sony figures of 22.0 dB low, 25.5 dB mid and 42.9 dB high come from a different lab and method 10.

Outside opinions are mixed for both. Tom’s Guide says the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds block noise better than the Nothing 8, while TechRadar and What Hi-Fi? say Bose models beat the Sony 1516. Each trailing a Bose model in a separate review does not rank the two against each other. Trusted Reviews calls the Nothing’s ANC decent but not market-leading 17, and The Verge puts the Sony’s right up there with the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II and the second-generation AirPods Pro in its subjective tests 12. RTINGS credits the Sony’s foam tips more than its ANC for its isolation 2, a reminder that tip choice affects both models.

Verdict: the Sony, on the strength of one direct comparison from GSMArena. Treat that as a lean, not a settled result.

Which sounds better?

No source settles this. The tunings are described differently, and no publisher here heard both.

SoundGuys calls the Nothing’s tuning bass-heavy and V-shaped 5, and RTINGS says it is far bassier than earlier Nothing models 6. HardwareZone describes recessed mids and treble that is borderline harsh on some masters 13. The treble is a little harsh, per its own con list at Trusted Reviews 17. The app’s EQ is the common remedy: GSMArena says the 8-band EQ can balance the default 7.

For the Sony, What Hi-Fi? praises levels of detail and clarity but says some rivals produce more bass 16. TechRadar calls the listen agile and meaty 15. TechGearLab found the out-of-the-box sound pleasant but a little flat, with bass lacking power on EDM and hip-hop 10. SoundGuys measured a bass and mid-bass emphasis around 30 to 300 Hz 9, which points a different way from the TechGearLab finding.

What a buyer can take from this: the Nothing is described as the bassier, more adjustable default, and the Sony as the more detail-focused one, but each description comes from a review of one product.

Verdict: unresolved. It depends on taste, and no source compares the two.

Which is better for calls?

No source settles this either, and each product has its own internal split.

The Nothing’s headline feature is the Super Mic on the case. Trusted Reviews found it clearly better than the earbud or phone mics at cutting background noise 17, and GSMArena found noticeably better voice pickup than the earbud mics 7. HardwareZone found its recordings lower in quality than the earbuds’ own mics except in quiet rooms 13, and Reviews.org calls it more trouble than it is worth 14. GSMArena adds that it works only with the native dialer, assistant and recorder 7.

Sony’s own announcement describes no case microphone 1. The Verge says colleagues heard its reviewer clearly 12, while TechGearLab ranked its call quality lowest of five earbuds tested 10.

RTINGS says the Nothing has a better mic system than earlier Nothing models 6, and says the Sony’s successor, the WF-1000XM6, improves on microphone performance 2. Neither remark compares the two earbuds covered here.

Verdict: unresolved. The Nothing offers an extra option the Sony lacks, but the published verdicts on whether it helps are split, as shown above.

Which is more comfortable and better built for exercise?

Each earbud draws mixed comfort reports, and no publisher here fitted both. Tom’s Guide lists a comfortable fit for the Nothing 8, while TechRadar found it harder to fit with small ears 3 and Trusted Reviews found it slipped slightly while walking or working out 17. For the Sony, TechRadar lists very comfortable and secure earpieces 15, while What Hi-Fi? says the fit could feel more secure 16, and Tom’s Guide needed the largest tip for a good seal 11.

On weight, TechRadar lists the Nothing at 5.2 g per earbud 3, and Sony’s Help Guide lists the Sony at 5.9 g 18. TechGearLab measured 5.95 g for the Sony 10, but TechRadar’s own spec table gives a lower 4.2 g for it 15. That makes the weight ranking depend on which Sony figure is right, and a sub-gram difference is unlikely to decide a purchase.

Water resistance is a close match: Nothing lists IP54 4 and Sony lists IPX4 1. SoundGuys says the Nothing’s case is also IP54 5, while Sony says its case and ear tips are not water resistant 1. Tom’s Guide judged the Sony unsuitable for running because of audible footstep vibration, not fit 11.

Verdict: unresolved on comfort; a tie on the listed water rating.

How do features and connectivity compare?

Several features are shared. Both support multipoint, with SoundGuys saying the Nothing’s must be switched on in the app 5 and The Verge noting the Sony no longer loses LDAC on Android while paired to two devices 12. Both have wireless charging, per Nothing’s page and Sony’s announcement 41. Both list SBC, AAC and LDAC, and Sony adds LC3 518.

The differences are smaller. Nothing’s driver is 12 mm and Sony’s 8.4 mm, per Nothing’s page and TechRadar 415; no source ties driver size to sound quality here. On the Nothing, TechRadar reports static spatial audio with no head tracking 3. On the Sony, head tracking needs a supporting Android 13 phone 1, and The Verge could not get it working in Netflix or YouTube on a Pixel Fold 12. Software is a strength of both: SoundGuys calls the Nothing X app one of the best companion apps 5, and Tom’s Guide praises the Sony’s functionality and level of control 11. TechRadar found occasional Bluetooth drop-outs on the Sony 15, whereas HardwareZone reports no dropouts on the Nothing’s Dual Connection 13. Those are separate observations rather than a comparison.

Verdict: tie on core features; no source separates the app experiences.

Which one to buy

No overall winner emerges, because the dimensions split. The Sony leads on rated battery and, in one direct review, on noise cancelling. Sound, calls and comfort are unresolved. The Nothing’s advantage is the lower launch price, and at the same time the cheaper Ear (a) already undercut it, which TechRadar says makes the Ear (3) harder to recommend 3.

Choose the Sony WF-1000XM5 if you commute or travel and care most about battery and isolation, and are comfortable buying a 2023 design whose successor has arrived 72. Check the price before deciding: What Hi-Fi? reports discounts to £149 in the UK 16, but no source here gives a current US price.

Choose the Nothing Ear (3) if you want to spend less at launch pricing, like a bass-forward default you can tune, or would use the case microphone. SoundGuys recommends it mainly for first-time Nothing buyers and Nothing Phone (3) owners 5, and Trusted Reviews calls it solid for Android users 17. Skip it if battery is a priority, since TechRadar, Tom’s Guide and RTINGS flag it 386, though Reviews.org and GSMArena are more positive 147.