# Nothing Ear (3) Review Roundup: What 8 Experts Say > DataDesign surveys published reviews and manufacturer data. We do not test products ourselves. > Updated 2026-10-04. Source: https://datadesign.one/wireless-earbuds/nothing-ear-3/ **Consensus score: 79/100** (medium confidence, from 5 rated reviews) **Bottom line.** The Nothing Ear (3) suits Android buyers who want bassy, heavily tunable sound: Trusted Reviews calls it a solid pair for Android users, particularly in the Nothing ecosystem [@trustedreviews-nothing-ear-3], and Tom's Guide lists powerful bass and an excellent companion app among its pros [@tomsguide-nothing-ear-3]. The main weakness is battery life, which TechRadar lists as poor [@techradar-nothing-ear-3] and RTINGS measured at 5.3 hours with noise cancelling on [@rtings-nothing-ear-3]. ## Who is the Nothing Ear (3) for, and who should skip it? The Nothing Ear (3) was released on September 18, 2025 at $179 [@techradar-nothing-ear-3]. Tom's Guide says street prices often drop to $149 in sales [@tomsguide-nothing-ear-3]. The advice leans toward Android users. Trusted Reviews calls it a solid pair for that group, particularly those in the Nothing ecosystem [@trustedreviews-nothing-ear-3]. SoundGuys recommends it mainly for first-time Nothing buyers and Nothing Phone (3) owners [@soundguys-nothing-ear-3]. TechRadar says the Super Mic case microphone is a standout mainly for Nothing phone owners, who also get transcription [@techradar-nothing-ear-3]. It also fits listeners who want a bassier sound than earlier Nothing earbuds delivered. RTINGS puts it plainly: the earbuds "are poised to give you most of what you want, if what you want are bassier Nothing earbuds" [@rtings-nothing-ear-3]. Anyone willing to spend time in the app gets the most out of it, since SoundGuys calls the tuning V-shaped and bass-heavy but fixable with the parametric EQ [@soundguys-nothing-ear-3]. Several kinds of buyers should look elsewhere. Owners of recent Nothing earbuds are the first: SoundGuys does not think the Ear (3) offers enough improvement to justify an upgrade [@soundguys-nothing-ear-3]. People who want the cheapest route to Nothing's sound have a second option, because TechRadar notes the older Nothing Ear (a) sells for about half the price, around $89, which makes the Ear (3) harder to recommend [@techradar-nothing-ear-3]. RTINGS likewise says the Ear (3a) is better value unless the improved microphone matters [@rtings-nothing-ear-3]. Buyers who need long continuous listening should also pause, because battery life is the most frequent complaint below. Finally, athletes should check the fit: RTINGS says the buds can fall out during vigorous activity because they lack stabilizers [@rtings-nothing-ear-3], and Trusted Reviews says they slipped slightly while walking or working out [@trustedreviews-nothing-ear-3]. ## What do reviewers praise about the Nothing Ear (3)? **Energetic, bass-forward sound.** TechRadar lists vigorous, exciting sound among its pros and calls the delivery energetic and bass-forward [@techradar-nothing-ear-3]. Tom's Guide found the earbuds warm and detailed out of the box, with strong sub-bass [@tomsguide-nothing-ear-3]. GSMArena calls the bass overpowering but fun, and reports a wider soundstage and less distortion than the previous model [@gsmarena-nothing-ear-3]. SoundGuys found distortion very low, and its listening panel's MDAQS overall score was 4.7 on a 1.0 to 5.0 scale [@soundguys-nothing-ear-3]. Reviews.org says the sound is well above expectations for the price [@reviews-org-nothing-ear-3]. **Tuning tools and the app.** The software is a recurring strength. RTINGS lists lots of EQ tuning among its pros [@rtings-nothing-ear-3], and Tom's Guide calls the companion app excellent and detailed [@tomsguide-nothing-ear-3]. SoundGuys names the Nothing X app one of the best companion apps, praising the parametric EQ [@soundguys-nothing-ear-3]. Reviews.org lists a great companion app [@reviews-org-nothing-ear-3]. GSMArena says the 8-band EQ can balance the V-shaped default tuning [@gsmarena-nothing-ear-3]. TechRadar likes the advanced EQ and personal hearing tests [@techradar-nothing-ear-3], and Trusted Reviews lists the Personal Sound mode based on your own hearing as a pro [@trustedreviews-nothing-ear-3]. One caveat: SoundGuys preferred the default tuning to the Personal Sound hearing-test profile [@soundguys-nothing-ear-3]. **Microphone performance.** RTINGS lists a good mic system as a pro and says the earbuds' own microphones capture an intelligible voice while rejecting a wide range of background noise [@rtings-nothing-ear-3]. GSMArena says the Super Mic gave noticeably better voice pickup than the earbud mics, and call partners said the voice sounded as good as the phone's own microphone [@gsmarena-nothing-ear-3]. Trusted Reviews found it clearly better than the earbud or phone mics at cutting background noise [@trustedreviews-nothing-ear-3], and Tom's Guide lists great mic quality as a pro [@tomsguide-nothing-ear-3]. **Design.** TechRadar lists a chic and elevated design [@techradar-nothing-ear-3], Tom's Guide a futuristic, sci-fi design [@tomsguide-nothing-ear-3], and Trusted Reviews a unique design with a premium feel [@trustedreviews-nothing-ear-3]. GSMArena reports that the case and buds weigh 71 g together, 10 g more than the predecessor, because of the aluminum case base [@gsmarena-nothing-ear-3]. **Noise cancelling and connections.** HardwareZone says the ANC removes background noise quite effectively, and that multipoint (Dual Connection) works well with no dropouts or latency [@hardwarezone-nothing-ear-3]. RTINGS calls the noise isolation excellent and lists IP54-rated buds as a pro [@rtings-nothing-ear-3]. Reviews.org calls the noise cancelling not industry-leading but a force to be reckoned with for the price [@reviews-org-nothing-ear-3]. ## What are the common criticisms? **Battery life.** This is the most consistent complaint. TechRadar lists poor battery life as a con [@techradar-nothing-ear-3], Tom's Guide lists subpar battery life [@tomsguide-nothing-ear-3], RTINGS says continuous battery life is pretty short [@rtings-nothing-ear-3], and HardwareZone calls it below average [@hardwarezone-nothing-ear-3]. RTINGS puts the Ear (3) at 5.3 hours with ANC on, against 7.5 hours for the previous Nothing Ear [@rtings-nothing-ear-3]. The codec matters too: GSMArena says LDAC limits playback to 3.5 hours with ANC on and 5.5 hours with it off [@gsmarena-nothing-ear-3], and HardwareZone also measured 3.5 hours with LDAC [@hardwarezone-nothing-ear-3]. **Treble harshness.** Four outlets mention it, each with a qualifier. TechRadar lists occasional harshness through the treble [@techradar-nothing-ear-3], Tom's Guide says the treble is occasionally overzealous and can pierce on hi-hats and cymbals [@tomsguide-nothing-ear-3], and Trusted Reviews says it is a little harsh and varies with ANC, spatial audio and Personal Sound settings [@trustedreviews-nothing-ear-3]. HardwareZone calls it borderline harsh on some masters and says the app EQ should be used instead of the default tuning [@hardwarezone-nothing-ear-3]. **Price versus the previous model.** TechRadar lists the price as higher than previous Nothing buds [@techradar-nothing-ear-3]. SoundGuys frames the extra $30 over the previous model as paying mainly for the metal case and the Super Mic [@soundguys-nothing-ear-3]. **Super Mic limits.** SoundGuys says it sounds muffled and robotic on calls, shows audio lag when recording video, and is not supported by standard Android camera apps [@soundguys-nothing-ear-3]. TechRadar says it did not support WhatsApp voice notes [@techradar-nothing-ear-3]. Trusted Reviews says the Talk button is easy to trigger accidentally in a pocket [@trustedreviews-nothing-ear-3], and Reviews.org also calls the microphone easy to trigger by accident [@reviews-org-nothing-ear-3]. **Noise cancelling ceiling.** SoundGuys measured up to 35 dB of low-frequency and 38 dB of high-frequency attenuation, below the 45 dB Nothing claims, and reports the ANC struggled with even slight wind [@soundguys-nothing-ear-3][@nothing-nothing-ear-3]. Tom's Guide found the ANC effective indoors but not outdoors, where cars were still audible on the high setting [@tomsguide-nothing-ear-3]. RTINGS notes it is not especially powerful in the mid-range [@rtings-nothing-ear-3]. **Smaller gripes.** TechRadar says the spatial audio is static only, with no head tracking [@techradar-nothing-ear-3]. HardwareZone criticizes the removal of LHDC support and the switch from ceramic to PMI+TPU diaphragms [@hardwarezone-nothing-ear-3]. Reviews.org lists finnicky touch controls [@reviews-org-nothing-ear-3]. Tom's Guide finds it unnecessary that multipoint must first be enabled as Dual Connection in the app [@tomsguide-nothing-ear-3]. ## Where do reviewers disagree? **Battery life.** The measured and rated numbers do not line up. Nothing rates 5.5 hours per earbud with ANC on [@nothing-nothing-ear-3]. SoundGuys measured 5 hours 12 minutes [@soundguys-nothing-ear-3], GSMArena measured 6.5 hours over AAC [@gsmarena-nothing-ear-3], and HardwareZone measured 5.5 hours at best with AAC and ANC on [@hardwarezone-nothing-ear-3]. The verdicts diverge as well. Reviews.org lists long battery life as a pro and calls the quoted 5.5 and 10 hour figures respectable and competitive, though it did not report its own measurement [@reviews-org-nothing-ear-3]. TechRadar, Tom's Guide and RTINGS all file the battery under cons, as covered above. **Is the Super Mic useful?** Trusted Reviews and GSMArena rate it a clear improvement for calls [@trustedreviews-nothing-ear-3][@gsmarena-nothing-ear-3]. TechRadar found it useful for calls on a windy coast [@techradar-nothing-ear-3], and Tom's Guide describes it as cutting out disturbances on indoor recordings, with vocals a little muffled [@tomsguide-nothing-ear-3]. HardwareZone concludes the opposite: it found the case microphone less useful than the earbuds' own mics and its recordings muffled [@hardwarezone-nothing-ear-3]. Reviews.org says its recordings were not clearly more usable than the earbuds' own microphones, which performed better than expected [@reviews-org-nothing-ear-3]. SoundGuys liked it for voice memos but heard muffled, robotic call audio [@soundguys-nothing-ear-3]. **Comfort and fit.** Tom's Guide lists a comfortable fit as a pro [@tomsguide-nothing-ear-3], and Reviews.org calls the earbuds very comfortable [@reviews-org-nothing-ear-3]. TechRadar found them less comfortable than the AirPods Pro 3 and harder to fit with small ears, possibly because of the larger 12 mm driver [@techradar-nothing-ear-3]. Trusted Reviews calls the fit generally comfortable but reports slight slipping during walking or workouts [@trustedreviews-nothing-ear-3], and RTINGS says the buds can fall out in vigorous activity [@rtings-nothing-ear-3]. **Value.** TechRadar scored value 3 out of 5, the lowest of its four section scores, and doubts the extra perks justify the extra outlay [@techradar-nothing-ear-3]. HardwareZone puts it more bluntly: "We don’t see the point in paying more and still having to do more to make the Nothing Ear (3) play well" [@hardwarezone-nothing-ear-3]. On the other side, Tom's Guide says the earbuds "still easily warrant a recommendation" [@tomsguide-nothing-ear-3], Trusted Reviews calls them a bit of a no-brainer at their launch price [@trustedreviews-nothing-ear-3], and Reviews.org says that "Despite the gimmicks" they offer plenty of value [@reviews-org-nothing-ear-3]. **Vocals and midrange.** Tom's Guide lists nuanced vocals alongside powerful bass [@tomsguide-nothing-ear-3]. TechRadar says the sound loses some backing vocals and strings [@techradar-nothing-ear-3], and HardwareZone describes an aggressive V-shape with recessed mids [@hardwarezone-nothing-ear-3]. **Noise cancelling strength.** HardwareZone says the ANC removes background noise quite effectively [@hardwarezone-nothing-ear-3], and RTINGS calls the isolation excellent [@rtings-nothing-ear-3]. Trusted Reviews says it could be better [@trustedreviews-nothing-ear-3], and GSMArena says it is quite good with the right tips but not as potent as the Sony WF-1000XM5 [@gsmarena-nothing-ear-3]. No reviewer here calls it class-leading. ## What are the alternatives to the Nothing Ear (3)? **Nothing Ear (a) and Ear (3a).** TechRadar says the Ear (3)'s ANC is solid but no better than the cheaper Nothing Ear (a) [@techradar-nothing-ear-3]. RTINGS names the Ear (3a) as the better value unless the improved microphone matters, noting that the Ear (3) adds wireless charging and Quick Pair for iOS [@rtings-nothing-ear-3]. **CMF Buds 2 Plus and CMF Buds Pro 2.** SoundGuys suggests these as much cheaper alternatives [@soundguys-nothing-ear-3]. **Bose QuietComfort Earbuds.** Tom's Guide says the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds block noise better than the Ear (3) [@tomsguide-nothing-ear-3]. It also lists the Bose and the Sony WF-C710N at 8.5 hours of battery each, against its 3 hours for the Ear (3) with ANC and LDAC on, though it says the Nothing compares favorably with the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 and Apple AirPods 4 [@tomsguide-nothing-ear-3]. **Sony WF-1000XM5.** GSMArena says the Ear (3)'s ANC is not as potent as this Sony's, and that flagship Sony and Apple buds isolate better [@gsmarena-nothing-ear-3]. **Apple AirPods Pro 3.** TechRadar found the Ear (3) less comfortable than this Apple model [@techradar-nothing-ear-3]. Trusted Reviews cites the AirPods Pro 3's claimed 8 hours of battery against roughly five hours for the Ear (3) with ANC on [@trustedreviews-nothing-ear-3]. ## Questions **How long does the Nothing Ear (3) battery last?** Nothing rates the earbuds at 5.5 hours with noise cancelling on [@nothing-nothing-ear-3]. SoundGuys measured 5 hours 12 minutes [@soundguys-nothing-ear-3] and RTINGS measured 5.3 hours [@rtings-nothing-ear-3], while GSMArena got 6.5 hours over AAC [@gsmarena-nothing-ear-3]. Tom's Guide measured only 3 hours with ANC and LDAC both on [@tomsguide-nothing-ear-3]. **Is the Nothing Ear (3) Super Mic worth using?** Reviewers split. Trusted Reviews found it clearly better than the earbud or phone mics at cutting background noise [@trustedreviews-nothing-ear-3], while HardwareZone found its recordings lower in quality than the earbuds' own mics except in quiet rooms [@hardwarezone-nothing-ear-3]. Reviews.org calls the external microphone more trouble than it is worth [@reviews-org-nothing-ear-3]. **Does the Nothing Ear (3) have good noise cancelling?** Reviews range from decent to strong. Trusted Reviews says it could be better [@trustedreviews-nothing-ear-3], and GSMArena calls it quite good but short of the Sony WF-1000XM5 [@gsmarena-nothing-ear-3]. SoundGuys measured up to 35 dB of low-frequency attenuation, below Nothing's claimed 45 dB [@soundguys-nothing-ear-3][@nothing-nothing-ear-3]. **Does the Nothing Ear (3) work well with an iPhone?** RTINGS says the Ear (3) adds Quick Pair for iOS over the cheaper Ear (3a) [@rtings-nothing-ear-3]. Trusted Reviews calls it a solid choice for Android users, particularly those in the Nothing ecosystem [@trustedreviews-nothing-ear-3], and GSMArena says the Super Mic works only with the native dialer, assistant and recorder [@gsmarena-nothing-ear-3]. **Is the Nothing Ear (3) worth upgrading to from earlier Nothing earbuds?** SoundGuys says owners of recent Nothing earbuds should skip it [@soundguys-nothing-ear-3]. HardwareZone calls it hard to justify at S$259, about S$30 more than its predecessor [@hardwarezone-nothing-ear-3]. ## Sources - [@trustedreviews-nothing-ear-3] Nothing Ear 3 Review — trustedreviews, 2025-09-18: https://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/nothing-ear-3 - [@tomsguide-nothing-ear-3] I’ve been testing the Nothing Ear (3) for a week — they look super stylish but the sound is the real star — tomsguide: https://www.tomsguide.com/audio/earbuds/nothing-ear-3-review - [@techradar-nothing-ear-3] Nothing Ear (3) earbuds look fantastic next to my phone and the ANC is solid – but I'm not sure the audio quality is good enough for this money — techradar: https://www.techradar.com/audio/earbuds-airpods/nothing-ear-3-review - [@rtings-nothing-ear-3] Nothing Ear (3) Review — rtings: https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/nothing/ear-3-in-ear - [@soundguys-nothing-ear-3] Nothing Ear (3) review: Great earbuds with a not-so Super Mic — soundguys: https://www.soundguys.com/nothing-ear-3-review-144486/ - [@gsmarena-nothing-ear-3] Nothing Ear (3) review — gsmarena, 2025-10-25: https://m.gsmarena.com/nothing_ear_3_review-amp-70036.php - [@reviews-org-nothing-ear-3] Nothing Ear 3 review: A messy but modest riff on a familiar formula — reviews-org, 2025-10-24: https://www.reviews.org/au/technology/nothing-ear-3-review/ - [@hardwarezone-nothing-ear-3] Nothing Ear (3) review: Paying more for Nothing, or less? — hardwarezone, 2025-12-24: https://www.hardwarezone.com.sg/lifestyle/audio/nothing-ear-3-singapore-price-specs-audio-battery-life-microphone - [@nothing-nothing-ear-3] Ear (3) | Audio — nothing: https://nothing.tech/products/ear-3 Licence: prose © DataDesign; the structured data at https://datadesign.one/data/ is CC BY 4.0.