Nothing short of brilliant: Nothing Ear (Open) review

When you think about modern headphones, keeping the world out tends to be up there on the list of priorities. With innovations such as bone conduction in the headphone world, a set of drivers in the general area of your ear doesn't necessarily inspire auditory confidence. Nothing, however, can stop Nothing from shaking up the audio industry the same way they did the phone industry, with the Nothing Ear (open) headphones.

Though open-ear headphones aren't particularly new in the realm of audio, open-ear earbuds are few and far between. Companies like Bose and Samsung have had goes at getting it right, with varying degrees of success. This offering from Nothing not only undercuts their premium price tag, but still promises great audio and surprising depth. They also utilise OWS (Open Wearable Stereo) technology to allow you to listen to music while staying aware of your surroundings. But what would that sound like? Would they be loud enough? Can your neighbour on the morning bus ride listen along to whatever questionable playlist you have on?

Resident headphone nerd Olivia takes them on a tour, around the house, while working, on walks, and public transport to boot. Will her headphone horizons be broadened, or would her ears rather remain closed than open? Read on to find out.

Keeping an open mind

I've been a fan of Nothing's design ethos for quite a few years now, not just visually but philosophically. Prioritising wallet-friendly tech while keeping sharp and modern branding shows that they treat their audience with respect, and that cheaper should never mean worse. This has been shown time and time again with their phone releases, each earning their acclaim, but the Ear (Open) are their first big step in an original direction. Yes, they have earbuds with active noise-cancelling and different colours, and yes they're great, but these are a unique offering, and something I wasn't entirely expecting from them.

Since the pandemic, many people have been more keen on exercise to stay healthy, and products such as bone conduction headphones have seen a surge in popularity. Being able to listen to music while staying aware of your surroundings is vital for those who exercise on or near roads. These styles are popular for a reason, though there remain a significant number of people who prefer the isolation of noise-cancelling headphones for things like commuting and focusing on just the music. While this style has no active noise-cancelling, or noise-cancelling of any kind, that doesn't take away from their appeal.

Even for using while on a dog walk, doing chores or anything else casual, having these dangling from my ears meant my music was always with me, but never got in the way. There may be a small amount of sound leakage, but no more than you'd see from a pair of over-ear headphones.

When I took them for a spin on public transport, they worked well in providing background music to my journey, but found that they can occasionally get overwhelmed by things like loud bus engines. This forced me to increase the volume, which had a small amount of noise bleed, but at an acceptable enough level for the bus ride home. However, if you're someone who uses headphones to help in loud or busy environments, these provide little protection in that regard. Being aware of their limitations and where they work best is key to not being disappointed by these headphones.

Though the situations in which they can be used may be slightly limited, their flexibility shines in other areas.

Flexible in many ways

Open-back headphones have been a staple of the audio industry since its inception. The design allows sound to leak out the sides of the headphones, which will be audible to other people, but allows for a broader soundstage. This coupled with the additional awareness is adding an extra layer of appeal to the headphones, and I can say with certainty, the sound only benefits from this. As someone who has (and loves very dearly) open-back headphones, I feel that the appeal both sets have are mirrored. I love my Samson SR850's thanks to their ability to display a wider soundstage and allow me to listen to music better, the same can be said for the Ear (open) earphones. In a nice, quiet room, these really shine. For such a compact pair of headphones, they replicate a wider soundstage remarkably well to my ear.

If you'd like to customise your soundstage even further, the Nothing X app is very intuitive and allows for all sorts of customisation options. This is the most expansive companion app I've seen in my testing of audio products, and even though it is as detailed as they come, the signature Nothing design still prevails. Allowing for graph EQ adjustment, or the more user-friendly (and simpler) option between bass, mids and treble, with some great presets that actually work well, in contrast to examples from other companion apps where the options were either tinny or muddy.

If that wasn't enough, you're able to adjust the actions triggered by a squeeze of the earphone, meaning if you're someone who uses them more for calls than music you can get them working exactly how you want ahead of the next conference call, even differentiating between right and left controls. Whichever way you like to wear and use your headphones, Nothing have thought of it.

I've recently sworn off of in-ear earphones for a plethora of reasons, most notably the reoccurring irritation that would happen when you stuff something half an inch into your ear every day. The fact that these rest outside the ear makes for an overall less claustrophobic listening experience, in more than one way.

The space given allows for a better soundstage as I've mentioned, but another benefit comes when you need to take a phone call. Anyone who has had to talk for an extended period of time with in-ear headphones can attest to just how awful it can sound, with a feeling of being inside your own head. When it comes to calls, if I'm going to be talking for any more than five minutes I seek out the Ear (open)s and use them for the duration of the call. It allows me to continue doing stuff in the background in privacy without having to resort to speaker. Their construction doesn't weigh heavy on the ear, and even for a call that could take hours they are just as comfortable on hour four as they are when you put them on.

Price and competition

Sitting at £129, these are facing up against some big companies in the same price bracket. Costing the same as the newest AirPods (without active noise-cancelling) puts pressure on the newest release from Nothing to stand up against the biggest tech giants in the world. Though, the best comparison would be against earbuds in its field, such as the Bose Ultra Open, the Shokz OpenFit Air and JBL Soundgear Sense.

When it comes to price, the Shokz manage to undercut Nothing, though only by £10. But compared across the board, Nothing wins when it comes to battery life, by a whole hour outside the case. I can attest to that, wearing them throughout my work day, battery (or rather the lack thereof) was never an issue.

Though the style is different, if you’d prefer the more "premium" open earbud experience, the best Bose headphones have you covered like they always do when it comes to high-end audio. I can say that beyond a certain point, it will be diminishing returns when it comes to audio quality. But for 90 per cent of the sound for over £100 less, the Nothing Ear (open) still beats them.

Who is it for?

Easily comparable to bone conduction headphones for listening to music whilst listening to your surroundings, these find a niche outside the fitness market often associated with bone conduction. I'm not a mountain biker or someone who runs in the city, and yet I still feel like I can get the most out the headphones. The same might not be applicable for bone conductions. Thanks to the better bass adjustability and more conventional sound transmission down your ear, this feels like a pair of great headphones, as well as a pair that allows me to keep track of my surroundings.

As someone who regularly uses public transport and needs a lot of situational awareness when it comes to being crammed on the 5 o'clock bus, these headphones are able to let me listen to my music while listening out for my stop at the same time. If you're an isolationist who thinks that noise-cancelling comes before sound, then these definitely won't be for you, but if you're someone who wants background music for anything in their life, I don’t think you'll hear better than these.

One more caveat is for those of us who need glasses. The over-ear fitment is great in almost every use, except when paired with glasses. They aren't impossible to wear, but take a lot more fiddling to get to fit just right. Bear this in mind when you're thinking of getting them, as I only need reading glasses it wasn't as big of an issue for me.

Would we recommend it?

There are concessions to be made with this type of design and it's important to understand the kind of listening experience you're buying into. Though I may not be the most athletically inclined, I still got a lot out of them. Living in the city means you need a lot of situational awareness to keep yourself safe, this gives me that and then some. I've used these at my desk for countless hours because them hanging off my ears was far more comfortable than the clamping force of my headphones.

I'd recommend these to anyone, not just those who may run near roads or cycle to work. If you want something to keep your music close in every way, keep your ears open to these buds.

More to consider

Who tested it?

Olivia Sheed is a tech writer for What's the Best, specialising in gaming technology, computers and portable audio. A self-identified audiophile, she has started to dip her toes in the realm of high-fidelity listening, thus making her a perfect fit for headphone testing. She listens to music in one way or another every day, if not every minute.

How was the Nothing Ear (Open) tested

For the duration of testing, the Nothing Ear (open) replaced my Samsung Galaxy Buds 2, and since these are open headphones, I also compared them with my Samson SR850 semi-open headphones. Used at my desk, around the house, cleaning, exercising, on public transport, you name it. The music used was all from Tidal for high-quality streaming, and crossed a range of genres that seek to push frequency response to the limits. It has also been used in other use scenarios, such as for podcasts and watching movies.

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Olivia Sheed is a Tech Writer and Reviewer at What’s The Best. Here she writes reviews, how-to guides and articles across all things technology.

Her interests align with “anything nerdy.” Olivia is an avid fan of TTRPGs, board games, miniature painting, and video games. Outside of that, she loves to discuss horror films, campy classics such as those from Hammer Film Productions in the 70s are her favourite for a comfy watch. An avid hiker, she visits the Lake District often, for both walking and wild swimming.