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.

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.”

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.

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.

Still just as stylish ; Far more balanced sound ; Wireless charging

Hit-or-miss personalization options ; Occasional ANC bugginess ; 50 percent price hike

At $149, the Ear 2 earbuds represent a well-rounded pair of midrange earbuds. They’ve got all the style of the Ear 1s but without their rough edges. The likes of Sony, Apple, and Samsung may still rule the roost when it comes to more premium earbuds,...

Fantastic sound quality ; Powerful personalized ANC ; Battery life improvements ; Easy-to-use app ; Great call quality ; Bluetooth dual connectivity

Design remains divisive ; Exposed matte white stains easily ; No more swipe to change volume

Nothing ear (2) improves nearly everything over the first generation — making these some of the best earbuds you can buy today. The striking transparent design has been tightened up, the battery life has been improved, sound quality takes a huge step...

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...

Pros: ; – Balanced and detailed sound output ; – Lots of sound tweaks in the newly updated companion app ; – Unique and attractive design; comfortable in the ears ; – Buds and cases both are dust and splash-resistant ; – Configurable controls; volume...

– Below-par active noise cancellation ; – Codec support is limited to AAC on most phones ; – Poor battery backup with ANC on ; – Call quality drops in noisy areas

Good software ; ANC is new and decent ; Transparency mode is good ; Wireless charging supported

Sound is shrill ; Controls are a step back ; Isolation is not great ; Battery life is not great