Nothing Ear 3a Delivers $100 Earbuds With 5 dB More Bass and 42-Hour Battery
Updated
Updated · ZDNet · Jul 18
Nothing Ear 3a Delivers $100 Earbuds With 5 dB More Bass and 42-Hour Battery
2 articles · Updated · ZDNet · Jul 18
Summary
$100 Nothing Ear (3a) earbuds earned a positive ZDNET review after a week of testing, with the reviewer saying they offer strong value despite some subscription-gated features.
A new 12mm driver boosts bass by 5 dB, while updated ANC adds low, mid, high and adaptive modes that the reviewer said muted much of New York City subway noise.
42 hours of total playback, 10 hours per bud and four ear-tip sizes supported comfort and battery life, alongside a transparent pink design that stood out from rival earbuds.
32 MB of flash storage enables Audio Snapshots of up to 2 minutes and call recording of up to 1 hour, with recordings stored in the Nothing X app and unlimited recording and transcription requiring a subscription.
ZDNET said the Ear (3a) rivals pricier earbuds such as AirPods Pro 3 and Galaxy Buds, positioning it as a strong option for students and budget-conscious buyers.