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Nothing’s latest semi-transparent active noise cancellation earphones feature a novel addition: a high-quality microphone located in the charging case that enables you to push a button to speak into it.

This dubbed Super Mic is engineered for users who want a microphone-in-the-hand experience for improved conversations, recordings, and voice memos in loud environments. For those who often speak into the bottom of their smartphone while holding it out, these earbuds are an excellent option.

But, this charging case enhancement has likewise increased the price, with the Ear 3 costing £179 – representing a £50 jump over their previous model at launch. They continue to are cheaper than top rivals but have edged nearer to models like the Pixel Buds Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3.

The magnets and other details visible via the casing of the earphones provide a touch of uniqueness to the aesthetic.

The Ear 3 retain the brand’s distinctive partially clear style, with numerous tiny design elements that set them apart from more plain earbuds, but portions of the plastic have been replaced with aluminium for a glossier appearance.

The shape of the earphones has been adjusted to be slightly easier to wear over long use. They are lightweight, stay in place well, and form a good seal in the ear. The stems feature press buttons for media control, noise cancelling, sound level, or activating your AI assistant. They are a little basic but can be customised and function well enough.

The earbuds slot into the square hinged case for charging, which is quite compact but rather heavy in this iteration. The battery provides a reliable six hours of playback, with noise cancelling between charge in the charging case for a total of up to 22 hours. The case refuels via USB-C cable in a just over an 60 minutes or about 2 hours via inductive charging.

Press and hold the Microphone control on the charging case to use the Ear 3’s Super Mic feature, playing a short sound in the earphones as the microphone activates.

The earphones have reasonable mics in them, which sound a little artificial at times but do a good job of reducing background noise. The Case Microphone sounds better, with fuller tone and reduced distortion, rendering it great for audio memos, speech-to-text, or calls. But the sound performance isn’t quite high-end for use as a professional microphone or comparable device for creating recordings.

Specifications

• Water resistance: IP54 rated (resistant to splashes)
• Wireless connection: Bluetooth technology 5.4 version (SBC, AAC codec, LDAC codec)
• Battery life: 5.5h with ANC (22h with case)
• Earbud dimensions: 30.5mm by 21.5mm by 20.8mm
• Earbud mass: 5.2 grams each
• Driver diameter: 12 millimetres
• Case size: 56 x 55.5 x 22.3mm
• Charging case weight: 61g
• Case charging: USB-C

Solid Sound and Respectable Noise Cancelling

The earbuds come with multiple options of ear tips for a secure seal and good noise blocking.

The earphones support Bluetooth 5.4 with the typical SBC and AAC codecs, plus the superior LDAC for Android phones that can use it. They can also connect to multiple devices at the same time, but this feature caused the Case Microphone to be less responsive.

The brand’s previous models have consistently performed impressively for the money, with a pleasant easy-listening audio profile, plenty of clarity, and good definition of tones. The Ear 3 continue the trend but have a more expansive sound in general with significant low-end by default. It is nice and controlled without overriding the other parts of the frequency spectrum, but the outstanding mobile application on your phone has plenty of customisation options for those who prefer something a more subtle.

The noise cancelling performs adequately reducing the typical ambient sounds and low-frequency hum of the daily travel, and handles the troublesome high-pitched noises such as typing sounds or conversations better than previous brand earphones. But they can’t muster the equivalent performance of ANC of the top-tier models, such as the slightly higher-priced Apple AirPods Pro 3.

The ambient sound mode is also pretty good, appearing realistic, but neither mode can manage wind interference effectively.

Sustainability

A microphone in the case is adjacent to the USB-C charging port, with an LED that lights up in green color when the microphone is active.

The manufacturer states the power cells in the earbuds and charging case will retain at least 80% of their initial capacity for 500 full charge cycles. The devices are not user-serviceable but individual post-warranty substitutions are offered through support.

The case contains reclaimed aluminium and metal, but the company does not offer trade-in. It estimates the earbuds’ carbon footprint to be 2.87 kilograms.

Price

The Ear 3 are priced at £179.

By comparison, the Ear cost €119/$119/A$199, the Headphone 1 is priced at €299/$299/A$499, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 cost £219, the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro cost €219/$219/A$359, and the Apple AirPods Pro 3 are priced at €219/$219/A$359.

Conclusion

Nothing has tried something unprecedented before in a pair of earphones, placing a mic and push-to-talk control into the case. It is a innovative concept and would be ideal for an recording or videomic replacement. Regrettably, the mic doesn’t quite meet such expectations.

But for those of us who are not primarily content creators, it functions effectively for phone calls, recording audio notes, or speaking to your device’s AI assistant, almost like a modern version of a voice recorder for your smartphone. I just can’t see myself utilizing it frequently.

The earbuds themselves are another great offering from the company, which combine good audio, reasonable noise cancelling, solid battery life, and a secure wear into something much more interesting to see than your typical plain buds.

The increase in cost into the £180 bracket places them dangerously near to some of the top-performing earphones in the market, to which they don’t fully hold a candle. And like numerous competing products, the earbuds are not able to be repaired, costing them a point in environmental ratings.

Advantages: Case Microphone, distinctive aesthetic, good audio and noise cancelling, comfortable {fit|