headphones that stand out for their design

Nothing is one of the brands that has made the most noise in recent months in the consumer electronics sector. His first device, the Nothing(1) ear, was quite popular, and his first mobile, the Nothing(1) phone, was a breath of fresh air in terms of design.

Today we are going to talk about the third device they are launching, other headphones, called Nothing Ear Stick, which come to be placed under the ear Nothing (1) although they have certain characteristics in which they are better than the first headphones.

The price will be one of the most controversial points, but we will talk about it in the corresponding section.

Features Nothing Ear Stick

An almost unique design

The Nothing Ear Stick are TWS earphones whose shape is not very different from other earphones when we hold them in our hands. He keeps the design with transparent parts, something that quickly sets them apart from the rest, but they still haven’t changed much from the Nothing (1) ear.

What has changed is the cargo box, which is now circular and reminds of a lipstick. To be honest, it’s not the first brand to take inspiration from this feminine accessory, but Huawei’s approach was much more classic.

The opening system is comfortable, as well as putting on and taking off the headphones when you have the hang of it. On one side we have the USB-C connector for charging and the pairing button.

The biggest drawback of this box is that it is much larger than the previous one, which was already large. However, everyone who saw it was delighted with the design, which explains the audience it is aimed at, which does not value technique so much as aesthetics.

without pads

Leaving aside the box, the biggest change in design of the Ear Stick is the absence of pads, something very important for a large number of consumers, as Nothing explained to us. The shape was chosen after more than 200 design iterations and 100 tests on different people.

Personally, I prefer the isolation provided by the ear cushions, but I must admit that some people have told me, directly, that they would never use headphones that block their ears, even if it means letting a little outside noise.

The comfort they provide isn’t bad, but a lot depends on one’s ear. I didn’t find them more comfortable or more uncomfortable than the ear (1). And, like all headphones, when I wear them for more than 3 hours, they start to bother me.

And that these headphones are lighter than many other competitors, but it’s not the weight that ends up bothering.

Say goodbye to noise cancellation

The ear (1) boasted active noise cancellation, which is omitted here for a number of reasons, including the lack of ear cushions. There’s no point in trying to cancel noise that goes straight into the ear without the silicone seal.

Despite this, the sound quality of the Ear Stick is far superior to that of its predecessors, which caught our attention, since they are in a lower part of the catalog.

They sound better by using a better driver, plus they include algorithms that optimize bass level based on external sound. We have also noticed a better quality of Bluetooth connection with the mobile or computer, and the quality of calls is not bad at all, partly thanks to the presence of three microphones to improve noise blocking in said calls.

As if that weren’t enough, we have an equalizer in the app, which changed its name to Nothing X. In this application we can change the sound configuration and gestures.

Goodbye touch, hello pinch

Another of the changes made to these headphones is in the gestures. Here, no transparent surfaces to press or slide your finger, but metal elements in which you have to squeeze, like in Apple headphones.

Nothing says it’s to avoid having to cover your ear with your finger and to prevent accidental touching for people with long hair. I don’t know about the latter, I don’t have hair like that, but the gestures of these Ear Sticks seemed to me much less practical and effective than those of the ear (1).

Autonomy and charging

These Nothing Ear Sticks have a fast charge that allows them to have two hours of listening time with 10 minutes of charge.

Autonomy is close to 7 hours, although it depends on the volume used. The lack of active noise cancellation means battery life is longer than in the ear (1). With the charging case we add another 22 hours.

What we also lost was wireless chargingalthough it’s not something that many people enjoy, especially in this price range.

Price and adjustment in the catalog

When I had the opportunity to speak to one of Nothing’s product managers about these headphones, I asked him about the price: 119 dollars.

If you are familiar with the previous products, it may come to your attention that they launched headphones like these at a higher price than the in-ear (1). Or maybe not, if you’ve seen the price increase for this model.

Nothing Ear (1) went from 99 dollars to 149 dollars in one of the largest price increases we have seen in recent years, and it is not uncommon. Inflation and the exchange rate made the company unable to maintain the original price.

With this movement, in addition, the Nothing Ear Sticks position themselves as the cheapest headphones in the company, but they also do so in a very competitive price segment. Nothing seeks to compete directly with the much more expensive Apple Airpods 3, but can ignore all the other rivals: vivo, OPPO, Xiaomi, Samsung, Anker, JBL and many other companies.

In addition to the sound, the company made a very clear commitment to the design and, in this sense, we must admit that it was right.

• Buy Nothing Ear Stick

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