The Nothing Ear Stick are earphones that attract attention with their extravagant design. ntv.de has tried out whether their chic look is perhaps just intended to conceal a mediocre sound, and explains why the plugs have such a strange name.
A little over a year ago, the British startup Nothing attracted attention with its first wireless earphones Ear (1). On the one hand, this was due to very clever marketing in advance and, on the other hand, to the spectacular design of the plugs and their charging box. After the company had proven with the Nothing Phone (1) last summer that it can produce a visually and technically successful smartphone, it is now adding more earphones, the Nothing Ear Stick.
The plugs owe their strange name, to which one would like to add an “s”, to the design of the charging case, which is intended to resemble the silhouette of a lipstick. Therefore, it is tubular, twisted up like the cosmetic product, and has a red top.
Without an explanation, you might not necessarily recognize this analogy, but in the end the look is successful and immediately catches the eye. In addition, the design is practical and feels good when the clear plastic cover snaps open or closed after a twist.
The earphones themselves look very similar to the Ear (1), and their partially transparent design also allows a glimpse of the electronics. The big difference is that they don’t have silicone tips. The plugs, each weighing 4.4 grams, should sit particularly comfortably and deliberately not block out external noise. Accordingly, the Nothing Ear Stick does not have active noise cancellation (ANC) like the Ear (1).
In fact, the earphones are very comfortable to wear once you figure out how to place them correctly. Nevertheless, the plugs, which are protected against dust and moisture according to IP54, are secure enough to also be good training partners.
The Nothing Ear Stick doesn’t disappoint in terms of sound either. With 12.6 millimeter drivers, they deliver a very clear, exceptionally airy sound with clearly defined mids and detailed highs. Although the earphones themselves do not support particularly low-loss Bluetooth codecs such as aptX, they do sound high-resolution.
The basses are quite clearly perceptible despite the lack of a seal. A technique called Bass Lock is said to be responsible for this, which adapts the sound to the shape of the ear and amplifies the lows if necessary. If that’s not enough, you can add a bass shovel and make further adjustments with the extensive equalizer.
But the whole thing has its limits, really powerful bass like with the Ear (1) or other good earphones with silicone attachments should not be expected with the Nothing Ear Stick. Overall, the sound is pleasingly good and many users will like it better with its airy clarity than the bass-heavy, almost dull sound of the Ear (1).
The earphones are also not a simple further development or just slimmed down ear (1), but are intended to reach a different target group. These are users who listen to music in good quality, but at the same time want or need to be able to perceive the outside world. Incidentally, this is also the case the other way round if the volume is high enough, close office partners then unintentionally overhear it.
The sound of the earphones is also pleasing when making calls, whereby the other party clearly understands you. This also applies to noisy environments, but it is better to avoid busy streets or construction sites.
Controlling the Nothing Ear Stick is straightforward. To pause playback and skip tracks forward or backward, press one of the tabs once, twice, or three times. The volume is controlled by pressing left or right longer. In the app you can adjust the assignment according to your own wishes.
There’s also nothing to complain about the endurance of the Ear Stick. They last up to seven hours, the charging case has reserves for around 22 hours. After ten minutes in the box, empty earphones have enough juice for around two hours of music enjoyment. The case can only be charged via USB-C cable, it does not charge inductively.
The Nothing Ear Stick costs 119 euros, 20 euros more than the starting price of the Ear (1). This would actually mean that they would only be the second choice for most potential users, despite a clearer sound and better control. But at the same time, the manufacturer has made the Ear (1) more expensive by 50 euros.
In view of the general price increases, the procedure is partly understandable, but Nothing is also putting obstacles in its own way. Because without a design bonus, the price-performance ratio of the earphones is no longer unrivalled. A strong and cheaper alternative to the Ear Stick are the Google Pixel Buds A for 99 euros.
