Hands-On With the $99 Nothing Ear Stick

[MacRumors]

Nothing, known for a range of Android-based lower-cost devices, recently came out with a new set of $99 "Ear Stick" earbuds. We picked up some of the new earbuds and thought we'd check them out to see how they measure up to Apple's AirPods.

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Stylized as the Nothing Ear (stick), the earbuds from Nothing have a rather unique design. You can see the hardware inside the stem thanks to the clear housing, something that Nothing also did with the matching Nothing Phone.

The Nothing Ear Stick earbuds are more similar in design to the third-generation AirPods than AirPods Pro, and there is no silicone tip. Instead, it features what Nothing says is an ergonomic design, with an earbud that sits in the outer part of the ear like the AirPods. Size wise, the Nothing Ear Stick earbuds are almost the size of the AirPods 3.

Unsurprisingly, the fit of the Ear Stick is similar to the AirPods, and we found them to be comfortable to wear. There are squeeze-based gestures for pausing/playing, swapping tracks, and changing volume, with customization options available in the accompanying app.

The sound is decent, and with EQ adjustments, the Ear Stick earbuds offer a similar sound profile to the third-generation AirPods. There is a 12.6mm driver inside the earbuds, and with some tweaking, the bass is more noticeable than on the AirPods.

There are some Apple-like features available, such as ear detection for playing/pausing music and the option to locate a sound when the earbuds are misplaced, plus the app supports battery percentages, gesture customization, and sound adjustments.

While the Ear Stick earbuds themselves are similar in design to the AirPods, Nothing went in a different direction with the case. There is a tube-shaped case that resembles lipstick, which the earbuds fit inside for charging purposes. The USB-C case can be twisted to open it up to get to the earbuds, and it adds 22 hours of play time.

The Nothing Ear Stick earbuds can be paired to an iOS device and they are available as an AirPods alternative for those who are interested, but features like automatic pairing and quick device switching will not be available, which is always a downside when using third-party earbuds with an iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

Article Link: Hands-On With the $99 Nothing Ear Stick

 

[russell_314]

It’s really nothing… 🤦‍♂️😂

 

[alexandr]

I got the nothings' when they came out. They were ok, had some odd interference in Manhattan, but when they came out, AirPods Pro didn't yet have volume control, so that was nice. Now there really aren't any advantages, but you're missing the benefits of the Apple ecosystem.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

I don't know what it is Dan but I'm starting to like this Nothing company. It's Nothing!

 

[bitpuddle]

These don't support AAC; I'm not sure why an iPhone user would consider these above other more compatible earbuds.

 

[WWPD]

Nothing Ear Stick? Sounds like a bad infomercial product.

 

[CarAnalogy]

Ear stick is the worst name possible. Nothing is also a terrible name. What is this company's deal?

I don't want to shove a stick into my ear.

 

[alexandr]

Ear stick is the worst name possible. Nothing is also a terrible name. What is this company's deal?

I don't want to shove a stick into my ear.

You could just stick a stick...

 

[yadmonkey]

I just love the idea of anything providing competition for Apple, even if it's Nothing. In all seriousness, my trust in Apple is at an all time low and while it seems like a pipe dream, I yearn for an alternative ecosystem that truly values privacy and transparency, without being beholden to the CCP.

 

[ghanwani]

I'll stick with Johnson & Johnson earbuds. Nothing compares to those.

 

[anthogag]

These Nothing ear buds look good. I would say do what you have to to get AirPods Pro 2.

AirPods Pro 2 has the H2 chip to "tune" the music as it plays. This is much better when song styles differ from one song to the next. Manually adjusting an equalizer is annoying unless your music catalog is all similar. I am glad I don't have to adjust an equalizer to get the best sound.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Nothing to see here

 

[xnu]

Upgraded version should be named the Sinead O'Connor ~ Nothing ComPairs 2 u.

 

[JosephAW]

Dan you missed the audio mic test. Some third-party headphones have terrible microphones.

 

[mthomas184]

Ear stick is the worst name possible. Nothing is also a terrible name. What is this company's deal?

I don't want to shove a stick into my ear.

People complain about EVERYTHING nowadays

 

[danmaldesign]

No Apple spatial audio support = THANKS FOR NOTHING

 

[Porco]

It’s great there is Nothing to worry about right now, however I do suspect that sooner or later Something will come along and then things will get more complicated.

 

[dz5b609]

No Apple spatial audio support = THANKS FOR NOTHING

Someone's actually using that?

 

[mjs916]

Nothing Ear Stick? Sounds like a bad infomercial product.

Or a new way to test your blood sugar.

 

[bizack]

These don't support AAC; I'm not sure why an iPhone user would consider these above other more compatible earbuds.

They do:
Codec: AAC and SBC

AAC isn't an Apple codec BTW.

 

[deebinem]

I appreciate the wellness spa, meditative soundtrack underneath this video in attempts to "namaste" the comments...

Too bad it doesn't work with this group... 🙄

 

[bitpuddle]

They do:
Codec: AAC and SBC

AAC isn't an Apple codec BTW.

Ah, you're correct! I thought I checked when they launched and there was no AAC.

 

[dk001]

I bought a pair, Nothing Ear also for use with my 1+ 10 Pro and PC's.
While they work okay with my iPhone and iPad, they don't do as well all round as my AirPods Pro for Apple devices.
For my non Apple devices they work great! Great price too 🙂

 

[svish]

Seems like decent earbuds for Android.

 

[Ozid]

I love their products. If I were on android, I'd be rocking these or the originals... or maybe beats studio buds.