All products featured are independently chosen by us. However, SoundGuys may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links. See our ethics statement.

1 / 16

Nothing

Nothing Ear (3a)

Name: Nothing Ear (3a)
Brand: Nothing
SKU: B0GZW1BYJF
Price: 79.00 USD

The Nothing Ear (3a) certainly don't feel like budget earbuds.

Current price · Amazon US

$79

Check Price on Amazon

Price last checked 8h ago

noise cancelling

8.1/ 10

ANCNoise cancelling

8.1

0.010.0

At 8.1, its noise cancelling beats 63% of wireless earbuds we've measured.

Measured on 90 of the 267 we've cataloged.

See the lab data ↓Frequency response · Isolation · Noise cancelling

Key specs

Battery Life Earbuds

10 hAbove average

10 h

3 h15 h

above average for wireless earbuds — based on 249 of 267 we've cataloged.

IP Rating

IP54

IPX435%IP5516%IP5415%IPX512%

IP54 appears on 15% of the 246 wireless earbuds we've cataloged (of 267).

Noise Cancellation Type

ActiveMost common

Active60%Passive14%Hybrid9%None8%

Active is the most common — on 60% of the 182 wireless earbuds we've cataloged (of 267).

Battery

Battery Life Earbuds: 10 h
Full Charge Minutes: 10 min
Battery Life Anc On: 6 h
Charging Case Capacity: 500 mAh
Earbud Capacity: 55 mAh
Fast Charging: Yes

Build

IP Rating: IP54
Sweat Resistance: Yes
Water Resistance: Yes

Sound

Noise Cancellation Type: Active
Ambient Levels: Variable
Ambient Mode: Standard
Anc Depth: 25 dB
Anc Modes: Off,anc,transparency
Driver Count: 1
Driver Size: 12 mm
Passive Isolation: 20 dB

Connectivity

Bluetooth Version: 6.0
Bluetooth Codec: AAC, LDAC, SBC
Bluetooth Range: 15 m
Connection Type: Bluetooth
Headphone Jack: No
Multipoint Devices: 2 devices

Design

Earbud Form Factor: In-ear
Case Dimensions: 31 x 21 x 23 mm mm
Color Options: Black, pink, white, yellow
Ear Tip Sizes Included: S, M, L, XS
Weight Per Earbud: 4.5 g

Features

Companion App: IOS + Android
Control Type: Stem squeeze
Eq Customization: Full parametric EQ
Gaming Mode: Standard
Auto Pause: Yes
Mono Mode: Yes
Spatial Audio: Fixed
Voice Assistant Support: Google Assistant, Siri

Microphone

Count: 3
Wind Noise Reduction: Yes
Noise Reduction Type: AI-powered
Type: Triple microphone

Release

Date: 2026-07-07
Msrp Usd: 99 USD
Year: 2026

Lab data

How we test ›

Objective measurements from the SoundGuys test lab — overlay other models to see how this one compares.

Compare with

View

0 of 4 overlay slots used

Nothing Ear (3a)SoundGuys Headphone Preference Curve

Measured frequency response (dB relative) against the SoundGuys Headphone Preference Curve. When the measurement goes above the dashed line, that frequency is louder than our preference curve, and when it goes below: it's quieter. Use the curve for comparison purposes only, as your taste may vary.

Nothing Ear (3a): frequency response, as measured in the SoundGuys lab. Frequency in hertz.
Frequency (Hz)	Response (dB)
20	13.5
25	13.6
32	13.5
40	13.1
50	12.5
63	11.6
80	10.2
100	8.2
125	5.1
160	0.8
200	-4.3
250	-6.1
315	-4.6
400	-4.3
500	-3.7
630	-2.6
800	-0.9
1000	0.1
1250	1.9
1600	4.6
2000	6.5
2500	8.5
3150	9.0
4000	6.8
5000	5.0
6300	5.0
8000	3.8
10000	-3.3
12500	1.6
16000	-6.3
20000	-26.8

Nothing Ear (3a)

Passive isolation (dB) with ANC off — how much ambient noise the fit blocks on its own. Higher on the chart means more attenuation.

Nothing Ear (3a): passive isolation, as measured in the SoundGuys lab. Frequency in hertz.
Frequency (Hz)	Attenuation (dB)
21	0.3
26	2.1
33	1.5
41	2.0
52	1.8
65	3.3
82	3.1
103	3.6
130	1.4
163	4.5
205	6.8
259	7.1
325	7.5
410	12.3
516	9.6
613	9.4
772	13.5
972	13.8
1220	16.8
1540	20.2
1940	26.3
2440	34.1
3070	34.3
3870	25.4
4870	16.3
6130	16.9
7720	20.2
9720	38.3
12200	19.5
15400	34.3
19400	25.7

Nothing Ear (3a)

Total attenuation (dB) with ANC on — passive isolation plus active noise cancelling. Higher on the chart means more attenuation.

Nothing Ear (3a): noise cancelling, as measured in the SoundGuys lab. Frequency in hertz.
Frequency (Hz)	Total attenuation (dB)
21	16.2
26	16.3
33	12.2
41	16.2
52	21.2
65	20.4
82	24.9
103	23.7
130	18.6
163	32.8
205	31.3
259	26.2
325	20.5
410	26.3
516	21.1
613	18.8
772	25.4
972	24.6
1220	32.2
1540	26.8
1940	27.2
2440	32.3
3070	28.8
3870	21.7
4870	14.1
6130	18.1
7720	19.5
9720	38.6
12200	21.3
15400	35.5
19400	25.4

SoundGuys review

Read the full review ›

SOUNDGUYS rating

8.0/ 10

Recommended

Reviewed byChristian ThomasEditor-at-largeReviewed July 2026

Noise cancelling8.1

Isolation6.2

Battery life6.2

Comfort & fit8.5

Connectivity9.0

Design7.0

The verdict

The Nothing Ear 3a are competent earbuds, though the stock tuning requires a heavy hand to bring more in line with typical preferences. Luckily, there's very little about the earbuds that can be viewed as a shortcoming — which is extremely notable at $99.

✓What we like

✓Customizability

✓Advanced EQ

✓Price

✓Battery life

✕What could be better

✕Stock tuning

✕Requires effort to dial in

Read the full SoundGuys review →