It’s time for round 2: Nothing ear (2) vs AirPods Pro 2. In the last bout between the Nothing ear (1) and original AirPods Pro, the contest ended in a tie. This time, however, we will get a definitive winner.
Now I know what you’re thinking — this sounds like a mismatch on paper. A $149 pair of ear (2) against the $249 AirPods Pro 2? Surely we should be following the trend and facing these off against the AirPods 3.
But, as you’re going to learn, that’s simply not a fair contest for the standard AirPods. We’ve got to base these bouts on what we think will be a fair fight based on the quality, and the 5-star ear (2) demand bigger competition in the equally-rated second gen AirPods Pro.
So, which pair of earbuds reign supreme? Let’s find out.
Nothing ear (2) vs AirPods Pro 2: Specs
Nothing ear (2) vs AirPods Pro 2: Price
This is the easiest point that Nothing will score in the bout. AirPods Pro 2 are $249, whereas the Nothing ear (2) are $149. Granted, that’s $50 more than the initial starting price of the ear (1) (inflation on the cost of parts caused Nothing to increase the price last year).
However, for what you get, that is still a tasty discount on the far more expensive AirPods Pro. For more big savings, bookmark the best headphones deals page, but when talking specifically about these two, there’s no competition: Nothing wins.
Winner: Nothing ear (2)
Nothing ear (2) vs AirPods Pro 2: Design
You already know how this bit goes. Neither Nothing nor Apple have made any significant design changes here. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference at certain angles.
AirPods Pro 2 maintain that same small stem design (1.22 x 0.86 x 0.94 inches) with subtle curves and a bright white housing that everyone knows and loves from the first generation. Details like the mic grille on the front and the aluminum accent on the bottom of each stem remain intact.
From a glance, the MagSafe charging case (1.78 x 2.39 x 0.85 inches) looks as if it did not receive any upgrades. Look closer. You’ll see a built-in lanyard loop and speaker unit that sends out a tone to indicate charging status, low battery, pairing, or to help locate the case when misplaced.
Nothing, on the other hand, keeps its transparent aesthetic alive and well. Just like the ear (1), you get an almost voyeuristic glimpse of the circular magnets and silicon within the stem of these buds through the clear plastic — adhering to that “form follows function” design story you get from all of Nothing’s gear.
The case is still a flatter square with the dimple on top for peak fidget spinner-esque activities, but the company has made it a little smaller (2.18 x 2.18 x 0.86 inches). And while that is still bigger than the AirPods Pro 2’s case, the buds are smaller (1.15 x 0.84 x 0.92 inches).
Personally, I love the see-through stylings of the ear (2), but when asking the team, it’s clear this look is going to be divisive. They walk a fine line between looking unique, and appearing tacky. The mutually agreeable option is always going to be the AirPods Pro in this situation.
Winner: AirPods Pro 2
Nothing ear (2) vs AirPods Pro: Comfort and fit
While the AirPods Pro 2’s curvature looks like it would be more comfortable in your concha, the reality is the Nothing ear (2) just have a better (and lighter) fit in your ears.
Sure, that weight difference is tiny (ear (2) are 0.04 ounces lighter at 0.15 ounces), but that makes a big difference in forming a secure seal without a single hint of downward pressure on your ear.
Neither of them caused any fatigue over long listening sessions, so you have nothing to worry about regardless of which option you choose. But for the tweaks made to the weight and fit here, when compared to AirPods Pro 2 giving you more of the same, Nothing snuck ahead in this category.
Winner: Nothing ear (2)
Nothing ear (2) vs AirPods Pro 2: Controls
AirPods Pro 2 and Nothing ear (2) sport pinch-based, customizable touch controls, and automatic ear detection. But there is one key difference here: volume control.
Don’t get me wrong, both pairs of buds are responsive and reliable. But AirPods allow you to swipe up and down on the sensor area to adjust the volume, whereas you can't on the Nothing ear (2) — essentially removing one key element of true hands-free usage.
To Nothing’s credit, though, in-ear detection latency has been reduced drastically to match Apple's capabilities. But for that additional level of control, AirPods Pro 2 take this round.
Winner: AirPods Pro 2
Nothing ear (2) vs AirPods Pro 2: Audio
Both Nothing and Apple bring impressive upgrades to the sound quality, so this was always going to be a fierce fight. But when the dust settled, regardless of the improvements to definition and low tones that come in the AirPods Pro 2, the Nothing ear (2) pips it to the post.
To sit on the fence for a second, either of these earbuds will give you a great listening experience for music and podcasts alike. The spatial audio on AirPods Pro 2 is impressive, and the soundstage is slightly fuller with detail when compared to the first generation.
Lows have a deep warmth to them, which doesn’t encroach on the mids and highs through those 11-millimeter drivers. But to nitpick, in Apple’s hard work in balancing everything and maintaining each tone within a listenable realm without hitting anything else, some of the liveliness is pulled out of the composition.
For example, the cacophonic uprising section in “A Day in the Life” by The Beatles is thoroughly detailed but the oomph of the lower orchestral instruments is just not there. Compare that to the Nothing ear (2), however, and you find that bassy punch that the AirPods Pro 2 lacks when faced with a daunting challenge like this.
It’s easy for this section to sound like a bunch of instruments falling down stairs on a $149 pair of earbuds. But the ear (2) brings a whole lot more flair with a wider soundstage that gives each individual section its own space to fully express. The 11.6mm drivers are tuned by Nothing this time, rather than Teenage Engineering, and while I was nervous at first (being a fan of TE’s expression of sound), Nothing has taken a dramatic step up in sound quality.
Plus, with the addition of hi-res wireless audio support, audiophiles are going to have a better experience with Nothing.
Winner: Nothing ear (2)
Nothing ear (2) vs AirPods Pro 2: App and special features
Apple gives you the same standard set of software features for the AirPods Pro 2 beyond the seamless integration with iOS devices — battery life indicators, transparency mode, Hey Siri support, EQ settings, and an ear tip fit test.
But the U1 chipset allows for a more sophisticated Find My earbuds feature with Precision Finding, which is a godsend if you lose these between the couch cushions.
Nothing ear (2) benefit from a wider feature set this time around, courtesy of the Nothing X app. These include personalized ANC, a similar ear fit test and a personalized EQ. Beyond that, you’ve got Google fast pairing, touch control customization and multipoint bluetooth.
This time round, for the features each of them offer (and those they lack), this is a far closer round than last time. If you want more granular control over the EQ and ANC settings, Nothing is the way to go. But you can’t ignore the additional user-friendly features Apple brings to the table.
Winner: Draw
Nothing ear (2) vs AirPods Pro 2: Battery life
Battery life has improved across both the AirPods Pro 2 and Nothing ear (2) compared to their predecessors. Apple has upped the juice to six hours with ANC turned on, with the case extending that to around 30 hours.
And while the ear (2) are better than the ear (1), at five hours listening time with ANC on and up to 22.5 hours with the case, the longevity doesn’t hold a candle to what the AirPods are capable of.
Sure, they both support wireless charging for convenience (with Nothing supporting wired fast charging too), but the winner is clear for this round.
Winner: AirPods Pro 2
Nothing ear (2) vs AirPods Pro 2: Call quality
Whichever pair you pick, call quality is fantastic. AirPods Pro 2 take another step forward from the first generation with a great clarity and AI-powered environmental noise cancellation that is able to isolate your voice and emphasize it amongst any unexpected background noise.
However, Nothing outclasses the AirPods Pro in call quality. The ear (2)’s six well-placed microphones picked up my voice even under tricky conditions, while providing a more natural tone and warmth to the tenor qualities of my tone.
Even with the classic running water test, no impression of me sounding like I had plunged underwater came through to my friends or family. Plus, call quality on your end is loud and clear, so you can be confident in the hands-free experience of using these.
They’re both awesome for call quality. AirPods Pro are always held up as the gold standard, but Nothing continues to edge ahead with a little better voice definition and better noise isolation when conditions get windy.
Winner: Nothing ear (2)
Overall winner: Nothing ear (2)
Last year, I ruled it a tie between the Nothing ear (1) and the original AirPods Pro, and pleaded for Apple to introduce a second generation pair of its top-tier earbuds. Now, even though the AirPods Pro 2 are great, it is the Nothing ear (2) that breaks the tie and goes on to land the final knockout blow and win the face-off.
That’s not to say Apple didn’t get some good shots in — the AirPods Pro 2 come out on top in design, controls, and battery life. And of course, this is purely subjective on my own use of the earbuds. If you’re an iPhone user and you buy Cupertino’s earbuds, you’ll love them.
But when it comes to just about everything else, from a deeper, more detailed sound quality and stronger noise cancellation, to improved personalization features and call quality, Nothing ear (2) provide a better experience at $100 less. The choice is obvious.
