Nothing Ear (stick)

Like the entry-level Apple AirPods ($179), the Nothing Ear (stick) earbuds ($99.99) rest against your ear canal rather than in it. This means they fit less securely than we like and allow some sound leakage. Despite the inherent drawbacks of this style, the Ear (stick) sound excellent for sub-$100 earphones of any stripe, with clear, detailed audio that manages to offer a good sense of bass even without a tight seal. Plus, with a cool transparent design, they're the most interesting-looking earbuds you're likely to see. This earns the Nothing Ear (stick) our Editors’ Choice for true wireless earbuds.

Slick Look, Decent Fit

The Ear (stick)'s earpieces are striking, thanks to their transparent-plastic stems that cover dark plastic and metal components. The outward-facing sides of the stems look gray, but the inner-facing sides display some of the earphones’ interior circuitry. Metal panels on the upper edge of the stems serve as squeeze-sensitive controls. White and red dots where the stems meet the earbuds indicate which earpiece is left (white) and which is right (red).

These are earbuds, not in-canal earphones, so the parts of the earphones that go in the ears rest against the ear canals rather than entering them with silicone or foam eartips to form a seal. This style can be more comfortable for users who don’t like in-canal earphones, but it also means the earphones might not sit quite as securely and can’t isolate surrounding noise. Despite these qualms, the Ear (stick) sat somewhat snugly in my ears, only occasionally becoming loose with long walks. I wouldn’t recommend them for workouts or heavy physical activity. Moreover, their modest IP54 rating means they aren’t particularly protected against heavy moisture (beyond a bit of sweat). As earbuds go, they fit me well. It helps that they’re also very light, at 4.4 grams each.

I occasionally needed to adjust the earphones during testing, and this led to some frustration. The metal plates that serve as touch controls on the stems aren’t so sensitive that a stray touch will set them off, but the amount of pressure needed to readjust the earphones’ fit is enough to activate them. I repeatedly played and paused tracks without intending to when I repositioned the earphones.

The charging case looks as unique as the earphones. It’s a transparent plastic cylinder with a white inner body where the recesses for the earphones are carved out on one side and a small Nothing logo adorns the other. The cap of the cylinder doesn’t come off, but instead twists to expose the buds through a cut-out on one side. To store the earphones, place each bud in its recess and twist the cap until the buds are covered by the outer cylinder. The cap has a triangular red section that adds a splash of color to the case; it also holds the USB-C port for charging. Next to it, a silver button enables pairing.

According to Nothing, the Ear (stick) can last up to seven hours on a charge, and the case holds an additional three full charges, making for 28 hours of total playback time. The earphones support the AAC and SBC Bluetooth codecs, but not AptX or LDAC. The lack of AptX means you'll probably get a better experience on iPhones than on Android phones.

The Nothing X App

The Nothing X app for Android and iOS provides the two most standard (and valuable) options for true wireless earphones: control customization and an equalizer. You can set the double-press, triple-press, press-and-hold, and double-press-and-hold gestures to skip tracks forward and backward, adjust volume up and down, and activate your phone’s voice assistant. Unfortunately, the single-press gesture can’t be changed or disabled, so you’ll have to be careful whenever you need to move your earphones.

The equalizer looks unique but is a bit underdeveloped. The graphical EQ is shown as a wheel with three spokes, one each for bass, mid, and treble. The circle makes very little sense, since audio frequencies are represented on a linear spectrum, but the information is there. Four presets (Balanced, More Bass, More Treble, and Voice) are on board, and they all have blob-like curves indicating what Nothing tweaked in the sound. You can set your own custom curve, but you can only move points along the three spokes, so instead of a blob you’ll be drawing a simpler oval. Regardless, it’s best to stay out of the Voice preset; it sounds outright tinny.

A Clear, Full Sound

For non in-canal earphones, the Ear (stick) offers a solid sense of bass. It handled the bass synth notes and kick drum hits of our bass test track, The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” with a good sense of lows and low-mids without any distortion at maximum volume. The track doesn’t sound thunderous, but it isn’t flimsy, either.

The opening acoustic guitar plucks in Yes’ “Roundabout” sound full and detailed, demonstrating strong resonance while conveying plenty of string texture with high-frequency finesse. When the track properly kicks in, the busy mix is remarkably balanced. The bassline, drums, guitar strums, and vocals all come through clear and clean. The bassline reaches low enough to retain a funky punch and not simply sound poppy. This might be the best reproduction of the track I’ve heard on a pair of $100 earphones.

The Crystal Method’s “Born Too Slow” also sounds good thanks to the Ear (stick)’s appreciable bass response. The backbeat doesn’t get quite enough low-frequency power to sound ominous, but it still manages to anchor the track while the riffs and vocals cut through the mix with the appropriate amount of harshness.

The Ear (stick)’s microphones are less impressive. Test recordings both on an iPhone and on loudspeakers sounded fuzzy and distant. They were hardly unintelligible, but they also weren’t particularly clean or clear. You’ll be able to take calls just fine with them, but don’t expect much more than being able to be understood.

Impressive for Next to Nothing

The Nothing Ear (stick) offers some of the best sound available in $100 earbuds. They don’t generate a ton of bass, and the controls can be a bit awkward, but these are easy to forgive given the earphones’ detailed, balanced sound. If you want true wireless earphones that don’t have eartips that squeeze into your ear canal, these are a far better pick than the Apple AirPods ($179.99) and cost $80 less. The unique design, sound quality, and price together earn the Ear (stick) our Editors’ Choice for non-in-ear true wireless earbuds.

If you don’t mind a seal in your ear, we still generally recommend in-canal earphones over earbuds, and there are plenty of choices in this price range. The Editors’ Choice Anker Soundcore Space A40 ($99.99) offer detailed and balanced sound and strong active noise cancellation, while the Jabra Elite Active 4 ($119.99) feature a more secure fit and a waterproof design for a bit more money.