I love earbuds. Recently, I tested the Nothing Ear (3) which are the British manufacturer’s latest flagships. They’re some of the best mid-range earbuds — and they cost just $179. You know what else costs $179? The Apple AirPods 4 with ANC.
Having tested both the AirPods 4 and the Ear (3), I can confidently say that I would choose the latter any day as they feel better in almost every way. But are they better than the AirPods Pro 3, which cost $50 more? The answer is yes and no.
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Where the Nothing Ear (3) shine
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If you want cool-looking, sci-fi-inspired earbuds, the Nothing Ear (3) are a no-brainer. Unlike Apple’s AirPods which, more or less, look the same, the Ear (3) carry the British brand’s trademark futuristic design. Also, unlike the AirPods 4, the Ear (3) feature excellent noise-isolating eartips, which means that they offer a good degree of passive noise cancellation when active noise cancellation isn’t enabled.
Personally, I’ve found the Ear (3)’s and the AirPods Pro 3’s comfort level to be on par with one another. Both pairs of earbuds sit snugly in my ears, and neither pair fell out when I was walking briskly or headbanging. The AirPods 4, on the other hand, don’t feature any eartips as they have an “open-fit” design. This, to me, is a major con, because the earbuds keep falling out when you move your head.
Another area the Ear (3) win big in, especially compared to the AirPods 4, is their innovative charging case which is fitted with a ‘Super Mic’ dual-microphone system. This cancels out 95dB of ambient noise, ensuring that you’re the only one who can be heard loud and clear. The call quality, I found, is similar to the AirPods Pro 3, which feature an acoustic mesh on their mics to reduce wind buffeting.
If you’re using the AirPods Pro 3 with Apple devices and FaceTime, you also get AAC-ELD speech codec for full HD voice quality. The difference is that regardless of whether you’re using the Ear (3) with Android phones or iPhones, you’ll get the same superb voice clarity, which makes the Ear (3) more versatile.
Where the AirPods 4 with ANC do better
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One of the biggest pros of getting the Apple AirPods 4 with ANC over the Nothing Ear (3) is that the former get considerably discounted during sales events, like Black Friday. In the past, we’ve seen them drop to as low as $99 at Amazon. The Ear (3) are newer which means they haven’t received major price drops yet, as the lowest we’ve seen them drop to is $148 at Amazon.
Another key winning area for the AirPods 4 is the earbuds’ integration with the rest of Apple’s ecosystem. If you don’t want to spend a lot of money on, say, the AirPods Pro 3, you can grab the AirPods 4 during a big sale and call it a day. They work well with your MacBook, iPad, iPhone, iMac — whatever device you prefer.
The silicone eartips of the AirPods Pro 3 and the Ear (3) might not be everyone’s cup of tea either, and some might prefer the AirPods 4’s airy open-fit instead. I can see why, as you avoid the pressure of traditional eartips, and they can be better for environmental awareness too.
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Similar to how my colleague and senior reviews writer, Erin, noted in her AirPods 4 versus Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 and AirPods 4 versus Bose QuietComfort face-offs, I believe the AirPods 4 are good but they face just way too fierce competition from similarly priced earbuds. They’re outclasses by the Ear (3) when it comes to sound quality (which I’ll dive into next), ANC and comfort. If you’re buying $179 earbuds at full price, the Ear (3) are the better choice.
Where the AirPods Pro 3 dominate
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Last but certainly not least, let’s talk about the AirPods Pro 3. These are, without a doubt, Apple’s most advance earbuds and they do more than enough to justify their premium price tag — especially if you’re already invested in Apple’s ecosystem. They’re on par with the Nothing Ear (3) when it comes to highly effective ANC and sheer comfort.
If it’s long-lasting battery life you’re after, the AirPods Pro 3 are the better choice as, with ANC on, they can last up to 8 hours (24 hours with charging case). Both the Ear (3) and the AirPods 4 with ANC are disappointing in this regard, as the Ear (3) last only 5.5 hours (22 hours with charging case) and the AirPods 4 last 4 hours (20 hours with charging case).
If it’s full-bodied sound you’re after, it’s a close call between the AirPods Pro 3 and the the Ear (3). Both are well-endowed earbuds, and both deliver clean bass and refined mids and lows. The Ear (3), however, feature better low-end impact, and the sub- and mid-bass feel like they’re engulfing you, especially in tracks like ‘No Chances’ by Twenty One Pilots and ‘Money’ by Pink Floyd.
This isn’t to say that the bass on the AirPods Pro 3 is poor. The earbuds do well to make it sound like you’re at a gig but the Ear (3) make it sound like you’re standing next to a stadium subwoofer. But the AirPods Pro 3 are much better at delivering crisp, vibrant treble. The problem with the Ear (3)’s is that the treble cuts through the V curve equalizer, so hi-hats and percussion hits sound shrill, as I found in tracks like ‘Skin and Bones’ by 070 Shake. The AirPods Pro 3 don’t suffer from this issue and offer a more balanced sound profile.
You can, of course, fix the Ear (3)’s overzealous treble via the user-friendly companion app, but if you don’t want to bother with an additional app on your smartphone, the AirPods Pro 3 are the better choice — especially if you have an iOS device, but that goes without saying.
And the winner is…
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Is there a clear winner between the Nothing Ear (3), the AirPods 4 with ANC, and the AirPods Pro 3? Alas, it’s not that simple, as each pair of earbuds has its own pros and cons, so it really depends on what your preferences are and what you’re looking for.
If you want a pair of mid-range earbuds that deliver phenomenal bass and sport a sleek design, the Ear (3) should be your port of call.
But if you don’t want to pay full price for the Ear (3) and want a pair of earbuds that fits right into your Apple ecosystem — and can be found on sale most of the year — then the AirPods 4 with ANC should be a no-brainer.
The AirPods Pro 3, on the other hand, are worth the extra $50 simply because they offer well-rounded sound, effective ANC and peerless Apple integration.
Personally, though, as an Android user but also a MacBook owner, I’d pick the Ear (3), but that’s just me. Which would you go for?
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