If you’re buying wireless earbuds under $100, start with these

If you want some decent wireless earbuds under $100, your choices revolve around some from JBL, Skullcandy, or a no-name brand from Amazon. While those might be fine, the new Nothing Ear (3a) earbuds seem like the ones to beat.

The $99 Ear (3a) earbuds feature active noise cancellation, killer sound, and a slick transparent design. I’ve been using these earbuds since they were released, and very quickly I found them to be worth their $99 retail price. They’re the total package for their price point.

The sound of Nothing Ear (3a)

Almost instantly, it was clear that the Nothing Ear (3a) don’t sound like sub-$100 earbuds. There is a healthy amount of bass. The low end is full so you can feel some boom. Even when using the earbuds in transparency, aware mode, the music doesn’t lose much of its thump, like other buds tend to do.

Overall, I’ve been highly impressed by the sound of the Ear (3a). I thought some of the early Nothing earbuds were lacking a little in the audio department, but these are very good—especially for the price.

Use the Ear (3a) to record calls

One of the most interesting features of the Nothing Ear (3a) is their ability to record up to 60 seconds of music that you’re listening to, or up to two hours of a phone call. This is called Audio Snapshot, and when both earbuds are in, you press both side buttons at once to activate it.

I understand the call recording functionality. You can use the Nothing X app to get your recordings and have them transcribed. It’s neat. But I don’t understand the ability to record 60 seconds of copyrighted music. Why would you do that?

Whatever the reason, the feature does work as advertised. The clips showed up instantly in the app and present an easy-to-share interface.

Block out distracting noise

To test earbuds' active noise cancellation, I usually take them out to a store and run some simulations of airplane cabin noise at a volume around 75 decibels.

The bad news is that the Ear (3a) don’t beat out any of the more premium earbuds like the AirPods Pro 3 at blocking noise. They perform better than others in their price category of $50 to $100, which is why I was pleasantly surprised in this area. But if you want ANC earbuds for traveling via plane or train, then you’ll want to expand your budget.

The good news is that the Ear (3a) block out regular household noise pretty well. These should help quell roommates or cafe chatter.

Transparent gadgets are in fashion

While the transparent design that Nothing has become well known for doesn’t make these earbuds work any better, they are subjectively cooler. I love the continued evolution of Nothing’s designs.

That said, there is a new status indicator inside the charging case that you can see through the clear lid. It will blink in different patterns for charging, battery life, and pairing.

The case is small enough to fit in a jeans pocket, but it could have been even smaller if the clear plastic corners were shaved off. The one real compromise of the case is that it doesn’t support wireless charging. That’s not a huge deal considering the price point.

The earbuds are comfortable and easy to wear. There are various size ear tips in the box, but the default size fit my ears well enough to keep them secure. I wouldn’t consider these workout buds, but people on a strict budget might be able to get them to work for mild exercises.

Should you buy the Nothing Ear (3a)?

The Nothing Ear (3a) are a really good pair of wireless earbuds with ANC for under $100. If you don’t want to put too much effort into searching for everyday buds for listening to music or podcasts, then these are a good choice.

There are some caveats for cheap wireless earbuds, of course. These aren’t the best for blocking airplane noise or noisy subway commutes. They also might not stay put while lifting weights or doing heavy workouts.

Still, I cover dozens of earbuds and headphones each year, and my first impression of the Nothing Ear (3a) is that for $99, they’re a great value and a worthy consideration.