Head to head

Nothing Ear vs Nothing Ear (a)

Both scored on the same six factors, priced on what you actually pay including delivery, and each claim linked to the source it came from. Prototype data — prices and retailer stock are a fixed demo snapshot from 28 July 2026, not a live feed.

Verdict

Take the Nothing Ear (a) unless you need build quality.

The Nothing Ear scores highest at 8.1, but it costs 50,00 € more than the Nothing Ear (a), which scores 7.6. That premium buys you build quality — 0.8 points of it. Worth it if getting flagship sound without flagship pricing describes you; otherwise it is money you keep. Watch out for no wireless charging on the Nothing Ear (a).

Best overallNothing Ear — Highest Worth Score here at 8.1, 0.5 ahead of the Nothing Ear (a). Best for getting flagship sound without flagship pricing.

Best valueNothing Ear (a) — 50,00 € cheaper than the Nothing Ear and only 0.5 behind on Worth Score. You give up build quality.

Side by side

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The value of a comparison is the differences.

Comparison of Nothing Ear, Nothing Ear (a)
What matters	Nothing EarNothingMedium confidence	Nothing Ear (a)NothingMedium confidence
Worth Score	8.1 (best in this comparison)	7.6
Best price	149,00 €	99,00 € (best in this comparison)
Price fairness	9.6 (best in this comparison)	9.2
Build quality	8.4 (best in this comparison)	7.6
Performance	8.8 (best in this comparison)	8.4
Longevity	7.9 (best in this comparison)	7.4
Repairability	4.2 (best in this comparison)	3.8
Support & warranty	7.6 (best in this comparison)	7.2
Battery (ANC on)	5.2 h	5.5 h
Noise cancelling	Adaptive, up to 45 dB	Good, up to 45 dB
Water resistance	IP54 buds / IP55 case	IP54 buds / IPX2 case
Case charging	USB-C + wireless	USB-C
Best for	Getting flagship sound without flagship pricing · Android owners who want LDAC · Commuters on a budget	LDAC on a budget · Android owners · Anyone who liked the Ear but not the price
Avoid if	You need best-in-class noise cancelling · You are deep in Apple's ecosystem	You want wireless charging · You need the very best ANC
Main drawback	ANC trails Sony and Bose	No wireless charging

2 identical rows hidden. They are the same for every product here, so they cannot help you choose.

What each score is based on

4 published sources between them

Nothing Ear

Nothing Ear reviewSoundGuys · informs performance, price fairness
Nothing Ear ReviewRTINGS · 15 July 2024 · informs performance, build quality

Nothing Ear (a)

Nothing Ear (a) reviewSoundGuys · informs performance, price fairness
Nothing Ear (a) Truly Wireless ReviewRTINGS · informs performance, build quality

Confidence is computed from those lists, not asserted: Nothing Ear is medium on 2, Nothing Ear (a) is medium on 2. A factor with nothing behind it says so on the product page rather than borrowing a citation that does not speak to it.

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Prototype. Prototype data — prices and retailer stock are a fixed demo snapshot from 28 July 2026, not a live feed. Prices are the cheapest delivered price we recorded — 149,00 € and 99,00 € — not a live quote. How we score products.