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On this week’s SyrupCast, Patrick O’Rourke, Brad Bennett and Jon Lamont chat about Rogers’ $26 billion takeover of Shaw (we’ll record a dedicated SyrupCast telecom episode soon), Nothing’s new Ear (2) wireless earbuds and the secret video project Brad Bennett’s been working on for the last few months.
As always, you can listen to the podcast below or stream it on your favourite audio platform:
‘Nothing’ is producing its very own beer, and yes, you read that right.
Although many chalked the initial claims up to be nothing more than a gag for April Fools, Nothing has decided to take the bit to the next level and commence production of its custom-made craft beer.
The company even took to Twitter to promote the upcoming beer.
Introducing Beer (5.1%).
Crisp, unfiltered rice lager. Carefully crafted
for a distinct and drier taste. Independently
brewed in Wales, UK. Nothing engineer
approved.Technically refreshing.
Sign-up for updates at https://t.co/pLWW07l8G7.
National minimum drinking age… pic.twitter.com/Rf68vN07Xx
— Nothing (@nothing) April 1, 2023
Labelled as “Beer 5.1%,” the brew is described as an unfiltered rice lager with subtle notes of pear. Its store page is touting that only five ingredients are present in the beverage (water, rice, malted barley, hops & yeast… if you were curious.)
Made in a collaboration with Freetime Beer Co., an independent microbrewery from Wales, U.K., those interested in staying up to date on information surrounding the beer can even sign up to receive updates.
In one of the most curious instances of a company’s product expansion, Nothing does manage to link its brand to the beer surprisingly well by advertising the beer can with its minimalist design.
The can appears to be clear silver all around, with ‘beer (5.1%)’ vertically gracing the side.
Although no release date has been announced, Nothing expects its fans to be cracking open cans of Beer 5.1% by summer 2023.
Still thirsty? Check out this review of the Nothing Ear (2) wireless earbuds.
Image credit: Nothing
Nothing started its journey in 2021 with the Ear (1), and the sequel shows that the company isn’t standing still.
While the wireless earbuds look very similar to their predecessors, there are essential upgrades in usability, portability and, of course, sound quality. They’re a little pricier than the original’s launch price, but they still offer fantastic value compared to the 2023 earbud landscape.
If you’re a fan of product design, things that look like they belong in Ridley Scott’s Alien universe or earbuds that just offer good value, keep reading.
The contents of the Ear (2) box.
Nothing has never shied away from a fun unboxing experience, and the Ear (2) follows the trend. The buds arrive in a small box with a detailed macro shot of them wrapped around the top. Pull a little tab to open the box, and you’re presented with the earbuds. Digging a little deeper reveals two other earbud tip sizes and a short USB-C cable for charging.
The Ear (2) charging case is a bit more compact than the Ear (1), but it’s not that noticeable in your pocket. Where it sets itself apart is in the details — or in some instances, the lack of them.
The downside of clear cases is that you need to clean them often because earwax that rubs off your buds is very noticeable. Ear (2) case pictured on the left.
Side-by-side, the new case seems to be made of more robust plastic that looks more premium than last year’s. You can still tell it’s plastic, but the case sparkles more in the sun, and from the side profile, it almost looks like the buds are submerged in water. It’s not as stunning as glass or crystal, but it feels about as close as we can get while keeping the weight and moldability of plastic.
The premium feeling continues when you pick up the case, as the lid is more snug than the flimsy top half of the Ear (1) case. On the older model, you could push the lid side to side since the tolerances on the hinge weren’t perfect. That’s no longer a problem as the lid locks in a small grove giving the case a more refined feel.
The white centre channel also acts as a foot on the bottom to raise the case’s transparent elements up a millimetre. This sounds inconsequential, but combined with the denser plastic, it allows light to pass through the case in more interesting ways, creating a slight glow around the unit. It’s a small change, but it adds to the sophisticated look. The subtle micro waffle texture has been removed from the white part of the case, which was sad to see at first, but after spending some time with the new buds, the cleaner look of the matte white helps the other details shine.
One such detail is the new magnets holding it shut. At first glance, it looks more complete than the single magnet on the Ear (1). But when you examine the case from the top down, it reveals that this magnet rework matches the size of the hinge. Offering welcome symmetry between the front and back of the case. It’s not a perfect match, but it tells the story of Nothing’s ability to obsess over the smallest details that make its products feel more premium than their price tags.
The Ear (2) still retain the semi-transparent design from the other Nothing buds, but there are tiny changes upon closer inspection.
My favourite change is that the air pass-through hole on the face of the bud has been replaced with a small metal vent, giving the earbud a higher-end look. Previously this was a small hole drilled into the plastic above the vent. Now it sits flush with the plastic shell removing the need for the hole at all. It’s a small design change, but the hole on the Ear (1) felt like Nothing added the vent to look cool. Now it looks like a functional element, a more impressive achievement.
From left to right: Ear (stick), Ear (2), Ear (1).
There still appears to be a fake vent on the bottom of the stem. It’s disappointing, especially after iFixit tore down the Ear (1) and revealed it would probably look cooler if Nothing showed off the small circuit board inside the buds.
When looking at the top inside of the buds’ stem, there are fewer transistors, but you really have to look closely to spot this change. Overall, these are micro changes that don’t significantly change how they feel or fit. This is a good thing for me since I found the original Ear (1) quite comfortable.
While the first generation Ear (1) was fine, the successor offers a notable improvement. The noise-cancelling (ANC) is much stronger, the performance offers more balance, less hum and a wider, more immersive soundstage. While I didn’t mind using the Ear (1), I truly enjoy listening to music with the Ear (2).
Nothing is still using an 11.6mm speaker driver, but the tuning is much better, with support for Hi-Res audio frequencies up to 24 bit/192 kHz. But I think most people will be impressed with how they sound and how much background noise they block out. It seems that something happened around the launch of the Google Pixel Buds Pros in 2022, and now most high-end buds, ranging from OnePlus to Apple, all seem to offer phenomenal active noise-cancellation. The new Nothing Ear (2) are no exception and undercuts the popular competition on price.
Squeeze the side of the Ear (2) to activate its controls.
The transparency mode could be better, but since I use it so rarely, it’s not something that affected me. Alongside that, users get treated to new sounds when toggling ANC and switching to transparency. Turning ANC on/off uses a subtle drum beat that’s tuned slightly differently for each function. Interestingly, when you initiate Transparency mode, the sound is a human letting out a quick breath. It makes sense since turning on Transparency feels like relief as you hear the world again, but it’s likely to be divisive amongst Nothing fans.
The lag has been reduced on the Ear (2), so watching videos is now much less frustrating, but there is still a delay when I connect them to my MacBook. On mobile, there seems to be less noticeable lag. This is a problem most wireless earbuds suffer from, but I hope Nothing works to fix it in the future. There is a low-lag mode in the app, but it’s labelled for gaming, and I don’t think there’s a way to implement it on a desktop. However, I’m still happy that I can at least watch YouTube without lag on my way to work.
The mic hasn’t changed much, but I’ve only tested it on indoor calls, and so far, it’s been passable. However, no wireless earbuds really have great mics, so I would say that the Ear (2) is usable but not for any professional audio recording.
And most importantly, Nothing has dropped its barely-functioning touch controls in favour of straightforward squeeze controls like the OnePlus Buds Pro and AirPods Pro (2nd-Gen). The company also used this superior method on its Ear Sticks.
Compared to the app that launched with the original Nothing buds in 2021, the updated Nothing X app (iOS/Android) is full of features and tweaks to help users get the most out of their earbuds.
Beyond the low-latency toggle I previously mentioned, there are systems to personalize the sound levels and ANC for your hearing. There’s also a fit test, a dual connection toggle, and a button to make your earbuds chirp if you’ve lost them. This isn’t as effective as the Find My network that’s built into modern AirPods, but that’s one of the things you lose since these buds are roughly $130 less than the competing AirPods Pro.
If the music isn’t perfect, you can tune it with a standard in-app equalizer to personalize it to your taste. You can also tweak the playback controls if you’d rather have volume controls on the buds or want to tweak which bud does what.
I’m sure audiophiles will be annoyed with how basic the equalizer is, but for most people, the app is easy to use and offers several controls and tweaks to help make your buds suit you. While I tried the automatic sound profile test, I ended up turning it off and bumping the bass down a notch which felt balanced to me.
Overall, there’s a lot of functionality in the app, and enjoy how much personalization you can add to the earbuds through a few tweaks in the app. It’s not much, but it gives me a nice sense of ownership over these buds compared to my Apple earbuds. With AirPods, you get what you get, and there’s a beautiful simplicity there, but the Nothing Ear (2) allows you to make them your earbuds, and combined with the care that went into the look, they feel like a product you can connect with.
Carl Pei’s Nothing has revealed its latest audio offering.
The Nothing Ear (2), a direct successor to the Nothing Ear (1), are now available to order in Canada, with the estimated shipping date set for Friday, March 24th and a price tag of $199.
The Ear (2) cost the same as Ear (1), and the new earbuds look almost identical to their predecessor, with the primary differences coming down to specs.
One of the most significant new features of the Ear (2) is its support for the LHDC 5.0 audio codec, which allows users to stream Hi-Res audio. Additionally, the Ear (2) offers a new personalized sound profile that enables users to calibrate the buds to their specific hearing after taking a quick test in the Nothing X companion app.
As leaks suggested, the Ear (2) offers dual pairing, enabling users to connect to two devices simultaneously, alongside support for adaptive active noise cancellation (ANC), which tunes out unwanted noises based on the user’s specific ear profile and surroundings. Both of these features we’re absent in the Ear (1). Further, leaks suggested that the buds would offer over 36 hours of battery life with the charging case, which also turned out to be true. The charging case can be charged with a USB-C wire or wirelessly.
Additionally, the buds offer an IP54 rating, while its charging case is IP55 rated against dust and water splashes.
The Ear (2) are now available to order from Nothing’s website for $199. Learn more about the Ear (2) here.
Image credit: Nothing
Source: Nothing
Nothing is ready to detail its latest audio offering, the Nothing Ear (2) on Wednesday, March 22nd. While we’ve already seen leaked renders of the upcoming earbuds, we’re uncertain about the Nothing Ear (2)s’ specs.
Now, roughly a week before the unveiling of the earbud, a new leak from The Tech Outlook sheds some light on reported specs of the audio gadget.
For starters, the buds will have a semi-transparent design, similar to the Nothing Ear (1), corroborating the previous render leak. They will come equipped with a transparent case, and visually, there seem to be little to no changes.
Spec-wise, just like the Ear (1)s, the Ear (2)s will also feature 11.6mm drivers. Reportedly, the new buds will offer a six-hour playback time, alongside 36 hours of battery life with the charging case that can be charged with a USB-C wire or wirelessly.
Previous leaks indicated the Ear (2)s will feature personalized active noise cancellation, and the new leak says the same. Personalized ANC allows the user to set the intensity of noise cancellation according to their preference. The new buds are also expected to support dual connectivity, allowing the device to be paired with two devices at once for ease of switching.
Other than the spec leak, The Tech Outlook’s report also shared a few new marketing images for the upcoming buds. Check them out below:
Image credit: The Tech Outlook
Source: The Tech Outlook
We already know that Carl Pei’s Nothing is already working on a Nothing Ear (2) wireless earbuds, thanks to leaked press renders shared by reliable industry leaker @OnLeaks (via SmartPrix). What we didn’t know when the renders were leaked was when the earbuds would finally be released.
Now, Nothing has officially announced the existence of Nothing Ear (2), and the company will deliver more details about them and a potential release date on March 22nd at 10am ET/7am PT.
Nothing’s official website features a teaser image of the Nothing Ear (2) with “Better sound. Better clarity. Just better. A mighty refinement. Learn everything on 22 March, 10:00 EST,” written beside it.
Move over. Ear (2) is coming. pic.twitter.com/B6wyzuLUaq
— Nothing (@nothing) March 6, 2023
The company, however, hasn’t revealed any other information about the upcoming earbuds, including specs and pricing. In a press statement, the company hinted at the Ear 2’s design, stating that it “celebrates Nothing’s iconic design with elite engineering and next-level personalisation for the ultimate sound experience.”
Previous rumours about the earbuds have suggested that the Nothing Ear (2) will look very similar to their predecessor, with the primary external visual difference between the Ear (1) and the Ear (2) being the change in position of the noise-canceling microphone.
The microphone was located at the top of the earbud in the Ear (1) but it seems to have been moved to the side of the earbud, as seen in the image below. Minor internal changes also result in a slightly different look on the stem of the earbud.
Further, the new earbuds are reported to feature personalized ANC, allowing the user to set the intensity of noise cancellation according to their preference, alongside support for dual connectivity, allowing the device to be paired two devices at once for ease of switching.
Apart from the Nothing Ear (2), we know the company is also working on its first speaker.
Image credit: Nothing
Via: Android Police
Carl Pei’s Nothing Ear (1) earbuds were an overall critical success thanks to their great transparent design, decent battery life and a solid accompanying app.
Now, the London, England-based company is reportedly working on the successor to the Ear (1), and leaked press renders of the buds show a rather similar design.
First shared by reliable industry leaker @OnLeaks (via SmartPrix), the Ear (2)s seemingly only feature slight visual changes when compared to the Ear (1).
Hey #FutureSquad! Today, I have a batch of high-resolution press renders of the #NothingEar2 as well as some features to share with you…😏
On behalf of @Smartprix 👉🏻 https://t.co/P2WnTJk670 pic.twitter.com/CydJcG50W4
— Steve H.McFly (@OnLeaks) January 31, 2023
As reported by SmartPrix, the only external visual difference between the Ear (1) and the Ear (2) is the change in position of the noise-canceling microphone.
The microphone was located at the top of the earbud in the Ear (1), but has seemingly been moved to the side of the earbud, as seen in the image below. Minor internal changes also result in a slightly different look on the stem of the earbud.
SmartPrix also revealed that the new earbuds would feature personalized ANC, allowing the user to set the intensity of noise cancellation according to their preference. There will also be a transparency mode, which was also present on the Ear (1), alongside support for dual connectivity, allowing the device to be paired two two devices at once for ease of switching.
“Nothing is also adding support for Advanced EQ with the custom settings and the Find Earbuds Feature,” concluded SmartPrix.
It is currently unknown when the Ear (2) could release, but considering how detailed the press renders look, it could be a matter of weeks until we see the buds announced.
Image credit: SmartPrix