Nothing’s Ear (Open) earbuds are a bold departure from traditional audio devices. These open-ear headphones offer a unique listening experience that balances sound quality with environmental awareness.

 

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Design
Nothing’s Ear (Open) earbuds are a testament to the brand’s commitment to innovative design. Housed in a transparent casing, these earbuds offer a futuristic aesthetic that’s both stylish and functional. The transparent design provides a glimpse into the inner workings, setting them apart from other earbuds on the market.

Here’s what Rysha Media’s Zack Zorro and Alison Osborne had to say about the new Nothing Ear  (Open):

Both the earbuds and their charging case are IP54-rated, making them resistant to dust and water splashes. This durability ensures they can withstand sweat and so on from workouts and outdoor activities. The pill-shaped charging case, with its clear top and smooth edges, complements the earbuds’ modern design.

Comfort and Fit
The Nothing Ear (Open) earbuds prioritise comfort. Their open-ear design allows ambient sounds to enter while you enjoy your music, making them ideal for outdoor activities where situational awareness is key. Weighing a mere 8.1 grams each, these lightweight earbuds are comfortable for extended use. The over-ear hook design ensures a secure fit, even during intense workouts, making them perfect for runners, cyclists, and other active individuals.

Audio Quality
The Nothing Ear (Open) earbuds are equipped with several advanced features that enhance their audio performance and user experience. This includes the new stepped driver – a driver design that positions the sound closer to your ear, resulting in a more direct and clear audio experience. The earbuds are also packed with a custom-shaped diaphragm, which reduces distortion and deepens low-frequency sound, providing a richer and more detailed listening experience.

The titanium-coated diaphragm further enhances high-frequency response, ensuring crisp and clear treble notes. The Nothing Ear (Open) earbuds thus deliver impressive audio quality for an open-ear design. They offer a well-balanced sound profile with clear mids and highs. While the bass response may not match that of traditional in-ear or over-ear headphones, the overall audio experience is enjoyable.

To further enhance the listening experience, the earbuds come with advanced EQ features that allow you to fine-tune the sound to your preference. This customisation feature enables you to tailor the audio profile to suit various music genres.

Connectivity and Features
The Nothing Ear (Open) earbuds offer Bluetooth connectivity for a stable and reliable connection to your devices. They also support multi-point connectivity, allowing you to seamlessly switch between two devices.

While the charging case supports USB-C charging, it lacks wireless charging, which might be a minor inconvenience for some users. However, the case provides ample battery life to keep your earbuds powered throughout the day.

Battery Life
The Nothing Ear (Open) earbuds offer impressive battery life, a crucial factor for any wireless earbuds. They provide up to 6 hours of playback on a single charge, with the charging case extending the total battery life to 24 hours. This ensures you can enjoy your music throughout the day without worrying about battery drain.

Overall Experience
The Nothing Ear (Open) earbuds offer a seamless user experience. Controls are intuitive, relying on pinch gestures: a single pinch plays or pauses audio, a double pinch skips to the next track, and a triple pinch goes back. Volume can be adjusted by pinching and holding either earbud. The Nothing X app provides additional customisation options and firmware updates. The user-friendly app allows you to personalise settings to your liking, enhancing the overall experience.

Verdict
The Nothing Ear (Open) earbuds are a refreshing take on audio technology. They offer a unique listening experience that blends sound quality with environmental awareness. While they may not be the best choice for those who prioritise deep bass, they excel in providing a clear and balanced sound. If you’re looking for a pair of earbuds that let you enjoy your music without isolating yourself from the world, the Ear (Open) is worth considering.

Price: AED 549

Sony has today added to its LinkBuds range with the LinkBuds Fit and LinkBuds Open wireless earbuds, and LinkBuds Speaker. Since the LinkBuds series first launched in 2022 with a unique ring design, its focus has been on comfort and linking the online and offline worlds. This continues within the new LinkBuds range with improvements made based on valuable customer feedback to offer a seamless always-on experience, without compromising on great sound. Comfortable, smart and designed for real life, the latest LinkBuds earbuds and speaker keep you connected to the people and entertainment you love and embody “Keep every world on”.

Designed for those with an active lifestyle, the LinkBuds Fit and LinkBuds Open feature new and light Fitting Supporters for all-day wearing comfort. The LinkBuds Open lets you experience a new kind of earbud with a newly developed open-ring design that keeps you connected to your surroundings. Plus, both models come in a range of colours to suit any style with different colour cases and supporters to tailor your look. Alongside these new earbud models, the LinkBuds Speaker is also being introduced. The LinkBuds Speaker is a seamless addition to the LinkBuds family. Auto Switch swaps playback between LinkBuds Fit, LinkBuds Open and LinkBuds S with the LinkBuds Speaker automatically depending on the situation for a seamless listening experience.

Sony is also continuing its collaboration with three-time GRAMMY-winning, multi-Platinum-selling, singer/songwriter Olivia Rodrigo on the LinkBuds series as part of Sony’s For The Music audio campaign. Following a successful collaboration on the LinkBuds S last year, LinkBuds Fit and LinkBuds Open are also available in Olivia’s signature violet colourway. They have been designed in collaboration with the singer-songwriter herself and were designed with one thing in mind: her fans. Offering custom EQ settings to deliver an optimal listening experience as well as an EQ user interface selected by Olivia as well.

LinkBuds Fit
The LinkBuds Fit offer unrivalled comfort with newly developed Fitting Supporters and Earbuds Tips, seamless noise and ambient sound control and a range of colours to suit your style.

1. Comfortable fit for an active lifestyle – For an even more secure and comfortable fit, even when exercising, Sony has developed new Air Fitting Supporters for LinkBuds Fit. The Fitting Supporters have a tail that is soft and hollow to reduce ear contact and therefore pressure, while the point of attachment is hooked and hard, to prevent accidental dislodging. This means in larger ears they fit nicely at the tip of the ears and in the middle for smaller ears. Combined, these encourage both comfort and security. The Soft Fitting Earbud Tips for LinkBuds Fit are included for reduced pressure and increased comfort.
2. Stay connected with Ambient Sound Mode – Combined with excellent noise cancelling, Auto Ambient Sound Mode automatically adjusts ambient sound to match your surroundings so you can comfortably enjoy your music anywhere.
3. Noise cancelling – LinkBuds Fit are equipped with the Integrated Processor V2, the same as in the award-winning WF-1000XM5. The chip optimises noise cancelling in real time according to your environment.
4. Colours to suit your style – Available in black, white, green and Olivia Rodrigo’s violet colour, the LinkBuds Fit can suit any style. Plus, with a range of accessories including Fitting Supporters and Case Covers for LinkBuds Fit4 in a variety of style and colours, you can truly customise your earbuds to compliment any outfit.
5. High quality sound – LinkBuds Fit provide exceptional audio and call clarity. Thanks for a specially designed driver unit Dynamic Driver X, also seen within noise cancelling earbuds the WF-1000XM5, the LinkBuds Fit offer richer, more details vocals. The diaphragm structure combines several different materials for the dome and the edge, achieving low distortion and clear sound quality. LinkBuds Fit also supports High-Resolution Audio Wireless and DSEE Extreme. Also, with Precise Voice Pickup Technology that optimally controls microphones on the outside and inside of the earbud, and advanced audio signal processing, conversations are ultra clear, even in noisy environments.
6. Easy operation – With Auto Switch, Auto Play, Quick Access enabled features such as Amazon Music Play Now or Spotify Tap and voice control it’s even easier to access and enjoy your entertainment. Plus with Wide Area Tap, you can use double or triple taps in front of either of your ears to control your music playback so there’s no need to touch the LinkBuds Fit themselves to operate.
7. Convenient, everyday use – LinkBuds Fit also features Multipoint Connection, instant play and pause, control with head gestures, built-in voice control and Speak-to-Chat. They also have a battery life of up to 21 hours of total playback and an IPX4 water resistance rating.

LinkBuds Open
Experience a new kind of earbud with the LinkBuds Open, with an open-ring design that keeps you connected to your surroundings. The new and light Fitting Supporters for LinkBuds Open provide all-day wearing comfort and are also available in a range of colours to match your style.

1. Live in the moment – Featuring a newly developed ring driver, LinkBuds Open’s design lets you stay connected to your surroundings. The open ring driver unit at the centre of the diaphragm maintains audio transparency, so you can hear the world around you. You will hear when someone calls your name while you are on a call and stay connected to your friends while you listen to music. LinkBuds Open also feature Adaptive Volume Control, a smart feature that automatically optimises the volume based on where you are. You can enjoy lower volumes in quiet places and higher volumes in noisier places.
2. All-day comfort – Like the LinkBuds Fit, LinkBuds Open also feature Sony’s newly developed Fitting Supporters for a comfortable and secure fit. Plus, LinkBuds Open are built with an evolved geometric form that fits comfortably in the ear.
3. Curate your look – LinkBuds Open are available in black and white as well as Olivia Rodrigo’s violet colour. You can tailor your look with customisable accessories including Fitting Supporters and Case Covers in a variety of colours and styles.
4. Authentic, high-fidelity sound – LinkBuds Open offers well-balanced, high-quality audio with clear mid to high ranges, powered by Sony’s Integrated Processor V2 and a specially designed 11mm ring-shaped driver unit. A high-compliance diaphragm and powerful neodymium magnet were specifically selected to reproduce clear mid and high frequency sound. LinkBuds Open also support DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) and features precise voice pick up technology for ultra-clear, noise-free calls.
5. Convenient, everyday use – LinkBuds Open are packed of intuitive features and controls such as Auto Switch, Auto Play, Quick Access, voice control and Wide Area Tap. Other features include Multipoint Connection, a long battery life of up to 22 hours of listening from your earbuds and an IPX4 water resistance rating.

New Sound Connect app
LinkBuds Fit and LinkBuds Open are compatible with the renewed Sound Connect app. By using this app, you can personalise the earbuds by adjusting various settings such as the equalizer. The simple interface lets you dial in your ideal sound and shortcut settings and can even keep track of your recent listening history in line with World Health Organisation (WHO) healthy listening habits. When activated, Background Music Effect uses DSP to make audio sound as though it’s playing in your space, rather than feeling like it’s localised in your head – perfect for when you’re doing other tasks or want something a little less intense.

LinkBuds Speaker
Stay connected to your music all day long with smart features including Auto Switch that offer enhanced connectivity as well as excellent, well-balanced sound quality, despite its size. Talk and listen in total clarity and enjoy the freedom of mobility with a long battery life and a convenient carrying strap.

1. Seamless sounds – Auto Switch swaps playback between LinkBuds earbuds and LinkBuds Speaker automatically, depending on the situation. What’s more with Quick Access you can enjoy one touch listening and Auto Play plays music according to your routine, for an even smoother experience. The clear, well- balanced sound is delivered with an X- Balanced Speaker Unit, a tweeter and passive radiators allowing for an enjoyable listening experience.
2. Call quality – The LinkBuds Speaker has the best in class call quality of any Sony wireless speaker, articulating their speech for a clear conversation and using echo cancellation to ensure conversations flow smoothly.
3. Your music on the move – The handy, detachable strap lets you take your LinkBuds Speaker wherever you go, whether that’s into another room or to the kitchen. Plus it’s dedicated charging cradle ensure convenient charging.
4. Durable – With an IPX4 water-resistance rating, you can use it around water without worrying about splashes. And with a battery life of up to 25 hours, it can keep your music going all day long.
5. Timeless design – LinkBuds Speaker is available in light grey and black to seamlessly blend into your home.
6. Sound Connect App – LinkBuds Speaker is also compatible with the renewed Sound Connect app. New features such as Auto Switch, Quick Access, and Auto Play can be controlled through the Sound Connect app.

LinkBuds Fit is available from October with a suggested retail price of AED 899. LinkBuds Open is available from October with a suggested retail price of AED 899. LinkBuds Speaker is available from March 2025.

Nothing, the consumer technology brand known for its distinctive design aesthetic, has today introduced its latest audio innovation: the Nothing Ear Open.

These open-ear stereo (OWS) earbuds are designed to provide a more immersive listening experience while allowing users to stay connected to their surroundings.

Unlike traditional earbuds that require silicone tips to be inserted into the ear canal, the Nothing Ear Open rests just inside the ear, offering a more comfortable and less intrusive fit.

This design is particularly appealing for those who want to remain aware of their environment, such as runners, cyclists, or commuters.

The Nothing Ear Open joins a growing trend of headphones that prioritise openness over active noise cancellation.

Despite its open-ear design, the Nothing Ear Open boasts impressive battery life, delivering up to eight hours on a single charge and a total of 30 hours with the charging case.

The earbuds also feature Nothing’s latest noise-cancelling technology, Clear Voice Technology 3.0, to ensure clear calls even in noisy environments.

The Ear Open is priced at AED 549. It is available for pre-orders starting September 24th and will be available globally on October 1st.