Odi Productions
In this article, I’m going to share my HONEST Nothing Ear 3 review for those who are wondering whether they are WORTH IT. I’ll also be comparing the Nothing Ear 3 vs AirPods Pro 3, AirPods Pro 2, Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, Google Pixel Buds Pro 2, OnePlus Buds Pro 3, and more!
I’m going to do my best to share whether these wireless earbuds are worth it, and ideally who these are perfect for. I’ve owned these for a while now and have quite a few thoughts.
I’ll be sharing my critical opinion with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, audio engineer, and tech journalist.
Let’s dive right in!
Nothing Ear 3 Review in Short
The Nothing Ear 3 is one of the better values in the wireless earbud category due to having updated features like its “Super Mic”, fun sound quality, and decent noise cancelling performance for a very attractive price. Competes in the wireless noise cancelling earbuds class with the likes of Apple AirPods Pro 3rd Generation, AirPods Pro 2, Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, OnePlus Buds Pro 3, Google Pixel Buds Pro 2, Status Pro X, and more!
Pros and Cons
- Good value
- Excellent microphone quality
- Above average noise cancelling
- There’s better noise cancelling
- There’s better sound quality
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Comfort + Features
Comfort
The Nothing Ear 3 comes with 3 pairs of silicone eartips to find the perfect fit for you.
I find the comfort and fit of the Nothing Ear 3 to be average.
The design is similar to the AirPods Pro series, but I prefer the more ergonomic and secure fit of the AirPods Pro 3.
The earbud itself is a little bulkier and rounder than it could be, and I just don’t find them to be as secure-fitting as some of the others in the class.
If for whatever reason the stock eartips aren’t to your liking, I’ve really enjoyed using these aftermarket ones I tested from SpinFit (note that this entire review is using the stock eartips):
The wireless earbuds that I find more comfortable and secure-fitting include:
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd and 1st Gen
- Apple AirPods Pro 3
- Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro
- Google Pixel Buds Pro 2
Features
The Nothing Ear 3 was originally released in September 2025, so it has many modern wireless earbud features:
- IP54 water resistance rating (dust and splash resistant)
- LDAC and LHDC 5.0 high-res codec support
- Built-in microphones for taking calls
- USB-C and Qi wireless charging case
- “Super Mic” built into charging case for clearer voice call quality
- Bluetooth 5.4
- Multi-point connection
- Adaptive Noise Cancelling
- Transparency Mode
- iOS and Android app support
The most notable feature for audiophiles is the LDAC and LHDC 5.0 high-res codec support.
Also, it’s nice that there is a native app offered for both iOS and Android users alike.
Microphone Quality
One standout feature for the Nothing Ear 3 is its microphone quality, specifically with the unique “Super Mic” feature built into the charging case.
There is a “Talk” button on the charging case that can activate the Super Mic feature, therefore increasing the voice call quality to its fullest.
(The charging case is also IP55 rating for dust and water-resistance, higher than the earbuds itself.)
Personally, I still prefer the mic quality and convenience aspect of the best in the class AirPods Pro 3 and Sony WF-1000XM5.
Although the Super Mic is superior in theory, I’d rather not have to hold up the charging case to my mouth, adding extra hassle to my calls.
Aside from that, this is one of the best mic quality options available today.
Battery Life
- With ANC on: 5.5 hours of battery life on a single charge / 37.5 hours total with charging case
- With ANC off: 8.5 hours on a single charge / 40.5 hours total with charging case
- Fast Charge: 10 minutes = 2 hours of playback
This battery life is about average for the class, as most competitors are 6-8 hours on a single charge, and 24-30 hours with the charging case.
Comfort + Features Score: 9.0 out of 10
Nothing Ear 3 Noise Cancelling Performance
On paper, there is “45dB” of Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling, which is a solid figure.
Some competitors like the Status Pro X claim even more at “52dB” and SoundPEATS H3 at a whopping “55dB”.
Although the Nothing Ear 3’s microphone and noise cancelling abilities are fairly hyped up, unfortunately, I wasn’t really impressed by the active noise cancelling in my testing.
I do find the aforementioned competition from Status Pro X and SoundPEATS H3 to be noticeably quieter, as their claims on paper would suggest.
In addition, there is the even better elite options like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen, AirPods Pro 3, and Sony WF-1000XM5.
I would personally put the Nothing Ear 3 below all of those strong options, which would still be above average for the class as a whole.
Noise Cancelling Score: 7.5 out of 10
Sound Quality
In my testing of Nothing’s previous audio products, including the Nothing Headphone 1 and CMF Headphone Pro for example, I have been pleasantly surprised by the price to performance ratio thus far.
Seeing the Nothing Ear 3, this looked to me like a direct competitor to the ever-popular AirPods Pro 3 which also released around the same time.
So is this another value contender that punches far above its price?
Let’s start with the high-res codec support of LDAC and LHDC 5.0. To my knowledge, I haven’t tested an earbud that supports LHDC 5.0 – a theoretically higher resolution codec than LDAC.
To conduct this test, I used my Questyle QCC Dongle Pro to unlock LDAC support:
![Questyle QCC Dongle Pro [MFi Certified] USB-C Bluetooth Audio Adapter with LDAC,aptX Lossless&aptX-Adaptive,Low Latency Bluetooth 5.4 Dongle for PS5,Wireless Lossless Transmitter for PC/Headphones](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/21jT-Cm5ZVL._SL500_.jpg)
If you’re an iPhone user, or if your phone doesn’t support aptX codecs, then I highly recommend you pick up the dongle above which will cover both LDAC and aptX Adaptive high-res codecs. It’s the only one of its kind that supports both, to my knowledge.
Upon my first listening impression, I thought the Nothing Ear 3 sounded decent, especially factoring in its price.
The stock sound profile is consumer-friendly with a healthy dose of bass.
The bass is quite emphasized, with fullness in quantity, punchy impact, but perhaps not the cleanest bass response I’ve tested.
That said, if you like bass, these with the “Bass Enhancement” feature turned on make a case for one of the heaviest bass earbuds in the class.
Obviously, not everyone is a basshead, and that would be my first critique of the Nothing Ear 3.
I think the Ear 3 is fun to listen to, especially for modern genres, but falls a bit flat compared to the top audiophile options for the class, such as the Technics AZ100, Denon PerL Pro, Status Pro X, and Bowers & Wilkins Pi8, and Noble FoKus Rex5 – all of which are some of the best wireless earbud listening experiences available.
Honestly, I also put it slightly below the AirPods Pro 3 it seems to be targeting, and more in line with the Sony WF-1000XM5 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen.
This isn’t a bad thing, as those earbuds are all more expensive than the budget-priced Nothing Ear 3.
Sound Quality Score: 8.0 out of 10
Value
The Nothing Ear 3 retails at just $179 USD, but can be found on sale closer to $149 at the time of this writing.
Simply put, this undercuts most of the premium wireless earbuds that start around $200 typically, and is just a fraction of the cost of the high-end options.
The AirPods Pro 3, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen, and Sony WF-1000XM5 are typically between $229 to $249 on sale.
I do think you’re getting a strong value for the price point, and there’s only really one contender that jumps out to me as a better dollar value, the SoundPEATS H3 at under $130.
Value Score: 8.5 out of 10
Overall Scoring Breakdown
Comfort + Features (15% of score): 9.0 / 10
Noise Cancelling (25% of score): 7.5 / 10
Sound Quality (50% of score): 8.0 / 10
Value (10% of score): 8.5 / 10
Total: 8.1 out of 10
Is the Nothing Ear 3 Worth it?
Thanks to its appealing price point, the Nothing Ear 3 presents a decent value when compared to competitors that can cost up to $100 or more.
Price aside, I still prefer the AirPods Pro 3 overall as a daily driver, and would pay the premium to “upgrade” from the Nothing Ear 3.
Now if we’re focused on audiophile sound quality, there is a handful of superior options that I also prefer listening to.
Lastly, the SoundPEATS H3 is still my standout #1 Ranked for Value at under $130, and I would personally buy the H3 over these myself.
Lastly, if you’d like to save some money and keep supporting RecordingNOW.com’s 100% independent, unbiased reviews, do consider using some of our affiliate links below to shop and even just compare prices. We purchase all products we review with our own money to maintain the highest level of integrity, and your support goes into that plus a continuously improving site experience.
Order HERE for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):
Disclosure: These affiliate links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to keep this website 100% independent to ensure honest unfiltered reviews 🙂
How We Tested and Our Methodology
RecordingNOW.com is a 100% independent publisher with over 10 years of experience testing and reviewing consumer electronics and headphones.
We currently purchase the products we test with our own money, and are not paid by any company or manufacturer to influence our opinions or decisions.
After purchasing the product, we conduct up to hundreds of hours of detailed hands-on testing in a controlled, acoustically-treated environment.
ODi Productions is our resident expert and author of this article, with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, tech journalist, and audiophile.
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