The Nothing Ear 3 (a) is a cut-price version of Nothing's popular Ear 3 earbuds, retailing at £99—£50 less than the flagship model. Despite the lower price, it delivers mostly the same technology, including superb audio quality, a near-weightless fit, and lengthy battery life.
Design and Audio Snapshot Feature
The Ear 3 (a) comes in a bolder colour palette: Pink, Black, White, and Yellow. A standout feature is the built-in 32 MB flash storage enabling Audio Snapshot. By pinching both earbuds simultaneously, users can capture audio moments—like a lecture or voice note—creating an audio 'screenshot'. Recordings sync to the Nothing X app, where they can be replayed, edited, shared, and transcribed. Users can also transform transcript highlights into shareable quote cards.
Additionally, Ear (3a) supports direct call and meeting recording for up to approximately 2 hours via a simple gesture, with privacy notifications alerting participants. This makes the buds a practical everyday tool.
Audio Performance and ANC
At the heart of the Ear 3 (a) is a new 12mm dynamic driver delivering deeper bass and greater detail. According to reviewer Tom Hutchison, they don't sound quite as crisp as the £150 Ear 3, but still 'absolutely kick' with deep bass and smooth audio layering. The larger driver produces bass frequencies up to 5 dB stronger than the previous generation, while a lightweight PMI diaphragm ensures clear, detailed highs.
Nothing's Wideband Active Noise Cancellation offers up to 45 dB reduction. Hutchison tested them on London's Tube and didn't notice a busker playing guitar, calling the ANC 'impressive stuff'. Transparency Mode allows outside sounds in when needed.
Cutbacks and Battery Life
To reduce price, the Ear 3 (a) loses the Ear 3's 'Super Mic' in the charging case. Instead, the case is more oval and plastic-feeling, but includes a three-level charging light monitor. Battery life reaches up to 10 hours on the buds and 42 hours with the case (ANC off); with ANC on, it's 6 hours on buds and 25 total. A quick five-minute charge provides about one hour of playback.
Overall, the sub-£100 earbuds are excellent value, offering almost all key components of Nothing's top-tier audio range. Verdict: 4.5/5.
