Keep your ear to the ground

(Image credit: Nothing)

After a number of teasing social media posts, Nothing has finally confirmed that its second-generation Nothing Ear (2) earbuds are all set to be launched in March 2023.

The London-based brand confirmed that the all-new earbuds will get their big unveiling in a live-streamed event at 3pm GMT (10am ET) on Wednesday, March 22.

Nothing is still keeping their cards to the chest in terms of what features to expect, with the cryptic launch announcement showing a beetle crawling over a familiar looking see-through case and the company offering up that the Nothing Ear (2) will be a “mighty refinement” with better sound and better clarity – including some kind of "next-level personalisation" to the sound.

A recent leak from tech site SmartPrix (opens in new tab) claimed the new earbuds will feature personalized noise cancelling and EQ features similar to those featured on AirPods Pro 2 (and many of the other best noise-cancelling earbuds) so that seems to tie in with what Nothing is hinting at.

While Nothing’s teaser image gives little away, the SmartPrix report goes on to claim that the Nothing Ear (2) will sport a broadly similar look to their predecessors, with the noise-cancelling microphone moved away from the top of the bud to the side.

There’s also a number of features we expect to see adopted from the cheaper but more recent Nothing Ear (Stick), such as the larger 12.6mm drivers and the handy ‘Bass Lock’ feature that automatically adjusts EQ to combat low-end loss due to noise leak.

Analysis: Will these Nothing buds live up to their beetle buzz this time?

After a wave of hype, the original Nothing Ear (1) didn’t meet the lofty expectations placed upon them when they were released back in 2021, so much so that the company rolled out a much-needed revision late last year.

As you can read in our updated Nothing Ear (1) review, the update addressed most of the big criticisms levelled at their overly quiet sound and connectivity issues, but still left something to be desired when it came to noise cancellation, with their transparency mode being a big disappointment.

All the signs are that ANC will be a bigger consideration for Nothing ear (2), and if they follow through on their promise of improved sound and maintain their competitive pricing, maybe they can gain a spot on our best true wireless earbuds list.

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