Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | Nothing - Ear (a) 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — with case | 20 h | 42 h |
| Battery — buds | 5 h | 10 h |
| Driver size | 10 mm | 11 mm |
| Spatial audio | true | false |
| Multipoint | false | true |
| Weight per bud | 4.3 g | 4.8 g |
Between the AirPods 4 with ANC and Ear (a) 2, the AirPods 4 with ANC comes out ahead in spatial audio / weight per bud, while the Ear (a) 2 wins on battery — with case / battery — buds. Overall, the AirPods 4 with ANC scores 71.1 and the Ear (a) 2 scores 82.8 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Ear (a) 2 is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 11.7 points on the Mars Score. The margin is wide enough that the underdog only makes sense if its individual strengths line up with what you specifically need.
Pick the AirPods 4 with ANC if audio quality and feature breadth (ANC, codecs, multipoint) are the lead criteria for your purchase. The biggest gaps in its favor are spatial audio, weight per bud. The single most decisive one: Has Spatial audio.
Pick the Ear (a) 2 if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. Its strongest claims are battery — with case, battery — buds, driver size, among others. The single most decisive one: Battery — with case — 110.00% more. 42 h vs 20 h.
Both ship with comparable active noise cancellation, water resistance, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the Ear (a) 2 is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Which should you buy: Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC or Nothing - Ear (a) 2?
Nothing - Ear (a) 2 leads the current Mars Score by 11.7 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare driver size, battery — buds, weight per bud against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC if…
Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC has the measurable edge on has spatial audio, weight per bud g.
Choose Nothing - Ear (a) 2 if…
Nothing - Ear (a) 2 has the measurable edge on battery life case h, battery life buds h, driver size mm.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC wins
- ▲Has Spatial audio.
- ▲Weight per bud — 0.50 g less. 4.3 vs 4.8.
Why Nothing - Ear (a) 2 wins
- ▲Battery — with case — 110.00% more. 42 h vs 20 h.
- ▲Battery — buds — 100.00% more. 10 h vs 5 h.
- ▲Driver size — 10.00% more. 11 mm vs 10 mm.
- ▲Has Multipoint.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | Nothing - Ear (a) 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | openlead | in-ear |
| Weight per bud | 4.3 glead | 4.8 g |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP54 | IP54 |
Audio
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | Nothing - Ear (a) 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 10 mm | 11 mmlead |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | true | true |
| Transparency mode | true | true |
| Spatial audioⓘ | truelead | false |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | Nothing - Ear (a) 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 5 h | 10 hlead |
| Battery — with case | 20 h | 42 hlead |
| Wireless case chargingⓘ | truelead | false |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | Nothing - Ear (a) 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Codecsⓘ | AAC,SBC | LDAC,AAC,SBC |
| Multipointⓘ | false | truelead |
| In-ear detection | true | true |
Frequently asked
Which has longer battery, AirPods 4 with ANC or Ear (a) 2?+
Ear (a) 2 lasts 10h per charge vs 5h.
Do AirPods 4 with ANC or Ear (a) 2 support multipoint?+
Ear (a) 2 supports multipoint pairing; AirPods 4 with ANC does not.
Which has ANC, AirPods 4 with ANC or Ear (a) 2?+
Both models have active noise cancellation.