Between the AirPods Pro 3 and Ear (a) 2, the AirPods Pro 3 comes out ahead in spatial audio and water resistance, while the Ear (a) 2 wins on battery — with case and battery — buds. Overall, the AirPods Pro 3 scores 69.5 and the Ear (a) 2 scores 74.5 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Ear (a) 2 edges ahead on the Mars Score (69.5 vs 74.5), but the 5.0-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the AirPods Pro 3 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, water resistance.
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, multipoint, among others.
Both ship with comparable active noise cancellation, driver size, so those specs don't 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.
Why Apple - AirPods Pro 3 wins
- ▲Has Spatial audio.
- ▲Water resistance: IP57 (vs IP54).
Why Nothing - Ear (a) 2 wins
- ▲Battery — with case — 40.00% more. 42 h vs 30 h.
- ▲Battery — buds — 25.00% more. 10 h vs 8 h.
- ▲Has Multipoint.
- ▲Weight per bud — 0.50 g less. 4.8 vs 5.3.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Pro 3 | Nothing - Ear (a) 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | in-ear | in-ear |
| Weight per bud | 5.3 g | 4.8 glead |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP57lead | IP54 |
Audio
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Pro 3 | Nothing - Ear (a) 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 11 mm | 11 mm |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | true | true |
| Transparency mode | true | true |
| Spatial audioⓘ | truelead | false |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Pro 3 | Nothing - Ear (a) 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 8 h | 10 hlead |
| Battery — with case | 30 h | 42 hlead |
| Wireless case chargingⓘ | truelead | false |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Pro 3 | 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 Pro 3 or Ear (a) 2?+
Ear (a) 2 lasts 10h per charge vs 8h.
Do AirPods Pro 3 or Ear (a) 2 support multipoint?+
Ear (a) 2 supports multipoint; AirPods Pro 3 does not.
Which has ANC, AirPods Pro 3 or Ear (a) 2?+
Both have active noise cancellation.
Spec-level deep dives
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