Between the Ear (3) and Ear (a) 2, the Ear (3) comes out ahead in weight per bud, while the Ear (a) 2 wins on battery — buds and battery — with case. Overall, the Ear (3) scores 70.8 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 (70.8 vs 74.5), but the 3.7-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the Ear (3) if you care most about weight per bud. The biggest gaps in its favor are weight per bud.
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 — buds, battery — with case.
Both ship with comparable active noise cancellation, driver size, water resistance, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity tells you both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Why Nothing - Ear (3) wins
- ▲Weight per bud — 0.20 g less. 4.6 vs 4.8.
Why Nothing - Ear (a) 2 wins
- ▲Battery — buds — 17.65% more. 10 h vs 8.5 h.
- ▲Battery — with case — 5.00% more. 42 h vs 40 h.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Nothing - Ear (3) | Nothing - Ear (a) 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | in-ear | in-ear |
| Weight per bud | 4.6 glead | 4.8 g |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP54 | IP54 |
Audio
| Spec | Nothing - Ear (3) | Nothing - Ear (a) 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 11 mm | 11 mm |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | true | true |
| Transparency mode | true | true |
| Spatial audioⓘ | false | false |
Battery
| Spec | Nothing - Ear (3) | Nothing - Ear (a) 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 8.5 h | 10 hlead |
| Battery — with case | 40 h | 42 hlead |
| Wireless case chargingⓘ | truelead | false |
Connectivity
| Spec | Nothing - Ear (3) | Nothing - Ear (a) 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Codecs | LDAC,LHDC 5.0,AAC,SBC | LDAC,AAC,SBC |
| Multipointⓘ | true | true |
| In-ear detection | true | true |
Frequently asked
Which has longer battery, Ear (3) or Ear (a) 2?+
Ear (a) 2 lasts 10h per charge vs 8.5h.
Do Ear (3) or Ear (a) 2 support multipoint?+
Both support multipoint pairing.
Which has ANC, Ear (3) or Ear (a) 2?+
Both have active noise cancellation.
Spec-level deep dives
More from the same brands
vsMars is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more.