Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | JBL - Tour Pro 3 | Nothing - Ear (a) 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 11 h | 10 h |
| Battery — with case | 44 h | 42 h |
| Spatial audio | true | false |
| Weight per bud | 5.8 g | 4.8 g |
| Water resistance | IP55 | IP54 |
Between the Tour Pro 3 and Ear (a) 2, the Tour Pro 3 comes out ahead in battery — buds / battery — with case, while the Ear (a) 2 wins on weight per bud. Overall, the Tour Pro 3 scores 84.2 and the Ear (a) 2 scores 82.8 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (84.2 vs 82.8). The decision is not about overall quality — both clear the bar — it is about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
Pick the Tour Pro 3 if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. The biggest gaps in its favor are battery — buds, battery — with case, spatial audio, among others. The single most decisive one: Battery — buds — 10.00% more. 11 h vs 10 h.
Pick the Ear (a) 2 if you care most about weight per bud. Its strongest claims are weight per bud. The single most decisive one: Weight per bud — 1.00 g less. 4.8 vs 5.8.
Both ship with comparable active noise cancellation, driver size, multipoint, so those specs do not 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 says both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Which should you buy: JBL - Tour Pro 3 or Nothing - Ear (a) 2?
JBL - Tour Pro 3 leads the current Mars Score by 1.4 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare battery — buds, weight per bud against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose JBL - Tour Pro 3 if…
JBL - Tour Pro 3 has the measurable edge on battery life buds h, battery life case h, has spatial audio.
Choose Nothing - Ear (a) 2 if…
Nothing - Ear (a) 2 has the measurable edge on weight per bud g.
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 JBL - Tour Pro 3 wins
- ▲Battery — buds — 10.00% more. 11 h vs 10 h.
- ▲Battery — with case — 4.76% more. 44 h vs 42 h.
- ▲Has Spatial audio.
- ▲Water resistance: IP55 (vs IP54).
Why Nothing - Ear (a) 2 wins
- ▲Weight per bud — 1.00 g less. 4.8 vs 5.8.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | JBL - Tour Pro 3 | Nothing - Ear (a) 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | in-ear | in-ear |
| Weight per bud | 5.8 g | 4.8 glead |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP55lead | IP54 |
Audio
| Spec | JBL - Tour 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 | JBL - Tour Pro 3 | Nothing - Ear (a) 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 11 hlead | 10 h |
| Battery — with case | 44 hlead | 42 h |
| Wireless case chargingⓘ | truelead | false |
Connectivity
| Spec | JBL - Tour Pro 3 | Nothing - Ear (a) 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Codecsⓘ | LDAC,LC3,AAC,SBC | LDAC,AAC,SBC |
| Multipointⓘ | true | true |
| In-ear detection | true | true |
Frequently asked
Which has longer battery, Tour Pro 3 or Ear (a) 2?+
Tour Pro 3 lasts 11h per charge vs 10h.
Do Tour Pro 3 or Ear (a) 2 support multipoint?+
Both support multipoint pairing.
Which has ANC, Tour Pro 3 or Ear (a) 2?+
Both models have active noise cancellation.