Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Nothing - Ear (3) | Nothing - Ear (a) 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 8.5 h | 10 h |
| Battery — with case | 40 h | 42 h |
| Weight per bud | 4.6 g | 4.8 g |
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 / battery — with case. Overall, the Ear (3) scores 79.8 and the Ear (a) 2 scores 82.8 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Ear (a) 2 edges ahead on the Mars Score (79.8 vs 82.8), but the 3.0-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. The single most decisive one: Weight per bud — 0.20 g less. 4.6 vs 4.8.
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. The single most decisive one: Battery — buds — 17.65% more. 10 h vs 8.5 h.
Both ship with comparable active noise cancellation, driver size, water resistance, 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: Nothing - Ear (3) or Nothing - Ear (a) 2?
Nothing - Ear (a) 2 leads the current Mars Score by 3.0 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 Nothing - Ear (3) if…
Nothing - Ear (3) has the measurable edge on weight per bud g.
Choose Nothing - Ear (a) 2 if…
Nothing - Ear (a) 2 has the measurable edge on battery life buds h, battery life case h.
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 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 models have active noise cancellation.