Between the Ear (3) and Pixel Buds Pro 2, the Ear (3) comes out ahead in battery — with case and battery — buds, while the Pixel Buds Pro 2 wins on spatial audio. Overall, the Ear (3) scores 70.8 and the Pixel Buds Pro 2 scores 69.5 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (70.8 vs 69.5). The decision isn't about overall quality — both clear the bar — it's about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
Pick the Ear (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 — with case, battery — buds, weight per bud.
Pick the Pixel Buds Pro 2 if audio quality and feature breadth (ANC, codecs, multipoint) are the lead criteria for your purchase. Its strongest claims are spatial audio.
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
- ▲Battery — with case — 33.33% more. 40 h vs 30 h.
- ▲Battery — buds — 6.25% more. 8.5 h vs 8 h.
- ▲Weight per bud — 0.10 g less. 4.6 vs 4.7.
Why Google - Pixel Buds Pro 2 wins
- ▲Has Spatial audio.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Nothing - Ear (3) | Google - Pixel Buds Pro 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | in-ear | in-ear |
| Weight per bud | 4.6 glead | 4.7 g |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP54 | IP54 |
Audio
| Spec | Nothing - Ear (3) | Google - Pixel Buds Pro 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 11 mm | 11 mm |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | true | true |
| Transparency mode | true | true |
| Spatial audioⓘ | false | truelead |
Battery
| Spec | Nothing - Ear (3) | Google - Pixel Buds Pro 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 8.5 hlead | 8 h |
| Battery — with case | 40 hlead | 30 h |
| Wireless case chargingⓘ | true | true |
Connectivity
| Spec | Nothing - Ear (3) | Google - Pixel Buds Pro 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Codecs | LDAC,LHDC 5.0,AAC,SBC | AAC,SBC |
| Multipointⓘ | true | true |
| In-ear detection | true | true |
Frequently asked
Which has longer battery, Ear (3) or Pixel Buds Pro 2?+
Ear (3) lasts 8.5h per charge vs 8h.
Do Ear (3) or Pixel Buds Pro 2 support multipoint?+
Both support multipoint pairing.
Which has ANC, Ear (3) or Pixel Buds Pro 2?+
Both have active noise cancellation.
Spec-level deep dives
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