Nothing - Ear (3) vs Bose - QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2
Between the Ear (3) and QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2, the Ear (3) comes out ahead in battery — with case and battery — buds, while the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2 wins on spatial audio. Overall, the Ear (3) scores 70.8 and the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2 scores 58.4 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Ear (3) is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 12.4 points on the Mars Score. The margin is wide enough that the underdog only makes sense if its individual strengths line up with what you specifically need.
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, driver size, among others.
Pick the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 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, multipoint, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the Ear (3) is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Nothing - Ear (3) wins
- ▲Battery — with case — 66.67% more. 40 h vs 24 h.
- ▲Battery — buds — 41.67% more. 8.5 h vs 6 h.
- ▲Driver size — 18.28% more. 11 mm vs 9.3 mm.
- ▲Weight per bud — 1.60 g less. 4.6 vs 6.2.
- ▲Water resistance: IP54 (vs IPX4).
Why Bose - QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2 wins
- ▲Has Spatial audio.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Nothing - Ear (3) | Bose - QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | in-ear | in-ear |
| Weight per bud | 4.6 glead | 6.2 g |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP54lead | IPX4 |
Audio
| Spec | Nothing - Ear (3) | Bose - QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 11 mmlead | 9.3 mm |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | true | true |
| Transparency mode | true | true |
| Spatial audioⓘ | false | truelead |
Battery
| Spec | Nothing - Ear (3) | Bose - QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 8.5 hlead | 6 h |
| Battery — with case | 40 hlead | 24 h |
| Wireless case chargingⓘ | true | true |
Connectivity
| Spec | Nothing - Ear (3) | Bose - QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.3 | 5.4lead |
| Codecs | LDAC,LHDC 5.0,AAC,SBC | aptX Adaptive,AAC,SBC |
| Multipointⓘ | true | true |
| In-ear detection | true | true |
Frequently asked
Which has longer battery, Ear (3) or QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2?+
Ear (3) lasts 8.5h per charge vs 6h.
Do Ear (3) or QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2 support multipoint?+
Both support multipoint pairing.
Which has ANC, Ear (3) or QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2?+
Both have active noise cancellation.
Spec-level deep dives
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