Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Nothing - Ear (a) 2 | OnePlus - Buds Pro 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — with case | 42 h | 43 h |
| Spatial audio | false | true |
| Water resistance | IP54 | IP55 |
Between the Ear (a) 2 and Buds Pro 3, the Ear (a) 2 comes out ahead in several specs, while the Buds Pro 3 wins on battery — with case / spatial audio. Overall, the Ear (a) 2 scores 82.8 and the Buds Pro 3 scores 82.8 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are evenly matched on the broad strokes; the decision sits on which individual spec advantages weigh more for your use.
The Ear (a) 2 does not pull ahead on any single popular-comparison spec — its strengths sit in the spec-table groups rather than the headline advantages.
Pick the Buds Pro 3 if audio quality and feature breadth (ANC, codecs, multipoint) are the lead criteria for your purchase. Its strongest claims are battery — with case, spatial audio, water resistance. The single most decisive one: Battery — with case — 2.38% more. 43 h vs 42 h.
Both ship with comparable battery — buds, active noise cancellation, driver size, 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 (a) 2 or OnePlus - Buds Pro 3?
The two products are effectively tied on the current Mars Score.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare the highlighted specifications against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Nothing - Ear (a) 2 if…
Nothing - Ear (a) 2 does not lead a decisive measured field here, so choose it for price, ecosystem, design, or availability when those matter more to you.
Choose OnePlus - Buds Pro 3 if…
OnePlus - Buds Pro 3 has the measurable edge on battery life case h, has spatial audio, ip rating.
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 (a) 2 wins
- No decisive advantages.
Why OnePlus - Buds Pro 3 wins
- ▲Battery — with case — 2.38% more. 43 h vs 42 h.
- ▲Has Spatial audio.
- ▲Water resistance: IP55 (vs IP54).
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Nothing - Ear (a) 2 | OnePlus - Buds Pro 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | in-ear | in-ear |
| Weight per bud | 4.8 g | 4.8 g |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP54 | IP55lead |
Audio
| Spec | Nothing - Ear (a) 2 | OnePlus - Buds Pro 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 11 mm | 11 mm |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | true | true |
| Transparency mode | true | true |
| Spatial audioⓘ | false | truelead |
Battery
| Spec | Nothing - Ear (a) 2 | OnePlus - Buds Pro 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 10 h | 10 h |
| Battery — with case | 42 h | 43 hlead |
| Wireless case chargingⓘ | false | truelead |
Connectivity
| Spec | Nothing - Ear (a) 2 | OnePlus - Buds Pro 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.3 | 5.4lead |
| Codecsⓘ | LDAC,AAC,SBC | LHDC,LDAC,AAC,SBC |
| Multipointⓘ | true | true |
| In-ear detection | true | true |
Frequently asked
Which has longer battery, Ear (a) 2 or Buds Pro 3?+
Buds Pro 3 lasts 10h per charge vs 10h.
Do Ear (a) 2 or Buds Pro 3 support multipoint?+
Both support multipoint pairing.
Which has ANC, Ear (a) 2 or Buds Pro 3?+
Both models have active noise cancellation.