True wireless earphone manufacturers have spiced up the audio market in the past few years. A notable name that comes out when we talk about TWS is Nothing, thanks to Ear (1)’s one-of-a-kind design. The OnePlus Co-founder-led company has recently launched the Ear (Stick), a different kind of TWS earphone, which raises the question, which one should you choose—Ear (1) or Ear (Stick)?
In this article, let’s look at every major and minor difference between the two TWS offerings, and in the end, let’s find out which would be better suited for you.
Nothing Ear (1) Vs Ear (Stick)
Are there any big obvious differences that make the latest Ear (Stick) better than Ear (1)? Let’s find out.
Design
The design is where you’ll find a significant difference—both in the buds and cases. The Ear (1)’s slides into your ear canal, whereas the Ear (Stick) has a traditional earbud design similar to that of AirPods’, which uses your earlobes to stay in place.
The case on the Ear (Stick) is now longer and rectangular than the square case of the Ear (1). Overall, the Ear (Stick) has got the same esthetic design as the Ear (1), and the other party won’t be able to differentiate them right away. Ear (Stick) is also lighter at 4.4 grams compared to Ear (1)’s 4.7 grams weight.
Sound
The Ear (Stick) lacks ANC, a highly-praised feature from the Nothing Ear (1), which makes it a hard sell at $99 (Rs 8,499) in the American and European markets. It’s a completely different story in the Indian market as Ear (1) still costs less than Ear (Stick) at Rs 7,299, compared to the recently-hiked US prices of $149 (Rs 11,920 approx).
The Ear (Stick) has slightly larger drivers at 12.6mm compared to 11.6mm on the Ear (1). Although the former might sound a bit fuller and wider than the Ear (1), the difference in sound shouldn’t be noticeable.
Battery life
What will be noticeable, though, is the dip in battery life on Ear (Stick) compared to Ear (1). The battery on the former is significantly smaller (300mAh) than the latter (570mAh), probably due to the smaller case design. While this change makes sense, considering the Ear (Stick) lacks ANC, Nothing still advertises 29 hours of total playback compared to 34 hours on the Ear (1)’s.
Which one should you buy—Ear (1) or Ear (Stick)?
For our readers from the subcontinent, we’d suggest getting the Ear (1)’s, or even better, looking at some of the alternatives like the Galaxy Buds 2, Sony WF-1000XM3, JBL Tune Flex, and Jabra Elite 4. For people in the US or Europe, there are far better options like the Pixel Buds A and the aforementioned TWS earphones.
What are your thoughts about the Nothing Ear (Stick) TWS? Let us know in the comments section below.
