Let's get this out of the way right up front: Nothing Ear looks great. That transparent case is like a little art piece you can leave on a café table for everyone to admire. If the primary job of your earbuds is to look cool in Instagram photos, Nothing wins. But if you also plan on using them to listen to music, read on.
How do they sound?
Here's where we get to the point. Nothing Ear sounds alright. Not bad, not embarrassing, but not the kind of sound that makes you stop mid-step wondering what just happened in your ears.
The NL25's sound is the handiwork of Jasse Kesti. Jasse is the bloke whose ears are insured and who spends his days listening to the same track hundreds of times until every single frequency is dialled in. Nothing uses generic factory tuning. You can hear the difference.
In practice, the NL25 reproduces bass with precision and control instead of just shovelling some low-frequency porridge into your ear canal. The midrange is clear. Vocals sound like an actual human being, not someone on a dodgy phone line.
The codec difference is real
NL25 supports aptX Adaptive over Bluetooth 5.4. Nothing Ear runs on SBC and AAC. This is a bit like comparing DVD to Blu-ray. Both work, but one is clearly sharper. For Android users, the difference is significant.
For iPhone users, the codec gap shrinks because Apple only supports AAC anyway. In the name of honesty, that needs to be said.
ANC and other features
Both have ANC. Neither is best-in-class for noise cancellation – with earbuds, ANC is always a compromise depending on how well they seal your ear canal. The NL25's memory foam tips passively isolate better than Nothing's silicone ones, which helps the ANC do its job.
NL25 has wireless charging for the case. Nothing Ear does too. Dead heat on that one.
Battery life: NL25 gives you 4.5 hours with ANC on, 6 hours without. Nothing promises a bit more. Nothing's win, though in practice both will last your commute and a workout.
Design and repairability
Nothing's transparent design is instantly recognisable. It's a brand identity in itself. The NL25 was designed by Jussi Timonen, and the result is more understated but feels premium. This is a matter of taste, and you can't argue about taste. Well, you can, but it's pointless.
But here's the difference that actually matters: when the NL25 breaks – and all electronics break eventually – we fix it in Kajaani. With Nothing earbuds, you can contact London and hope for the best. Or buy new ones. Valco has its own repair service because we believe earbuds shouldn't end up in the bin after a year and a half.
Who should pick Nothing?
By all means, buy Nothing Ear if:
- Design matters more to you than sound quality. No shame in that.
- You use an iPhone and don't listen critically. The codec difference shrinks in that case.
- You specifically want that transparent look. We don't offer it, and we have no plans to.
- Budget is tight and you find Nothing Ear at a good discount.
Nothing makes a perfectly decent product. It just wasn't built sound-first.
Summary
Nothing Ear: Looks best on a café table. Sound is ok. ANC is ok. Everything is ok. Ok is Nothing's whole thing.
Valco NL25: Tuned by Jasse, aptX Adaptive, memory foam isolation, repairability, and a 24-month warranty backed by an actual Finnish repair service. Design is by Jussi Timonen – stylish too, even if you can't see through it.
If earbuds are primarily an accessory to you, Nothing is a good choice. If they're primarily earbuds, the NL25 wins where it matters.
And every NL25 purchase gets us one step closer to the Death Star. Henri's Alfa Romeo will never fund it though – that car eats money faster than it generates it.
