There are two components to the London-based start-up Nothing’s first product called Ear 1 — perception and reality. Reality: Ear 1 is a set of fantastic wireless earbuds. Perception: Ear 1 is something that a lossless-audio-loving Neil Young would buy. Yet, had there been no hype or calculated marketing, Nothing wouldn’t have been able to pull off presenting something unique at a time when wireless earbuds are a dime a dozen.

Beyond ecosystem loyalists

It wouldn’t be fair to compare the Ear 1 with Apple’s AirPods because of customer profile, yet, perception is at work, forcing comparisons.

Once you have invested in the iPhone, it is tough to recommend other ecosystem products to an Apple consumer. It’s very Apple-y to come up with unique features that work well only with the company’s products. You can always pair another smartwatch to the iPhone but the experience will not be the same. The same goes for AirPods; it just works fantastically well across all Apple devices.

On the Android platform, things are different. There are a zillion choices and you can mix and match — a Mi phone with wireless earbuds from OnePlus or a Mi Watch Resolve Active paired with a Realme phone. Samsung phone users tend to stick to their universe, and wisely so, for there is a tight integration between Scalable Codec, Spotify and so on.

Ear 1 works very well with the iPhone as well as a Samsung phone but I see it being used more by customers of phone brands other than the two mentioned. There is a good degree of active noise cancellation and sound quality, plus there is design factor at work.

Doesn’t muddle sounds

Reality: Ear 1 sounds great with its 11.6mm drivers offering a good soundstage. Bass and mid-range sound is slightly emphasised but the overall sound is very nice because no sound gets boosted to the point of distortion.

The horns, harps and harmonica quartets on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band are delivered well, capturing the vaudevillian theme while the melodrama in She’s Leaving Home is on point. Within You Without You stretches the soundscape without distorting it.

Listening to Joni Mitchell’s Blue, the vocals come through and so does the melding of romanticism and forbearance as she sings in A Case of You: Oh, you’re in my blood like holy wine/ You taste so bitter and so sweet/ Oh, I could drink a case of you, darling/ And I would still be on my feet.

Frankly, the sound is better than most inexpensive wireless earbuds but it doesn’t disturb the Apple cart. Inexpensive earbuds don’t need make big compromises, a point Nothing easily drives home time and again. There is a nice thump listening to Amy Winehouse tracks without killing the warmth. In short, it’s a pair of earbuds that doesn’t muddle sounds.

On downloading the companion mobile app (available on both Android and iOS), there are a few EQ adjustments to play around with treble, bass and voice but you can’t do more than that with the EQ. The earbuds support AAC and SBC Bluetooth codecs.

The transparent design is nothing like we have seen on other wireless earbuds The Telegraph

Clear call quality

Though pricing places the earbuds in the budget category, there is active noise cancellation, which is a helpful feature to have. It cuts of some distracting noises easily, like wind. You can sit near a table fan and yet enjoy music over these sound cans.

Much of ANC depends on how good a fit and seal are you getting out of the earbuds. Pick an eartip that fits well and chances are you would be happy. We didn’t find a need to turn up the volume to drown out any noise, which, in fact, is what ANC is for… preventing damage to your ears. You can choose the level of noise cancellation. Transparency mode works fine and enough sounds come in while jogging or walking.

Call quality too is far better than what you get on products from Oppo or OnePlus. There are three microphones to help isolate your voice from background noises. The voice comes through good and people we called managed to hold a conversation easily.

Long lasting, tings and tongs!

The brand clearly wins when it comes to battery life. You should be able to get at least four hours of playback with ANC on while the case has enough charge for 24 more hours. With ANC off, you should get around 5.7 hours on the earbuds.

Nothing has also got the charging aspect correct. For wired charging, there’s a USB-C port but what you also get is Qi wireless charging, which is not something one can expect at this pricing.

And let’s not forget, it has IPX4 rating, which is good for exercising.

Expectations from future versions

There are a couple of things about Ear 1 that needs attention. Though there is a lot to talk about the flat transparent case and transparent earbuds, personally, I found it slightly difficult to put the device back into the box. Second, I am hesitant about anything transparent when it comes to long-term usage, for such material easily reflects scratches.

Where does it stand?

Comparison with Apple AirPods Pro, Samsung Galaxy Buds+ or Sony WF-1000XM3 will fetch views on YouTube but Nothing really doesn’t need that kind of comparison to win customers because they simply have a good product to market. It sounds great, looks amazing and offers excellent battery power.

What would be interesting is how far can Nothing push the design philosophy into future products. Equally interesting will be how phone brands like Oppo, OnePlus or Xiaomi react to the design philosophy of Nothing because we finally have something different to look at, whether you like it or not.

Nothing has certainly sparked creativity in what’s becoming a boring segment while offering sound cans that offer a clean, crisp soundstage but at a fraction of the cost.

More about it

The companion app to the Ear 1 wireless earbuds allows basic adjustments The Telegraph

At a glance

Device: Nothing Ear 1

Price: Rs 5,999

High notes

• Multiple noise cancellation modes

• Comfortable fit

• Wireless charging

• Creative design

Muffled notes

• Limited EQ customisation