If you’re looking for $100 wireless earbuds, the Nothing ear (1) tick all the right boxes: they sound fantastic, have a great design that makes them stand out, and have wireless charging. They’re light enough for all-day use, and you even get decent noise isolation. They have average battery life and miss out on AptX; these are a great option if you care about sound quality.
$99 at Nothing
Pros
- Unique design
- Amazing sound
- The lightweight design is great for all-day use
- Two modes of ANC
- Autoplay/pause and Qi wireless charging
Cons
- No Google Assistant or Alexa
- ANC is unreliable at times
- Availability issues
- Case scratches easily
- No AptX audio codecs
The Buds Pro has a bass-focused sound that makes them a stellar choice for listening to most modern music, and they have all the extras. The lightweight design is great for all-day use, the buds last seven hours on a full charge, have IP55 water resistance, and unique additions like Zen Mode Air give them a distinct edge.
$150 at OnePlus
Pros
- Standout sound quality with reliable ANC
- Even lighter than the ear (1)
- Qi wireless charging and fast charge
- It lasts up to 7 hours on a charge
- Buds and cases are water-resistant
- Zen Mode Air is a great addition
Cons
- No Google Assistant or Alexa
- The sound signature is bass-focused
- HeyMelody app for non-OnePlus phones
- No customizable EQ
You don’t have to pay over $100 to get great-sounding wireless earbuds with many extras, and that fact is clearly illustrated with the Nothing ear (1). These are among the best wireless earbuds available for $100, delivering an incredible sound signature, wireless charging, and ANC. The OnePlus Buds Pro builds on that formula with a few unique additions, so if you’re in the market for new wireless earbuds and are unable to choose between the two, here’s what you need to know.
Nothing ear (1) vs. OnePlus Buds Pro: Design and features
Source: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central
The biggest differentiator for the Nothing ear (1) is the design; these earbuds don’t look like anything else in the market today. Nothing has collaborated with Swedish audio giant Teenage Engineering for the design and audio tuning of the ear (1), making them stand out from the pack. The clear case lets you view the earbuds in all their glory, and the stalk of the buds has a straightforward design that shows off the battery and internals.
This design doesn’t extend to the driver, with the ear (1) featuring a more modest white plastic housing here instead. Even then, the earbuds have a distinctive look; at 4.7g, they’re incredibly lightweight. They have a comfortable fit as well and are great for all-day use.
As for the OnePlus Buds Pro, the earbuds emulate the AirPods Pro’s design, so you find a short stalk with bulbous housing for the driver that nestles into your ear canal. Coming in at 4.35g, the Buds Pro is marginally lighter than the ear (1), and of the two, I found the Buds Pro to be more comfortable for extended listening sessions.
The Buds Pro doesn’t have much design flair, but the fit and finish here are excellent. In particular, the Matte Black variant feels perfect, and thanks to IP55 water resistance, you can use these earbuds for workouts without any issues. The ear (1) has an IPX4 rating, and while that is decent enough in its own right, the water resistance doesn’t extend to the case. With the Buds Pro, you get an IPX4 rating for the patient, giving it the ability to withstand the elements. Both earbuds have auto play/pause, and they do a good job automatically pausing music playback when you take a bud out of your ear. You’ll find a large gesture control area on the stalk of the ear (1)
It is effortless to control music playback on the ‘buds. The Buds Pro relies on a squeeze gesture on the stalk, and while it works admirably, it is not as easy to use as the ear (1). The Buds Pro has a unique addition called Zen Mode Air, and like Zen Mode in OxygenOS, the feature is designed to promote mindfulness. The feature streams ambient sounds — forest sounds, ocean waves, piano notes, nighttime sounds — or white noise to the earbuds, and the best part is that it works even when the ‘buds aren’t connected to your phone. The sounds are sourced from OPPO’s Relax feature, and if you want to unwind or need white noise in the background, the Buds Pro is a great option.
