Shoppers looking for noise-canceling earbuds that do not cost a fortune may want to check out Nothing's Ear 3A. All four color options are now selling for $79 at Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy. That is $20 off the usual price and matches the lowest price the earbuds have reached.
The Ear 3A are the newer budget model from Nothing, and they pack in a long list of features for the money. Highlights include solid active noise cancellation, wide-ranging equalizer controls, and a selection of bright color choices.
Sound quality is strong for the price tier. The extensive EQ options let listeners tune the audio to their own taste. The Verge's John Higgins found the default sound a bit too heavy on bass, but said it was easy to adjust. That kind of customization is uncommon among earbuds at this price.
Noise cancellation has limits. The earbuds will not fully block out the chatter of a busy coffee shop. They do a good job of reducing low, steady sounds, however, such as air conditioners and the hum of an airplane cabin.
Testing also turned up some bugs. The adaptive noise cancellation mode sometimes changed levels abruptly, and voice calls occasionally ran into problems in noisy surroundings.
Those flaws are fairly minor given what the earbuds offer for the price. The Ear 3A come in several fun colors, including a striking pink, and each pair ships with extra-small ear tips for a more comfortable fit.
There are a few extras as well. The earbuds include a shortcut for opening ChatGPT, along with 32MB of built-in storage. That storage lets users record up to two hours of a phone call and then transfer the recording through the companion app.
