Right now, if you’re in the market to buy TWS earbuds then you’ll be shocked at the number of options you have on your palette. The wide variety of wireless earbuds ranges from as cheap as 500 to as expensive as 50K. However, when it comes to buying the perfect pair of TWS for people, the 10K to 15K price bracket brings a lot of value. Sure, some might consider it a big price to shell out to listen to music but the value for money aspect remains intact in that segment. Today, we have two capable TWS’ namely the Nothing Ear (2) which cost Rs 9,999 and the Jabra Elite 5 which costs around Rs 12K. So, which one of these two is the best one to go for? Let’s find out!
We’ll be judging these pairs of TWS on three basis – Design and fit, Audio quality, and ultimately the battery life. These three parameters basically cover everything when it comes to wireless earbuds. So let’s jump right into the design quality of the Nothing Ear (2) and the Jabra Elite 5 –
Design
When it comes to visual appeal, Nothing Ear (2) wins by a mile here. It features a futuristic look similar to its predecessor Nothing Ear (1). While on the other end, the Jabra Elite 5 remains low-key visually. The Elite 5 does not stand out and can be easily passed off as any other TWS available in the market. Whereas, Nothing Ear (2) comes with a distinctive design making it one of the best-looking earbuds in 2023 already.
However, the aesthetics come with a price as Nothing Ear (2) only comes with an IP54 rating for the buds while the Elite 5 sport an IP55 rating. Where the Ear (2) excels in having pressure-sensitive controls on its stick whereas the Elite 5 uses physical buttons. The cases of the two earbuds are also widely different from one another with the Elite 5 having a simple flip-top case whereas the Nothing Ear (2) has a stylish white case which screams premium. Ultimately, Nothing Ear (2) wins in the design segment.
Audio
Audio playback and ANC levels are subjective matters but what we see with these earbuds is a stark difference with one of the two being superior. Jabra is a brand which specializes predominantly in audio equipment, thus it is really easy to guess which earbuds win in this segment.
The Jabra Elite 5 feature a flat sound out of the box, and the audio is clear with no bass exaggeration which was refreshing to hear at a time when companies just want to mess your ears up with heavy bass-sounding earbuds. On the other hand, Nothing Ear (2) falls into the trap of playing exaggerated sounds at the price of losing out on finer details. Sure, they are miles ahead of the Nothing Ear (1) which lacked all sorts of detail leading to muffled sound. But something felt missing with the sound quality of the Ear (2).
Both earbuds come with app support designed to enhance your hearing experience. While Ear (2) comes with the NothingX app, the Elite 5s come with Sound+. Both applications offer an extensive customization option for the earbuds based on your preference but the general ANC experience with both of them was pretty much underwhelming. When it comes to audio quality, the Jabra Elite 5 clearly wins.
Battery
Nothing Ear (2) doesn’t improve upon the battery life of its predecessor. Using the earbuds for an extended period of time was pretty much underwhelming with the ANC turned on, the picture was completely different with the ANC turned off. At a stretch, Nothing Ear (2) works for around 4 hours with ANC turned on and about 22.5 hours with the case. On the flip side, it was almost like I couldn’t kill the Jabra Elite 5s even when I wanted to. The Elite 5 comes with 7 hours of battery life with the ANC turned on which is more than anyone expects from their TWS. Ultimately, Jabra Elite 5 wins in the battery arena.
Verdict
The only aspect where Nothing Ear (2) excels in comparison to Jabra Elite 5 is the design and aesthetics. When it comes to sound performance and battery life, the Jabra Elite 5 are a clear winner. At an additional cost of Rs 2K, you get a priceless bump in performance with the Jabra Elite 5.
Nothing Ear (2) Specifications
- Battery Life – Around 4 hours with ANC on (buds)
- Nose Cancellation – YES (Personalized)
- Bluetooth: 5.3
- Charging – Type-C and Wireless
- Price – Rs 9,999
Jabra Elite 5 specifications
- Battery Life:
- Noise Cancellation: YES (Personalized)
- Bluetooth: 5.2
- Charging: Type-C and Wireless
- Price – Rs 11,999
