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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize portability and wireless convenience, the "Nothing" Brand Ear (2) earbuds would be a solid choice since they offer a stem design with good overall sound quality and feature active noise canceling, sweatproof certification, and a decent battery life. For music listening, the Sennheiser 560S headphones provide superior sound quality and comfort, with an open-back design for a more natural soundstage, but lack wireless capabilities and active noise canceling, making them less versatile for travel or exercise. The Sennheisers are also bulkier and less portable, and they don't have a microphone for calls. If gaming or watching TV is important, the Ear (2)'s low latency mode gives them an edge, while the Sennheiser's longer durability and detachable cable can be preferable for home use. Choose the Ear (2) if you need an all-rounder with modern features, or opt for the Sennheiser 560S if you're seeking the best possible music experience at home. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the "Nothing" Brand Ear (2)
Good for phone calls
Very good for gaming
Good for exercise
Very good for air travel
Excellent for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Sennheiser 560S
Best in class for music
Excellent for TV and video
Key differences
Music
7.0/10
9.5/10
The Sennheiser 560S is best in class for music, while the "Nothing" Brand Ear (2) is good.
Gaming
8.5/10
6.9/10
The "Nothing" Brand Ear (2) is very good for gaming, while the Sennheiser 560S is only fair.
Phone Calls
7.9/10
5.1/10
The "Nothing" Brand Ear (2) is good for phone calls, while the Sennheiser 560S is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
9.1/10
8.1/10
The "Nothing" Brand Ear (2) is excellent for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Sennheiser 560S is very good.
TV and Video
8.0/10
9.1/10
The Sennheiser 560S is excellent for TV and video, while the "Nothing" Brand Ear (2) is very good.
Noise Reduction
8.0/10
2.5/10
The "Nothing" Brand Ear (2) is very good for noise reduction, while the Sennheiser 560S is poor.
Battery
6.7 Hours
N/A
The "Nothing" Brand Ear (2) has 6.7 hours of battery life. The Sennheiser 560S does not have a battery.
Build Quality
9.0/10
8.0/10
The "Nothing" Brand Ear (2) has excellent build quality, while the Sennheiser 560S has very good build quality.
"For the price the Nothing Ear (2) is pretty good. It fits well, and the IP54 rating (and IP55 with case) is durable enough for daily life. Most of its unique features are found in the Nothing X app, such as personalized frequency responses, and personalized, adjustable ANC."
"Sennheiser made a near perfect pair of studio monitors with the HD 560S. Flat bass response? Check. Neutral and uncolored midrange? Check. Extended treble with a bit of lower-treble emphasis to highlight mastering flaws? Check. Fairly easy to drive? Check. Good soundstage and imaging? Check, and check."
Get a great deal on the "Nothing" Brand Ear (2) or the Sennheiser 560S
About Sennheiser
A family-owned company, Sennheiser is a German, high fidelity, audio equipment manufacturer founded in 1945. Their consumer audio division is now owned by the Swiss hearing aid and cochlear implant manufacturer Sonova. Sennheiser offers a wide variety of, very high quality, audio equipment solutions, from headphones to earbuds, full sets of monitoring speakers, amplifiers and microphones. They also make what is widely regarded as the best, and most expensive, headphones in existence, the HE-1 Orpheus, costing a whopping $59,000 dollars.
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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec earbuds & headphones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest earbuds or headphones information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Luis is a Mexico-based headphones expert. He’s been making headphone recommendations for five years and has close to 100 pairs in his personal collection.