Nothing Ear (3) vs soundcore Sleep A30: which should you buy?
These two do different jobs. The Nothing Ear (3) is made for everyday use: commuting, calls and music through the day. The soundcore Sleep A30 is made for sleeping in, with noise canceling tuned for the night and earbuds small enough to lie on. Decide which job you need done, and the choice follows from it.
Who should get the Nothing Ear (3)
Get the Nothing Ear (3) if you want one pair for the whole waking day. Nothing gives it adaptive noise canceling up to 45 dB and a Super Mic that cuts up to 95 dB of background noise on calls. It plays Hi-Res Audio over LDAC, it has pinch controls for music, calls and volume, and the earbuds are rated for dust, sweat and light rain. The case is aluminum and charges over USB-C or wirelessly.
Who should get the soundcore Sleep A30
Get the soundcore Sleep A30 if your problem is the night. Soundcore pairs noise canceling engineered for sleep with passive isolation and adaptive snore masking, and the charging case listens for snoring. The earbuds track sleep duration, sleeping position and snoring in the soundcore app. Four ear wings and eight sets of tips come in the box, so a small ear can find a fit it can sleep on.
The differences that matter
Size is the first. Soundcore states 3 g per earbud for the soundcore Sleep A30, against 5.2 g per earbud for the Nothing Ear (3). For a pair you wear with your head on a pillow, a smaller, lighter earbud is the point of the product.
Battery is the second, and the page table compares both with noise canceling on for one charge: 9.5 hours for the soundcore Sleep A30, and 5.5 hours for the Nothing Ear (3), which Nothing rates at 10 hours with noise canceling off. One covers a full night. The other is built for a day of shorter sessions topped up from its case.
Features are the third. The Nothing Ear (3) is the one with LDAC, the call microphone and wireless charging. The soundcore Sleep A30 is the one with sleep tracking and snore masking. Neither set does much for the other job.
Price and value
Checked Nov. 15, 2026, the Nothing Ear (3) costs $99. Checked Nov. 15, 2026, the soundcore Sleep A30 costs $199.99. The difference between them is $101. Those are dated retailer prices, and they move.
Nothing Ear (3) vs soundcore Sleep A30
Nothing Ear (3)
$99 at Nothing
soundcore Sleep A30
$199.99 at Amazon- Nothing Ear (3): 5.5 hrsBattery life (ANC on, one charge)Better â–¸soundcore Sleep A30: 9.5 hrs
- Nothing Ear (3): 5.2gWeight (per earbud)Better â–¸soundcore Sleep A30: 3g
- Nothing Ear (3): Real-time adaptive noise cancelling up to 45 dB, plus Transparency modeNoise cancellationsoundcore Sleep A30: Yes, ANC engineered for sleep, with passive isolation and adaptive snore masking
- Nothing Ear (3): Up to 10 hours per charge and 38 hours with the case, noise cancelling off; 5.5 and 22 hours with it onBatterysoundcore Sleep A30: Sleep A30: 9 hrs / 45 hrs with case; Sleep A30 Special: 8 to 10 hrs / up to 5 nights with case
