Earbuds / Compare
Nothing Ear (a) vs Skullcandy Dime 3
Product A: Nothing
77 of 166 known
Change Nothing Ear (a)
Product B: Skullcandy
60 of 166 known
Change Skullcandy Dime 3
72 of 157 fields differ
- 27 different values
- 45 known for one only
- 14 the same
- 71 missing for both
Biggest differences
Each bar uses the scale of all 138 earbuds.
- With caseA: 42.5hB: 20hNothing is 22.5 h higher.
- Quick chargeA: 3.2hB: 2hNothing is 1.2 h higher.
- Battery lifeA: 9.5hB: 8hNothing is 1.5 h higher.
All 166 fields
Every value links to where we found it.


General
4 of 8 differ
Series
Not available
Model numbers
S2DCW-R951, S2DCW-T990, S2DCW-R740, S2DCW-T9893Maker product pageskullcandy.com/products/dime-3-true-wireless-earbuds.jsRead 20 October 2026SKUs in the US store product feed: S2DCW-R951 Bone, S2DCW-T990 Preppy Blue, S2DCW-R740 True Black, S2DCW-T989 Preppy Sage. Limited editions with other model numbers exist and are not stored.
GTIN / EAN
Not available
810045688671, 810145321881, 810045688435, 8101453218743Maker product pageskullcandy.com/products/dime-3-true-wireless-earbuds.jsRead 20 October 2026Barcodes from the US store product feed. Each is a valid UPC-A number.
Announced
Not available
Not available
Status
Predecessor
Not available
Not available
Successor
Nothing Ear (3a)18Reviewsoundguys.com/nothing-ear-3a-review-159720Read 23 October 2026SoundGuys calls the Nothing Ear (3a) the successor to the Nothing Ear (a).
Not available
Launch price (US)
Not available
$29.995Measurementsoundguys.com/skullcandy-dime-3-review-104865Read 20 October 2026Review spec table lists $29.99. The review footer now gives an MSRP of $34.99, which matches the maker's current store price and is not the launch price.6Reviewtomsguide.com/reviews/skullcandy-dime-3Read 20 October 2026Review of 3 January 2024 gives $29 at the Skullcandy store.7Review9to5toys.com/2023/12/14/skullcandy-dime-3-review-reviewRead 20 October 2026Review of 14 December 2023 gives about $30 and says it is $5 above the original Dime at $25. Stored as 29.99.
Launch price (EU)
Not available
Not available
Markets
Colours
Black, White, Yellow1Maker product pageus.nothing.tech/products/ear-aRead 8 October 2026Current maker selector offers Black, White and Yellow. The sole represented reference configuration is Black.
Bone, Preppy Blue, True Black, Preppy Sage3Maker product pageskullcandy.com/products/dime-3-true-wireless-earbuds.jsRead 20 October 2026Names as the maker writes them. Limited editions are not stored.
Design
1 of 4 differ
Form factor
Bud shape
Use one bud alone
Not available
RGB lighting
Not available
Not available
Drivers and sound
11 of 17 differ
Drivers per bud
ANothing Ear (a)
| Type | Diameter (mm) |
|---|---|
| Dynamic | 11 |
Driver type
Not available
Driver size
11mm
6mm
Drivers per bud
Not available
Not available
Diaphragm material
Not available
Frequency response
Not available
Impedance
Not available
Sensitivity
Not available
Not available
Sensitivity reference
Not available
Not available
Max sample rate
Not available
Max bit depth
Not available
Adaptive EQ
Not available
Not available
Personalised sound
No14Reviewsoundguys.com/nothing-ear-a-review-114747Read 8 October 2026The reviewed Ear (a) does not offer the hearing-test sound profile of B171 Ear. No later model capability is transferred.17Reviewrtings.com/headphones/reviews/nothing/ear-a-truly-wirelessRead 8 October 2026The public Differences section explicitly describes no custom sound profile based on hearing. Tested edition is White B162 Ear (a). All colors share the documented model hardware, but test configuration remains named. Paid numerical results and hidden data are not accessed.
Onboard EQ
Not available
Custom EQ bands
Not available
EQ presets
Volume limit
Not available
Not available
Spatial audio
None of 2 known
Spatial audio
Not available
Not available
Head tracking
Not available
Not available
Noise cancelling
5 of 11 differ
Active noise cancelling
ANC type
Not available
Not available
ANC microphones in both earbuds
Not available
Not available
ANC levels
Not available
ANC attenuation (claimed)
Not available
Transparency mode
Adjustable transparency
Not available
Not available
Automatic ANC and transparency blend
Not available
Not available
Conversation detection
Not available
Not available
Measured
4 of 23 differ
Frequency response notes (measured)
Default response has elevated sub-bass, recessed 200 to 500 Hz mids and reduced output above 8 kHz relative to the SoundGuys Headphone Preference Curve.14Reviewsoundguys.com/nothing-ear-a-review-114747Read 8 October 2026Reviewer original default-response chart and discussion against SoundGuys Headphone Preference Curve. Firmware 1.0.1.41, app 2.3.16. No approximate chart amplitude is entered as an exact numerical metric.
SoundGuys reports a neutral response that closely follows its headphone preference curve. Frequencies from 5 to 9 kHz are over-amplified. The Bass Boost and Podcast presets change the balance. Default Music mode. Company-provided unit tested for one week. Firmware is not stated.5Measurementsoundguys.com/skullcandy-dime-3-review-104865Read 20 October 2026Review text on the frequency response chart. No chart values are converted to numbers.
Bass amount (measured)
Not available
Not available
Treble amount (measured)
Not available
Not available
Deviation from target (measured)
Not available
Not available
Consistency between fittings (measured)
Not available
Not available
Harmonic distortion (measured)
Not available
Not available
Sound leakage (measured)
Not available
Not available
Noise isolation (measured)
Not available
Not available
Noise isolation, best (measured)
Not available
Not available
Passive isolation (measured)
Not available
Not available
Call quality notes (measured)
Not available
SoundGuys reports that the microphones suppress background noise in its office and street demos. High frequencies are weak, so the voice sounds muffled. The microphones struggle with wind noise. Company-provided unit. Firmware is not stated.5Measurementsoundguys.com/skullcandy-dime-3-review-104865Read 20 October 2026Review text and the ideal, office, street, windy and reverberant demos.
Mic low-frequency extension (measured)
Not available
Not available
Mic high-frequency extension (measured)
Not available
Not available
Mic speech-to-noise ratio (measured)
Not available
Not available
Latency (measured)
Not available
Not available
Bluetooth latency, worst (measured)
Not available
Not available
2.4 GHz latency, worst (measured)
Not available
Not available
Latency in game mode (measured)
Not available
Not available
Battery life (measured)
Longest tested use per charge
8.82h
6.8h
Battery life with case (measured)
Not available
Not available
Full charge time (measured)
Not available
Not available
Weight per bud (measured)
Not available
Not available
Microphones and calls
4 of 7 differ
Voice microphones in both earbuds
25Measurementsoundguys.com/skullcandy-dime-3-review-104865Read 20 October 2026Review says the microphones suppress background noise. The count of 2 comes from Cubed3, one microphone in each earbud.8Press articlecubed3.com/news/31529/1/tech-up-skullcandy-dime-3-true-wireless-earbuds.htmlRead 20 October 2026Article says one integrated microphone in each earbud. Total of 2 across the pair. No case microphone is mentioned.
All microphones in both earbuds
25Measurementsoundguys.com/skullcandy-dime-3-review-104865Read 20 October 2026Same as microphone_count. No separate ANC microphones because there is no ANC.8Press articlecubed3.com/news/31529/1/tech-up-skullcandy-dime-3-true-wireless-earbuds.htmlRead 20 October 2026One microphone per earbud, 2 in total.
Bone conduction voice sensor
Not available
Not available
Mic noise reduction
Not available
Call audio bandwidth
Not available
Not available
Mic mute control
Not available
Not available
Sidetone
Not available
Connectivity
6 of 18 differ
Chip
Not available
Not available
Connections
Bluetooth
Bluetooth codecs
Not available
Bluetooth profiles
RFCOMM, SPP, HFP, A2DP, AVDTP, AVCTP, AVRCP2Maker product pagecheckout-my.nothing.tech/products/ear-aRead 8 October 2026
Not available
Auracast
Not available
Not available
Multipoint
Multipoint devices
Multipoint with LDAC
Not available
Not available
Paired devices remembered
Not available
Automatic switching between own devices
Not available
Not available
Fast pairing
Google Fast Pair, Microsoft Swift Pair2Maker product pagecheckout-my.nothing.tech/products/ear-aRead 8 October 2026
Not available
Audio sharing
Not available
Not available
Wireless range (claimed)
Not available
Wireless receiver
Not available
Not available
Receiver connector
Not available
Not available
Simultaneous 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth audio
Not available
Not available
Latency
1 of 3 differ
Low latency mode
Not available
Claimed latency
Not available
Not available
Lowest claimed latency
Not available
Not available
Compatibility
2 of 4 differ
Connection per platform
Not available
Not available
Features that need a specific device
ANothing Ear (a)
| Feature | Needs |
|---|---|
| LDAC high-resolution audio | Compatible Android source with LDAC enabled and high-definition audio enabled in Nothing X. For high-bitrate streams the maker recommends disabling Dual Connection. |
| Nothing X configuration | Android 5.1 or later, or iOS 13 or later according to current Ear (a) support. |
| Google Fast Pair | Supported Android device with Google Play services 11.7 or later, Android 6.0 or later. |
| Automatic Low Lag Mode | Game Mode on a compatible Nothing phone. Other users can enable Low Lag Mode in Nothing X. |
Source12Maker product pagesupport.nothing.tech/hc/en-us/articles/23726219572881-How-do-I-use-the-LDAC-featureRead 8 October 2026LDAC FAQ recommends adaptive bitrate and, for a higher-quality stream, disabling Dual Connection. It does not categorically prohibit all concurrent LDAC/multipoint use, so multipoint_ldac is not set false. Current compatibility FAQ gives iOS 13 minimum, stronger than legacy full specifications iOS 11. Low-lag and Fast Pair conditions come from the original product page. An under-120-ms headline differs from the as-low-as-120-ms disclaimer, so no exact numeric latency is stored.16Maker product pagecheckout-my.nothing.tech/products/ear-aRead 8 October 2026Product-page Disclaimers 8, 15 and 16 give Nothing phone Game Mode, dual-connection and Google Fast Pair conditions. ChatGPT integration is not stored as universal assistant support.
BSkullcandy Dime 3
Not availableOfficial licence
Not available
Not available
Battery and charging
11 of 13 differ
Battery per bud
Not available
User-replaceable earbud battery
Not available
Not available
Claimed battery life
ANothing Ear (a)
| Mode | Codec | Includes case recharges | Hours (h) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANC off | AAC | No | 9.5 |
| ANC off | AAC | Yes | 42.5 |
| ANC on | AAC | No | 5.5 |
| ANC on | AAC | Yes | 24.5 |
| Transparency | AAC | No | 5.5 |
| Transparency | AAC | Yes | 24.5 |
| Call | Not available | No | 5.2 |
| Call | Not available | Yes | 23 |
BSkullcandy Dime 3
| Mode | Includes case recharges | Hours (h) |
|---|---|---|
| ANC off | No | 8 |
| ANC off | Yes | 20 |
Longest claimed use per charge
9.5h
8h
Playback per charge with ANC (claimed)
5.5h
Not available
Playback per charge without ANC (claimed)
9.5h
8h
Total with case (claimed)
42.5h
20h
Total with case and ANC (claimed)
24.5h
Not available
Talk time (claimed)
5.2h
Not available
Full charge time, buds
Charging guidance
Charge the earbuds in the closed case. Use USB-C to charge the case, with a 5 V / 1.5 A or higher adapter. The maker reports 80 minutes for an earbud charge in an unplugged case and 90 minutes for an empty earbuds-and-case set charged together. Ten minutes gives up to 3.2 hours of earbud playback with ANC off, or 2 hours with ANC on. The separate case-inclusive quick-charge claim is 10 hours with ANC off and 6 hours with ANC on in support, while the product-page footnote says 9.5 hours with ANC off. These are maker laboratory estimates, not case-only charge times.6Maker product pagecheckout-my.nothing.tech/products/ear-aRead 8 October 2026Product-page Disclaimer 10 to 12 separates 80-minute buds and 90-minute combined timing, gives adapter guidance 5 V / 1.5 A or higher, and uses Nothing Power 45 W at 25 C. The adapter rating is not device input power. Disclaimer 12 gives 9.5 h case-inclusive after 10 minutes, conflicting with the 10 h headline and dedicated support article. Both source statements are retained without guessing a reconciliation.
Maker FAQ: 10 minutes of charging the case by USB-C also gives 2+ hours of playtime. The case charges with or without the earbuds inside. SoundGuys states 2.5 hours for an empty case, which differs from the maker's 1 hour.2Maker product pageskullcandy.com/blogs/product-help/dime-3Read 20 October 2026
Quick charge time
Earbud playback after quick charge
Charging case
3 of 10 differ
Case battery
Not available
User-replaceable case battery
Not available
Not available
Case charging port
Case full charge time
Not available
Wireless charging
Wireless standards
Not available
Not available
Wireless charging power
Not available
Not available
Speaker in case
Not available
Not available
Screen on case
Not available
Case works as audio transmitter
Not available
Not available
Controls
5 of 5 differ
Controls
Earbud volume control
Gestures
Single pinch: play/pause or answer/end call, Double pinch: skip forward or reject call, Triple pinch: skip back, Pinch and hold: switch ANC/transparency3Owner's manualcdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0586/3270/0077/files/ear_a_EN.pdfRead 8 October 2026Original OPERATIONS panel shows force-sensor pressure controls. Custom volume and voice-assistant assignments are separate Nothing X options. Fitted tips are medium.
Press once: play or pause, answer or end a call, Press twice: volume up, Press three times: volume down, Press four times: switch EQ mode, Press once, then hold 1 second: Stay-Aware Mode on or off, Hold 1 second: power on, reject an incoming call, activate the device's voice assistant, Press twice, then hold 1 second: power off, Hold 3 seconds: pairing mode2Maker product pageskullcandy.com/blogs/product-help/dime-3Read 20 October 2026Controls list in the product help page. The guide says either earbud works for each action.
Remappable controls
Voice assistant
Not available
Siri, Google Assistant, Alexa1Maker product pageskullcandy.com/products/dime-3-true-wireless-earbudsRead 20 October 2026Feature list: Activate Voice Assistant. The FAQ names Siri, Google Assistant and Alexa.2Maker product pageskullcandy.com/blogs/product-help/dime-3Read 20 October 2026FAQ: Siri, Google Assistant and Alexa work by holding the button for 1 second to activate the device's local assistant.
Sensors and health
2 of 9 differ
In-ear detection
Sensors
Not available
Not available
Heart rate sensor
Not available
Not available
Skin temperature sensing
Not available
Not available
Hearing aid feature
Not available
Not available
Medical clearances
Not available
Not available
Hearing test
Not available
Hearing protection
Not available
Not available
Health features
Not available
Not available
Fit and durability
4 of 7 differ
Ear tips included
Ear tip materials
Not available
Stabilisers
Not available
Not available
Ear tip fit test
Not available
Dust and water rating, buds
Dust and water rating, case
Not available
Water resistance depth
Not available
Not available
Software
3 of 6 differ
Companion app
Not available
App platforms
Not available
User firmware updates
Finding network
Not available
Not available
Precision finding
Not available
Not available
Live translation
Not available
Not available
Dimensions and weight
2 of 4 differ
Weight per bud
Not available
Bud dimensions
Not available
Not available
Case weight
Not available
Case dimensions
Not available
Not available
Certifications
1 of 3 differ
Hi-Res Audio
Not available
Communication certifications
Not available
Not available
FCC IDs
Not available
Not available
Other certifications
Not available
Not available
In the box
2 of 2 differ
In the box
Pair of earbuds, Charging case, Ear tips in sizes S, M and L, USB Type-C cable, Safety and warranty information, User guide2Maker product pagecheckout-my.nothing.tech/products/ear-aRead 8 October 2026Exact Ear (a) standard list. Ear tips S, M and L include the fitted medium pair. No external power adapter is listed.
Dime 3 True Wireless Earbuds, Charging Case, Ear Gels (S, M, L), USB-C Charging Cable, User Guide1Maker product pageskullcandy.com/products/dime-3-true-wireless-earbudsRead 20 October 2026What's in the box list, verbatim.
Cables included
ANothing Ear (a)
| Type | Count |
|---|---|
| USB Type-C | 1 |
BSkullcandy Dime 3
| Type | Count |
|---|---|
| USB-C charging cable | 1 |
Links
Not compared
Product page
Spec sheet
checkout-my.nothing.tech/products/ear-a2Maker product pagecheckout-my.nothing.tech/products/ear-aRead 8 October 2026Original full manufacturer Ear (a) specifications remain public on this regional maker page. Hardware belongs to B162, distinct from B171 Ear and later Ear (3a). The current US Black offer supplies regional availability.
Manual
cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0586/3270/0077/files/ear_a_EN.pdf3Owner's manualcdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0586/3270/0077/files/ear_a_EN.pdfRead 8 October 2026Original maker-hosted Nothing Ear (a) English product guide, one-page folded sheet. Model B162 is printed on the title panel. English operations, pairing, charging and wear-detection panels were visually inspected because the PDF outlines most English text.
EPREL registration number
Not available
Not available
Warranty
1 of 1 differ
Manufacturer warranty (source market)
Not available
Both are also in the API. Back to all earbuds.


















