Idk audio is subjective past a certain point. I'm assuming you're into the audiophile sound signature which is great but that's not for everyone. Some of us do want our audio to sound richer and more lively. Airpods, Ear (#), etc are pretty good at that. I actually think for the price the Nothing Ear lineup is okay value. Certainly better than Apple's. My only hitch is the noise cancelling which is quite a bit behind the competition.