In a world where over-ear headphones often look quite similar, the Nothing Headphone 1 arrives with a mission to disrupt the visual monotony. Sporting a distinctive design familiar to fans of Nothing’s other products, these headphones enter the market at $299. This price point places them in direct competition with audio giants like Sony and Sonos. Fortunately, Nothing has a proven track record of making a significant impact in new product categories right from the start.
Design and Features: A Transparent Vision
For their debut into over-ear headphones, Nothing has prioritized a bold aesthetic. While not universally appealing, those drawn to a retro-futuristic look will find them captivating. The Headphone 1 features clean, aluminum rectangles with rounded corners, forming the primary structure of each earcup. This gives a subtle nod to the AirPods Max, but Nothing quickly distinguishes itself with its signature transparent elements. Two pill-shaped sections on the aluminum casing feature thick, clear plastic, offering a glimpse into what appears to be internal hardware. However, it’s hard to discern the actual 40mm dynamic drivers within, making the transparency more about visual flair than a functional peek at the tech, unlike some older transparent designs.
Inside, the earcups boast two plush, oval-shaped ear cushions with a unique rubbery, leatherette texture. These ensure a snug fit around the ear, effectively distributing the headband’s firm clamping force. The earcups connect to the headband via sleek metal brackets, allowing for both swivel and subtle angle adjustments, which are crucial for a comfortable fit. This design also enables the headphones to fold flat, making them convenient for wearing around your neck or storing in their compact case.
The headband features smooth sliders for easy size adjustment, accommodating various head shapes. Though primarily plastic, it feels robust and well-made. However, padding at the top is minimal, with only a modest cushion at the center. While initially comfortable, prolonged use can lead to pressure build-up after several hours. Like the earcups, the headband’s rubbery material isn’t highly breathable, a common trade-off in many headphones of this style.
A notable aspect of Nothing’s design is its ability to maintain a sleek, low profile. Even on larger heads, the headband remains close to the skull, avoiding the awkward gaps often seen with other headphones where yokes extend further from the earcups. For those who prioritize style, this is a definite plus. However, a low profile doesn’t equate to lightness; these headphones weigh in at a respectable 329 grams. This makes them slightly lighter than the AirPods Max but noticeably heavier than the Sony WH-1000XM6 and just a bit more substantial than the Sonos Ace.
The controls on the Nothing Headphone 1 are an interesting blend of straightforward and cleverly concealed. For example, the power switch is a simple toggle – a refreshing change from multi-second press-and-holds. Yet, some buttons are surprisingly discreet; the Bluetooth pairing button, for instance, is so well hidden on the inner rim of the right earcup that it might escape detection without consulting the manual.
More controls are located on the rear edge of the right earcup. A small rubber dome button allows you to toggle Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and transparency modes with a brief press, or pause/resume playback with a single tap. This dome also functions as a scroll wheel for volume adjustment. Below it, a vertical paddle offers playback control: clicks for skipping tracks forward or backward, and holds for fast-forwarding or rewinding. Finally, a discreet button at the top corner of the right earcup is dedicated to customization via the Nothing X app. It can launch a specific audio application or activate Nothing’s “Channel Hop” feature, exclusive to Nothing phones, for quick switching between audio apps. On Android, it defaults to summoning your phone’s voice assistant.
The bottom edge of the right earcup thoughtfully includes both a USB-C port and a 3.5mm jack, with both supporting audio input – a commendable feature from Nothing. While these provide versatile connectivity, you won’t always need them for top-tier audio. The headphones support AAC for solid Bluetooth sound quality and can leverage LDAC with compatible devices for even higher-bitrate audio streaming.
The Headphone 1 comes packed with convenient features for daily use. Bluetooth Multipoint allows for seamless connections to two devices simultaneously, like a laptop and phone, enabling effortless switching. Impressively, they maintain LDAC high-fidelity audio even with Multipoint active, a capability not always found in other headphones. Furthermore, wear detection automatically pauses audio when you take them off and resumes playback when you put them back on.
While a welcome addition, the included hard case for the Nothing Headphone 1 has some drawbacks. Its exterior fabric tends to attract lint and pet hair, quickly diminishing its sleek appearance. The zipper can also be a bit stiff. The internal storage is optimized for the headphones with their sliders fully retracted, and a small cable pocket, while present, doesn’t secure accessories very effectively. Despite these minor issues with the case, the headphones themselves boast an IP52 dust and water resistance rating, offering protection against light rain or dust without being suitable for submersion.
Software: The Nothing X App Experience
The Nothing X app unlocks a deeper level of control for the Headphone 1. Through the app, users can manage features such as low-latency mode, LDAC high-res audio, wear detection, and Bluetooth Multipoint. It also offers comprehensive ambient noise settings, allowing you to fine-tune ANC levels or disable both ANC and transparency entirely. On-device controls are customizable, and a detailed equalizer provides extensive options for advanced audio personalization. Additionally, there’s a spatial audio feature, available with or without head-tracking, which serves as an interesting gimmick rather than a substantial enhancement to the overall sound quality.
Performance: Sound, ANC, and Battery Life
The Nothing Headphone 1 delivers impressively capable audio. The sound profile is well-balanced, offering impactful bass that’s never overpowering, with drivers effortlessly reaching into the sub-bass frequencies. The overall sound leans slightly mellow, perhaps lacking a bit of sparkle and presence. Coupled with a relatively contained soundstage, the audio might not feel the most immersive. Higher-register instruments and the crispness of cymbals could be more pronounced. While the stock sound is fairly neutral, the Nothing X app provides extensive EQ customization options to tailor the audio to your liking.
These headphones excel in both active noise cancellation (ANC) and a remarkably natural transparency mode. When tested in a bustling cafe with significant droning from air conditioning and machinery, the headphones effectively silenced most external noise, reducing the rest to easily ignorable whispers. This allowed the headphones’ audio to shine through without needing excessive volume. Even without ANC, the soft rubber ear cushions provide excellent passive isolation, perfect for quieter environments or for those who prefer to avoid the subtle pressure sensation that some ANC systems can produce – though it’s barely noticeable here.
Considering this is Nothing’s initial venture into over-ear headphones with ANC and transparency, their performance is outstanding. They fall just slightly short of the Sonos Ace in these categories, which itself trails behind the top offerings from Sony and Bose. However, the overall performance across these premium brands remains remarkably competitive.
While not specifically designed for hardcore gaming, the Headphone 1 features a low-latency mode that significantly reduces audio lag, making it suitable for most mobile games, excluding highly precise rhythm titles. For critical latency scenarios, the option for a wired connection offers further improvement. The headphones’ neutral sound profile, while not delivering the most explosive in-game audio, ensures that gunshots and explosions don’t overwhelm other crucial in-game sounds.
Getting so many things right on the first try isn’t easy, but Nothing has done a great job here.
The microphones on the Headphone 1 perform reasonably well, despite picking up voices with a slight distant quality. They manage to capture speech clearly even in moderately noisy settings, effectively suppressing background sounds like a loud air conditioner or fan. However, in more chaotic environments, such as a busy cafe, the microphones struggle to isolate the speaker’s voice effectively.
Battery life is a strong suit for these headphones. With both Active Noise Cancellation and LDAC enabled, they offer an impressive 30 hours of playtime. Disabling ANC and using AAC extends this to a remarkable 80 hours. My own tests confirmed these claims, with the headphones only losing about 20% charge after a full day of heavy use with both ANC and LDAC. A full recharge takes just two hours, and a quick five-minute charge provides over two hours of playback, a competitive performance against rivals like the Sonos Ace or Sony WH-1000XM6.
In conclusion, the Nothing Headphone 1 undeniably emphasizes aesthetics, which will appeal differently to various users. Regardless, it stands out as a well-constructed pair of headphones that doesn’t compromise on functionality. It boasts premium wireless support with LDAC and Bluetooth Multipoint, alongside two convenient wired audio options. Its ambient noise control is excellent, whether you prefer immersion or situational awareness. While the default audio profile might be on the conservative side, it provides a strong and balanced foundation, easily customizable via the equalizer for those who enjoy tweaking their sound. Achieving such a high level of execution on a first attempt is no small feat, and Nothing has certainly delivered.