Nothing’s First Headphones Are Up For Preorder: Here’s Our Review

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At Nothing’s July 1 London event, founder Carl Pei unveiled the brand’s first headphones with an homage to nostalgic tech. One of the first slides showcased the PS2 and Game Boy Color in all their transparent plastic glory, with Pei referencing the time when tech felt optimistic, not scary. It’s no surprise that these millennial favorites are a reference point for the 35-year-old tech entrepreneur, judging by the retrofuturistic design ethos that has run through Nothing’s earbuds and smartphones since the company’s founding a mere half-decade ago. 

The Headphones (1) puts that design ethos into hyperdrive, with a passing resemblance to a cassette deck or something out of Roddenberry-era Star Trek. They’re unmistakably Nothing, and while they won’t be for everyone, it’s hard to deny that Nothing succeeded in Pei’s stated goal of making a pair of headphones that don’t look like everything else on the market.

The Headphones (1), alongside Nothing’s latest Android smartphone, the Phone (3), are now available to preorder. And while there’s no denying that these headphones stand out from the pack, are they worth it? I put them to the test to find out.

Nothing Headphone (1): Design and Construction

The design will be the first thing anyone will notice about these headphones, and that’s clearly intentional. The headphones feature a squared-off aluminum housing with a transparent oval disc stacked on top. I’ll admit to being put off at first, but it took a surprisingly short time for them to grow on me. 

Despite the quirky design, the headphones are pretty slender. One of my issues with Sony’s WH-1000XM6 headphones is their bulkiness, which borders on resembling ear protection, but these headphones don’t protrude nearly as much. 

The headphones, while not especially lightweight, don’t feel heavy, and they don’t exert too much clamping force. The headphone cups don’t fold, but they do rotate, keeping the felted carrying case very slim. Another minor quirk is that it’s too easy to mix up the left and right earcups, due to the symmetrical design and subtle markings on the headband. 

Nothing Headphone (1): Features and Controls

One of the selling points of these headphones is the tactile controls, with physical buttons galore. There’s a power slider to easily turn them on and off, a paddle that skips back or forth, and a physical volume roller that doubles as an ANC/playback button. The headphones feature a USB-C port, which can also be used to transmit lossless audio, and there’s a traditional 3.5mm jack. 

Pressing and holding the roller button toggles between transparency and active noise canceling, which responds with a satisfying click when adjusting the volume. Finally, there’s a customizable multifunction button that can be used for your voice assistant or to switch between recent media sources. Nothing seems to have a thinly-veiled disdain for tap controls, and I get why — when they work, they’re brilliant, but when they don’t, they’re immensely frustrating. There’s also a nearly spiritual commitment to technology that feels physically engaging and not sterile. These controls are satisfying — bordering on joyful — to use.

The headphones are controlled in the Nothing X app, which has features like customizable EQ and controls. The app works reliably and quickly, and isn’t overly fussy, unlike some apps that practically require their own user guide to figure out. Impressively, these headphones boast up to 80 hours of battery life with ANC off, or 35 with ANC on.  

Nothing Headphone (1): Sound Quality and ANC

For the audio, Nothing teamed up with venerated British audio maker KEF (the brand behind some of our favorite bookshelf speakers), who tuned the headphones. They feature a custom 40 mm dynamic driver with a nickel-plated diaphragm. As for how they sound, it’s largely in line with what you’d expect from Nothing’s earbuds, but in headphone form. It’s solid, with clear detail and bass. I’d give the sonic edge to Sony’s XM6 headphones, but those also cost $150 more. These headphones support LDAC, AAC, and SBC audio codecs. 

The ANC and transparency modes are both up to Nothing’s standard — not as monastically quiet as Bose or Sony, but still very capable in all but the noisiest environments. The transparency mode also deftly balances awareness with immersion. There’s also a spatial audio feature, although I’ve never found it enjoyable on any pair of headphones. Your mileage may vary. 

Nothing Headphone (1) Verdict

At $299, these aren’t budget headphones, but they undercut brands like Sony, Bose, and Apple, while still delivering great sound quality and a hard-to-beat battery life. It’s challenging to break into a category as crowded as headphones, but Nothing entered with a clear point of view and an emphasis on design. There’s the aesthetic, which boldly speaks for itself, whether it’s your taste or not. Then there’s the functional design, which includes satisfyingly tactile buttons that are intuitive and easy to use, plus a comfortable headband and earcups. Sound-wise, they deliver the quality that Nothing is known for. Overall, it’s quite the debut.