Nothing Headphone (1) has style: What kind of crazy headphones are these?

Nothing remains true to its style with its first on-ear headphones. Fortunately, because the Headphone (1) not only impresses with a refreshingly idiosyncratic yet functional design, but also impresses with great sound and effective active noise cancellation.

There aren't many manufacturers that dare to break new ground in design, which is why many devices look almost identical and often differ only in details. Nothing is one of the few newcomers that dares and can be different. And because they combine their own design language with quality, the British company has become quite successful, especially with their smartphones and earphones . Now the manufacturer is taking the next step with its first headband headphones, the Headphone (1), which costs just under €300.

Even the otherwise simple carrying case suggests that you're holding a product from Nothing. Its shape and two indentations on the top and bottom are reminiscent of the charging cases for the manufacturer's earbuds. Once you open the box, there's no doubt.

Unique, comfortable design

These headphones couldn't be from any other manufacturer; no other known headset looks even remotely like the Nothing Headphone (1). The matte aluminum housings are rectangular with rounded corners. On the outside, clear Plexiglas reveals details of the acoustic chambers, which, like the ear cushions, have an elongated oval shape. The headband, with its solid metal mounts, looks comparatively ordinary.

The headphones (1), which are protected against dust and moisture according to IP52, make an overall impression of high quality and robustness. Their relatively high weight of 329 grams also contributes to this. Nevertheless, they are very comfortable to wear, even for extended periods.

This is partly due to generous padding on the temples and ear cups. Nothing has also achieved optimal weight distribution, achieving ideal contact pressure with spring-loaded suspension. Another nice feature is the small lateral distance between the temples and the head, which reduces the silhouette.

Excellent control

High praise goes to the quirky but very well-executed control system with physical elements, all located on the right side. On the bottom of the aluminum casing, next to the headphone jack and USB-C port, you'll find the power button. It doesn't also serve as Bluetooth pairing; instead, the headphones have a hidden extra button on the inside.

The most important controls are the "roller" and "paddle," which are perfectly positioned on the frame, within easy thumb reach. Briefly pressing the roller starts or pauses playback. Long-pressing it switches between active noise cancellation (ANC) and transparency mode. Volume is adjusted by rotating the roller.

To skip forward or backward through a song, briefly press the paddle in the corresponding direction. Hold it longer to fast-forward or rewind. You can answer or reject calls in the same way.

Great extra for Nothing Phones

Additionally, the Nothing Headphone (1) has a dedicated button on the right outer side in the front corner. This lets you switch between different streaming services or playlists, and a voice prompt announces what's currently playing. This is cool, but "Channel Hop" only works with a Nothing Phone. On other devices, it simply launches a digital assistant.

Settings are made in the pleasantly simple Nothing app. It also features an extremely comprehensive equalizer. There's a simple version with various modes and simple manual settings. There's also the option to create profiles across eight frequency bands. You can even specify how wide or narrow a frequency range should be (Q factor).

Great sound

The sound of these headphones, developed by Nothing in collaboration with the renowned British audio company KEF, is impressive even with the preset, "balanced" setting. The deep bass is powerful but not intrusive. It doesn't interfere with the broad, cleanly defined midrange. The highs are crystal clear, never piercing or distorting at really loud volumes. Overall, the sound is pleasantly transparent and airy, making it enjoyable for any style of music.

With compatible devices, you can listen to music in higher resolution using LHDC; otherwise, AAC is the best Bluetooth codec. Another way to enjoy better sound quality is via a cable connection via the headphone jack or USB-C port.

The headphones support spatial audio and can add a spatial sound to even normal stereo tracks. You can also activate head tracking, which makes the music source appear to stay in place when you turn your head.

Good ANC, enormous endurance

The active noise cancellation isn't quite as strong as, say, the Sonos Ace , but it's still effective. Steady train noise, for example, is reliably filtered out, and you'll also be largely quiet on busy streets. With some music playing, you won't even hear the clattering of keys or the conversations of colleagues in the office.

The strength of the effect can be adjusted to three levels or adaptively, which worked accurately in our practical tests. Great: The Nothing Headphone (1) isn't too bothered by strong winds.

Transparency mode exaggerates slightly, meaning you hear ambient noise a bit louder than it actually is. However, this isn't unpleasant, and the typical noise from the effect is moderate.

The headphones also do a decent job when making phone calls. Your own voice comes across well, and background noise is largely filtered out, as long as you're not in a noisy environment like a busy intersection.

The Headphone (1)'s endurance is enormous. According to Nothing, it lasts up to 35 hours with ANC enabled, and even 80 hours without active noise cancellation or transparency mode. Based on our testing so far, this is quite realistic. A completely empty battery recharges in about two hours, and five minutes on the charger allows for approximately 2.4 hours of music with ANC.

Conclusion

The Nothing Headphone (1) is a great new headphone. Its sound is excellent, the active noise cancellation is good, the controls are excellent, and the battery life is remarkably long. Added to that is a wide range of features, especially with the manufacturer's smartphones. What really makes the Headphone (1) stand out, however, is its design. If you like it, the headphones are worth the €300.