Nothing Headphone (1) Review

Introduction

The Nothing Headphone (1) marks a remarkable entry into the over-ear market, and it's determined to challenge the established giants. This distinctive headphone combines an unconventional design with efficient noise cancelling, powerful sound, and thoughtful controls—all for under £300. Sony, Apple, and Bose: consider yourselves on notice.

"What have you got on your ears?" — "Nothing!"

It sounds almost like a jest, yet what has emerged from the start-up founded by Carl Pei has thoroughly shaken up the tech scene within just a few years. Whether it's the eye-catching, partially transparent smartphones or the equally stylish in-ears and open-ears—Nothing achieves what no one else has managed: developing trend-setting tech gadgets that are not only functional but also offer exceptional value for money. Not to mention Nothing's sister brand CMF, which has demonstrated with the CMF by Nothing Buds Pro 2 that excellent earbuds can be had for under £60.

Now follows the Nothing Headphone (1), the London company's first over-ear headphone. And it arrives with adaptive noise cancellation, transparency mode, a premium audio engine, and a look that's as bold as it is polarising.

At £299, Nothing isn't targeting casual listeners or bargain hunters. Instead, the Headphone (1) aims to compete with established names like the Sony WH-1000XM6, Bose QC Ultra, or even the Apple AirPods Max—and does so with a radically different design approach, typical attention to detail, a bespoke sound architecture developed in collaboration with KEF, and user control that relies on tactile input rather than touch gestures.

But what truly lies beneath that striking exterior? Is the sound genuinely high-end—or merely high-hype? Does the ANC perform in real-world use as impressively as it does on paper? How seamless is the app integration, and can this headphone, with such an ambitious feature set, also excel in battery life, comfort, and durability?

In this test, we examine the Nothing Headphone (1) from every angle—objectively, critically, and thoroughly. Is this all show, or is there genuine engineering behind it?

Design and Build Quality – Transparency Meets Technology

The most striking feature of the Nothing Headphone (1) is its transparent earcups. What was already iconic with the earbuds is elevated here to a new level: large, rectangular speaker housings with transparent, rounded caps. Unlike some Nothing earbuds, you don't get a view of internal mechanisms or structural components like screws, but you can admire the rear of the acoustic chambers.

Critical for comfort and robustness is the choice of materials—and here, Nothing demonstrates that despite being a young company, it already possesses considerable expertise. CNC-milled aluminium meets precision-formed plastic. Small dots as design elements complete the look. Anyone familiar with Nothing knows that this dot design is an integral part of the brand identity, running through the entire product range.

The earpads are made from PU material that's not only soft but, according to the manufacturer, also oil- and makeup-resistant. An important characteristic for long-term comfort—especially for users who wear their headphones for hours or constantly put them on and off whilst on the move.

Wearing Comfort of the Nothing Headphone (1)

At first impression, the Nothing Headphone (1) feels robust yet not bulky. The joints of the 90-degree rotating earcups operate buttery smooth. At 329g, the Headphone (1) isn't among the featherweights, but the mass is distributed well on the head. Uniquely amongst over-ear manufacturers, Nothing gives the Headphone (1) an IP rating: thanks to IP52, the headphones are protected against dust and water droplets.

The stepless, ratchet-free headband made of plastic operates smoothly and maintains the chosen size during normal handling. Unlike many other headphones, you slide the upper section of the headband into the lower rails. In practice, this initially requires some getting used to in order to adjust the headphones properly on one's head. This is somewhat quicker and more intuitive with "standard" designs. If you loosen the band appropriately, you feel the weight of the speaker housings on your ears.

The earpads are replaceable and, with internal dimensions of approximately 56mm (height) and 40mm (width), larger ears may not be completely enclosed. However, since the drivers sit quite deep, uncomfortable contact with them is ruled out.

For me, the complete headband construction and the design of the earpads aren't quite ideal, and it seems as though Nothing was determined to go its own way here. For the Headphone (2), I would wish for a more luxurious headband cushion, perhaps even with a small recess for the fontanelle, which would allow me to wear the headphones even longer. After about three hours, I'd had enough. The passive noise isolation is very good thanks to the snug earpads. However, their design led to a heat build-up and sweat accumulation under the cups after no more than 45 minutes in summer temperatures.

Controls and Operation – No Touch Gestures!

Nothing takes a rather classic approach to operation. Instead of error-prone touch gestures, four clearly distinguishable, tactile controls are used:

• Roller (rotary control) – for adjusting volume, play/pause, and mode switching (ANC/Transparency).
• Paddle (rocker switch) – for controlling tracks and calls (next track, previous track, answer/reject call, skip forwards/backwards).
• Button – for switching spatial audio, switching between apps (e.g., Spotify to Apple Music), or calling up the voice assistant (including ChatGPT integration).
• Bluetooth Pairing – hidden on the inside of the right earcup is a small button that allows pairing with new devices.

The result is a control concept that can be operated blind—and doesn't depend on skin conductivity or perfect finger pressure.

In testing, the controls feel solid, with good tactile feedback and clear responsiveness. The roller is precisely calibrated, the paddle is easy to feel, and the button is well positioned. The learning curve is therefore minimal—after a few minutes, control becomes second nature.

App Integration

The Nothing X App, available for Android and iOS, is the central hub for the Headphone (1). Within seconds of opening, the app recognises the headphones and displays status information such as battery level, active mode (ANC, Transparency, Off), connected device, and—in a submenu—the current codec connection (e.g., LDAC). All features are quickly accessible via tabs without menu clutter.

The Nothing X App offers numerous customisation options: an 8-band EQ, custom profile sharing, control configuration, device management, firmware updates, and even news widgets. Despite the wealth of functions, the interface remains pleasantly tidy.

A highlight from an audio perspective is the equaliser: alongside four presets ("Balance", "More Bass", "More Treble", "Voice"), you can raise or lower the bass, mids, and treble in 12 steps each within a circle in "Simple" mode. Those who want detailed intervention can edit one of the eight bands in "Advanced" mode, even taking into account the slope steepness. Specifically reducing an extremely narrow frequency range to mitigate sharp sibilants? No problem with the Nothing Headphone (1)! In the equaliser, the finest nuances can be tuned—considerably better than with other brands. Those who wish to share their presets can do so. Those who simply want "plug and play" can rely on the KEF-tuned profiles.

The integration of ChatGPT as a voice assistant may seem unnecessary to some at first glance—but it can be useful for, say, saving voice memos directly as notes or making smart queries without typing. Everything is optional; nothing feels forced.

Every button on the headphones can be configured via the app. This is particularly valuable for users with specific preferences (e.g., commuters, heavy users). The assignment remains clear, and the functions are diverse—e.g., volume adjustment, voice assistant, channel switching, or voice memos.

A unique selling point of the Nothing Headphone (1) is the integration of the so-called Essential Space, which automatically synchronises with the system when using a Nothing Phone 3. A voice memos function allows you to record ideas immediately by long-pressing a button. These are then automatically stored in Essential Space and categorised.

For creatives, busy professionals, or journalists, this can indeed be useful—a kind of Evernote meets dictaphone, without having to pull your phone out of your pocket.

Another cool feature: with Channel Hop, you can jump between media apps to have, for example, a specific song or album readily available.

Sound Quality – Precision Meets Emotion?

The Nothing Headphone (1) was developed in collaboration with KEF, a renowned British high-fidelity specialist with over 60 years' experience. Thanks to their expertise, the Headphone (1) is said to offer a sound profile that reproduces music as the artist intended. The drivers, chambers, and ultimately the software were tested in KEF's laboratories and subsequently refined in the areas of ANC, Transparency, and Spatial Audio. Precision is certainly there, but does this sonic tuning manage to evoke emotion?

At the audio heart of the Nothing Headphone (1) beats a specially developed 40mm driver with an 8.9mm PU surround and a nickel-coated membrane. This choice of materials is intended to deliver particularly clear treble reproduction as well as powerful, controlled bass. The linearly constructed suspension is designed to minimise distortion—and the evenly textured dome to prevent interference at high frequencies.

In listening tests, one thing stands out immediately: the sound is quite balanced, with a pleasant tendency towards warmth and impact without excessive bass. Whether classical music, podcasts, EDM, or acoustic guitars—the Nothing (1) delivers a naturally warm-sounding stage with discernible instrument separation and depth, though for my taste, it could fill out more broadly. The bass goes deep but never booms. Anyone wanting more punch here can give the low frequencies a boost in five steps via the app's "Bass Enhance".

Voices stand present in the soundscape without being overly forward. The treble comes through clearly but not sharply. This sets you up for hours of fatigue-free listening—regardless of genre.

There are slight differences in sound: whilst the Nothing Headphone (1) exhibits only marginal differences in ANC and Transparency modes, it sounds slightly "muddier" via cable. Unlike the Sony WH-1000XM6, however, the (1) requires power for analogue operation, meaning it's not possible to listen to music with a dead battery. What's also not possible is music transmission via USB-C.

The Spatial Audio function with head tracking works well—especially for films or binaural recordings. A realistically convincing sense of space is created that genuinely feels more immersive. But even with the Nothing Headphone (1), we must keep the famous church in the village: the localisation of sound events still occurs in the head and not in front of it, as with loudspeakers. Nothing positions its Spatial Audio as a universal operating mode for music, films, and games—however, without support for native Dolby Atmos or 3D audio masters. This leads in practice to a somewhat two-dimensional stereo width: sound objects do appear somewhat offset outwards, but depth staging is lacking.

How Good Are ANC and Transparency Mode on the Nothing Headphone (1)?

With up to 42dB of attenuation in adaptive ANC mode, the Nothing Headphone (1) aims to play in the top league. Does it succeed? Short answer: Yes!

In testing, the four-stage ANC performs excellently on public transport—engine noise, rumbling, and low frequencies vanish almost completely. Voices are also well reduced, if not entirely eliminated. The background noise remains restrained and is only perceptible in absolute silence. Nothing impressively demonstrates here that highly efficient noise cancelling is also possible for under £300. Direct comparison with the Apple AirPods Max or Sony WH-1000XM6 shows slight differences, with Nothing not performing significantly worse in my opinion.

All three candidates boast very good noise cancellation, with Sony being the most effective, followed by the AirPods Max and the Nothing Headphone (1) in third place. The adaptive system adjusts to, for instance, wind, sudden environmental changes, or conversations.

What the Nothing Headphone (1) also manages exceptionally well is keeping ear pressure pleasantly low even at maximum suppression. No diving bell sensation, no "cracking" when switching.

The Transparency mode convinces with a natural sound profile. Ambient sounds are passed through in real-time—and not dully or mechanically, but realistically. Ideal for commuting, for announcements on trains, or brief conversations with colleagues. And background noise? Present, audible, but discreet. Nevertheless: in this mode, the AirPods Max sound a touch more realistic with less static hiss.

Battery Life and Charging Behaviour – Marathon Runner or Energy Guzzler?

According to Nothing, the (1) manages up to 80 hours with ANC off and the AAC codec, and still a respectable 35 hours with ANC enabled. In LDAC mode, battery life drops to 54 or 30 hours, which is entirely normal given the higher data rate.

In everyday testing with mixed use (LDAC, ANC activated, 60–70% volume, music streaming and calls), I achieve about 30 hours before the over-ears need charging. Just 5 minutes at the socket provides 5 hours of playback (ANC off)—or at least 2.4 hours with ANC on. In everyday life, this is practical: quick shower, grab a coffee—and the headphones are ready to go again.

The battery itself (non-removable) has a capacity of 1,040mAh and is generously sized. The charging time for a full charge is approximately 90 minutes, which is entirely acceptable in class comparison.

Important: the Nothing Headphone (1) charges via USB-C but doesn't support wireless charging—which may be a minor disappointment for some. Given the battery life, though, this should scarcely matter.

Verdict

The Nothing Headphone (1) is more than a stylish accessory—it impresses with a successful combination of audio quality, functionality, and design. The collaboration with KEF bears fruit: the sound convinces both subjectively and technically. In terms of ANC, Transparency, app control, battery performance, and material quality, Nothing delivers—and in some respects offers more thoughtful features than pricier competitors.

That said, there's also criticism: the wearing comfort and the design of the earpads could be more comfortable and breathable.

But for those willing to try something new, the Nothing Headphone (1) rewards them—with certainly one of the most exciting audio products of 2025.

The Headphone (1) is available in black and white for £299. Pre-sale begins on 4 July 2025 via nothing.tech and selected retail partners. Open sales start on 15 July 2025.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions about the Nothing Headphone (1)

1. Can I use the Nothing Headphone (1) without the app?

Yes, all basic functions (ANC, Transparency, volume, playback) can be controlled directly via the operating elements. The app primarily serves for fine-tuning and configuration. Using it is definitely worthwhile, though.

2. Is the headphone compatible with iOS and Android?

Yes, it works with both systems. Android users additionally benefit from the LDAC codec; iOS users can only use AAC.

3. How well does the Transparency mode work?

Quite naturally. Voices and ambient sounds are reproduced clearly and in real-time.

4. Is the headphone waterproof?

No, it's not waterproof. However, it withstands sweat, light moisture, and normal environmental influences without difficulty thanks to special seals (IP52 certified).

5. Can I use the Nothing (1) for gaming?

Yes, thanks to Low-Latency mode it's also suitable for mobile gaming or videos—though not entirely latency-free like wired headsets.