Nothing Headphone (1) Pro review: Third time’s definitely the charm
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Nothing Headphone (1) Pro review: Cheat sheet
Price: 4/5
Sound quality: 4.5/5
Comfort: 4.5/5
ANC: 3/5
Battery life: 4.5/5
Features: 4/5
Durability: 4.5/5
Overall score: 4/5 (4.1)
Best for: Bass fans and sci-fi lovers
Third time’s the charm! Nothing’s latest flagship headphones, the Headphone (1) Pro, massively improve on their predecessors in key areas. They sound more refined and full-bodied, thanks to their triple-driver setup. They look gorgeous, so they’re perfect for anyone who treats their gadgets as fashion accessories. Their app enables extensive EQ customization. Battery life is long, and Nothing’s knocked it out of the park with their design.
But few things in life are perfect and alas, the Headphone (1) Pro aren’t either. They come with an AirPods Max-esque hardshell case that’s bulky and looks silly. Some controls are hard to reach, too, and competitors from Bose and Sony offer better ANC.
To find out if these are the best over-ear headphones for you, read my full Nothing Headphone (1) Pro review.
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Nothing Headphone (1) Pro review: Key specs
Price | |
Headphone style | Closed back |
Drivers | 3x (40mm dynamic, 8mm precision dynamic, 1.15mm xMEMS) |
Frequency response | 20Hz-40KHz |
Durability | IP52 |
Connectivity | Bluetooth 6.1 with AAC, SBC, LC3 and LDAC; USB-C; 3.5mm |
Multipoint connectivity | Yes |
ANC | Yes |
Wear detection | Yes |
Battery life | 68 hours (ANC off) | 30 hours (ANC on) |
Weight | 11.53 ounces |
Colors | White, Black |
Nothing Headphone (1) Pro review: What I like
- Powerful bass and bright treble
- Striking, sci-fi design that’s supremely comfortable
- Highly adjustable EQ via user-friendly app
- Long battery life
If it’s a pair of excellent-sounding and long-lasting headphones you’re after, the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro should be your port of call. From their striking design to their user-friendly app, there’s a lot to love about Nothing’s flagship cans.
Sound quality
The most major improvement to the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro is the sound quality, and they now feature a triple-driver setup in each earcup for more bass, better treble, and refined mids. They’re certified Hi-Res Audio for wireless and wired listening, too, offering lossless playback at up to 24-bit/192KHz. I tested the headphones by listening to my favorite testing songs on Qobuz, the best music streaming service for audiophiles, with LDAC enabled on my Google Pixel 10 Pro XL.
I was impressed with the headphones’ wide soundstage when listening to ‘Knights of Cydonia’ by Muse. The galloping rhythms and layered guitars had plenty of separation, and the headphones’ expansive tuning meant that the music had room to breathe. In Lana Del Rey’s ‘In My Feelings,’ Lana’s vocals sat at the forefront, carrying the characteristic smoky and intimate quality without losing their delicate texture. The treble felt crisp and never became fatiguing either.
Listening to ‘Elephant’ by 070 Shake through the Headphone (1) Pro put the spotlight firmly on the low-end. The sub-bass had a satisfying sense of depth which gave the track a weighty foundation, while the bass sounded tight, controlled and very warm.
I would also like to give kudos to the Headphone (1) Pro’s spatial audio and head tracking feature here. With it toggled, the sound remains anchored in a fixed position, and turning your head slightly makes the presentation feel three-dimensional, adding a sense of space to tracks. It works extremely well.
Listen along to my review with the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro testing playlist:
Design & comfort
Keeping in line with the brand’s sci-fi design philosophy, the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro feature a transparent design that blends matte aluminum, machined titanium alloy arms, and even shatter-resistant glass earcup windows — and my goodness, do they look drool-worthy.
The Headphone (1) Pro weigh just 11.53 ounces, and they’re fitted with soft ear cushions that make you feel like your ears are resting on clouds, as well as a soft headband. The Headphone (1) Pro are some of the most comfy cans I’ve used, and even after wearing them for around six hours, I didn’t feel like ripping them off my head.
App
(Image credit: Nothing / Tom’s Guide)
The Nothing Headphone (1) Pro utilize the Nothing X app, available on iOS and Android. The app allows for extensive equalizer customization. As the headphones have a triple-driver setup, the app lets you adjust the settings for each driver to get your desired sound. You can also tweak Gain and Frequency, and essentially boost whatever you want. Fancy a bump at exactly 9,864Hz? You can have it.
The app also unlocks features such as spatial audio with head tracking, Auracast for broadcasting audio to multiple headphones, and my favorite of all, Personal Sound Profile. This is essentially a hearing test that takes about three minutes and at the end of it, a personal EQ is created. It works extremely well, in my opinion, and Nothing’s done a great job of really personalizing the sound to your ears’ anatomy.
Battery life
With ANC off, the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro can last up to 68 hours, which drops to 30 hours when ANC is enabled. If you’re listening over LDAC, expect 53 hours with ANC off, or 28 hours with ANC on.
The Nothing Headphone (a) ($199) and the Nothing Headphone (1) ($299) offer longer battery lives, though, at 135 hours and 80 hours respectively — but the Headphone (1) Pro sound a whole lot better, so swings and roundabouts.
The Headphone (1) Pro trump their competition here, as the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) ($359) last a measly 24 hours, while the pricier Sony WH-1000XM6 ($450) offer up to 40 hours. Though the Marshall Monitor III ($379) still take the crown for longest battery life in their price range — 100 hours — the Headphone (1) Pro are far from disappointing.
Nothing Headphone (1) Pro review: What I don’t like
- Bulky case just looks silly
- Competitors offer better ANC
- Controls a bit hard to reach
There isn’t a lot wrong with the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro. These cans excel in most areas, but I’m not entirely sold on the bulky AirPods Max-esque case that looks… really silly. Competitors also offer better ANC at the same price.
Bulky case
Looks like Nothing took a leaf out of Apple’s books when it was designing the Headphone (1) Pro’s case. Now, the OG AirPods Max’s ($549) unconventional “bra” case was controversial enough, but I’d argue that the Headphone (1) Pro’s case is worse. Unlike Apple’s soft leather case, the Headphone (1) Pro’s case that covers just the earcups is made of hardshell. It also features strap loops, and Nothing recommends adding a strap so that you can carry the headphones like… a crossbody bag.
I’m not sold on the Headphone (1) Pro’s case. It’s bulky and it looks ridiculous. The case, on its own, weighs 13.52 ounces, while the headphones weigh 11.53 ounces. Together, that’s 1.56 pounds! That’s a lot of added weight if you already have a full backpack. And no, you can’t stash the 3.5mm or USB-C cable in there. Bizarre design choice.
Hard-to-reach controls
The Nothing Headphone (1) Pro’s physical buttons are either hard to reach or accidentally clickable. Nothing features a Flat EQ toggle, located on the top inner edge of the left earcup. It’s quite difficult to reach when you’re wearing the headphones, so you need to remove them to swap to the Flat EQ, which is frustrating. The other controls, though well-placed and each sporting a unique shape, feel accidentally knockable. Even the softest touch increases or decreases the volume, for instance.
Mid ANC performance
Nothing says that the Headphone (1) Pro can block out up to 46dB of noise thanks to the silicone sound seal and 10 mics — but they can’t hold a candle to the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen), unfortunately.
ANC performance isn’t bad per se. Indoors, I couldn’t hear my colleagues and they had to wave to get my attention — but I was able to hear the loud clicking and clacking of my Epomaker Glyph mechanical keyboard. Outdoors, the headphones did well to block out idle chatter on the bus, but I could still hear loud honking. The Headphone (1) Pro’s ANC performance is on par with the Marshall Monitor III’s, but worse than the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen)’s and the AKG N9 Hybrid’s ($399).
Nothing Headphone (1) Pro compared
As I’ve mentioned throughout, the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro face fierce competition in their price range — from the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen), the Marshall Monitor III, the Sony WH-1000XM6, and the AKG N9 Hybrid. One of the most compelling reasons to get the Headphone (1) Pro over all of them is the sci-fi design which is unlike any other. Marshall’s got the rock and roll look which is also a class apart, and while I’m not a fan of Bose’s or Sony’s designs, they’ll be better if you don’t want to stand out.
ANC is one of the most important features in this price range, and the Headphone (1) Pro are outdone by the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen)’s and the AKG N9 Hybrid — though they provide better active and passive isolation than the Marshall Monitor III. And while the Headphone (1) Pro’s battery life is solid at 68 hours (and better than most of its competition), the Marshall Monitor III offer up to 100 hours if beefy battery is important to you.
When it comes to sound quality, the Headphone (1) Pro sound warmer and have a wider soundstage than the pricier Sony WH-1000XM6. Treble is also crisp and bright, and sounds more controlled than through the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen). Given all this, the Headphone (1) Pro have their pros and cons, and do a good job of justifying their price. I’d get them for their design alone.
Who should buy the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro?
If you’re design-conscious but also an audio enthusiast, and you’re looking for studio-grade tuning, the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro should be your port of call. They look beautiful with their sci-fi aesthetics, and they’re ridiculously comfortable, too. The warm and meaty sound is the real star here, and there’s LDAC support as well as Hi-Res Wireless streaming capabilities. With extensive EQ customization and great features, like spatial sound and IP52 waterproofing, the Headphone (1) are almost the complete package.
I say “almost” because if you want ANC that makes you feel lonely, you may want to consider the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) instead. Bose’s offering doesn’t come with a silly-looking bulky case either, if that’s a dealbreaker for you. For anyone who wants a competent pair of headphones that look good and sound even better, the Headphone (1) Pro are a no-brainer.
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