Nothing Headphone (1) announced – transparent over-ear headphones
After announcing plans for over-ear headphones and leaks showing the product, Nothing has officially unveiled the Headphone (1).
Since launching in 2020, Carl Pei’s tech venture Nothing has launched several products including phones, earbuds and watches. Earlier this year, the company announced plans to launch a pair of over-ear headphones. With leaks showing the product surfacing on social media over the last few weeks, we now have the full details from Nothing themselves. Headphone (1) was launched this week, alongside the new Phone (3).
KEF is one of the most respected names in audio, and we’re proud to partner with them as we take the next step in expanding Nothing’s audio journey. By combining KEF’s decades of expertise with our design-led approach to technology, we’re laying the groundwork for a new standard in everyday listening. Our products launching later this year mark the beginning of an exciting new chapter of our collaboration and the future of Nothing Audio.
Andrew Freshwater, Head of Smart Products Marketing, Nothing
At KEF, we’ve always believed in the power of great sound to inspire and connect people. This partnership allows us to bring our acoustic heritage into a fresh context – working with a brand that shares our dedication to innovation, quality, and design. Together, we’re setting out to redefine what premium audio can look and feel like for the next generation.
Grace Lo, President & Head of Global Marketing, KEF
The leaks were correct. Seeing images of the product, their USP is immediately obvious. They stand out! They come in two colors, white or black. Regardless of color, the Headphone (1) follows Nothing’s design aesthetic with bold shapes and transparent elements. The headphones weigh 329g, which is a little heavier than the 254g Sony WH-1000XM6 and 252g Bose QuietComfort Ultra, but notably lighter than the 385g Apple AirPods Max. Unfortunately the ear pads are not removable, which could make refurbishing the headphones difficult.
There are five buttons on the earcups (more on them later) and an LED charging indicator. The headphones are rated IP52 dust and water resistant. There are no lights on the headphones as there are on Nothing’s phones.
The earcups rotate flat but do not fold, which leads to a somewhat large softshell zipper case. Inside, there’s a pouch to tuck your cables into. For more on the design of the product, Nothing’s design team have uploaded a dedicated video here.
The product was launched in partnership with British audio brand KEF. With decades in acoustics and speaker design, KEF handles the sound of the Headphone (1). Internally, there are custom 40mm dynamic drivers, a high-linearity suspension system with PU surround, nickel-plated diaphragm, rim and dome, and a uniform dome texture.
There’s real-time AI-adaptive active noise cancellation, which claims up to 42dB of noise reduction and a transparency mode. These are powered by six mics, including feedforward and feedback microphones. A 4-mic ENC system, along with AI-powered Clear Voice Technology are used for clear calls.
The Headphone (1) connect over Bluetooth 5.3, with support for dual connection. There’s Google Fast Pair for one-touch pairing to Android devices and Microsoft Swift Pair for one-touch pairing to Windows devices. They support AAC, SBC and LDAC codecs, and are Hi-Res certified, with support for 24-bit/96 kHz. The headphones also claim low latency with a low lag mode for gaming. You’ll also find spatial audio with head tracking, which expands the soundstage and virtually anchors sound in 3D space.
As previously mentioned, there are five buttons of the headphones, as well as on-head detection for automatic play/pause when the headphones are placed on or removed from the head. Each button is in a different location and has a different design and texture to help you identify which is which when wearing the headphones. There’s an on/off switch and a pairing button. A roller, which is similar to a mouse’s scroll wheel, is used for volume, play/pause, and switching between ANC, transparency and ANC off. There’s a paddle which rocks side-to-side for next track, previous track, answer calls, reject calls, fast forward and rewind. And finally a customizable button, which can be used for things like summoning the voice assistant, switching EQ presets, muting the microphone, enabling spatial audio, recording a voice note or listening to the news. When paired with a Nothing device, the customizable button can also be used to ‘channel hop’, which Nothing says switches between music services and podcast services, without having to pull out your phone.
On a full charge, the Headphone (1) has up to 80 hours of playback with ANC off and 35 hours with ANC on. These numbers are when using AAC. LDAC will consume more power. They charge via USB-C and a 5-minute charge will provide 5 hours of listening with ANC off and 2.4 hours with ANC on. There are two options for wired audio – a 3.5mm audio jack and USB-C. Audio over 3.5mm will only work when the headphones have battery, and not when the headphones are dead or charging. You do however have the option of listening over Bluetooth or USB-C while charging. Both USB-C and 3.5mm audio cables are included in the box.
The Nothing X app can be used to tweak the sound to your preference with an 8-band EQ, which you can share with friends or the community. There’s a bass enhancement mode for a boosted low-end. The app is also used to customize the controls and set up multipoint.
The Nothing Headphone (1) are available for pre-order tomorrow, July 4 at 13:00 BST for $299 via Nothing or KEF. They will be available through Nothing Drops July 12 and on general sale July 15. At $300, this is cheaper than many other flagship headphones from the likes of Bose, Sony and Apple, which typically hover around the $450-$480 mark.