Nothing Headphone (1) Pro

The Nothing Headphone (1) Pro delivers best-in-class sound quality and excellent battery life in a distinctive transparent design. The triple driver setup with LDAC support is genuinely impressive for $399 USD. But comfort is a serious weak point, and call quality doesn't match the hardware's potential.

Let's talk about what this thing does well first. The sound quality is the best we've measured in this category, full stop. The triple driver architecture isn't a gimmick. The 40mm dynamic driver handles the low end with authority, the precision driver fills in the mids, and the xMEMs treble driver adds detail up top that most single driver headphones just can't match. LDAC support means you're actually getting the bandwidth to feed all that detail, assuming you're on Android. The 20Hz to 20kHz frequency response is shaped well, and the Advanced EQ lets you drag tuning points around if you want to tweak things.

ANC performance is well above average thanks to those 10 microphones, but it's not going to dethrone Sony or Bose for pure noise cancellation. It handles background chatter and office noise fine, and the new silicone seal helps with passive isolation. The mic array is also excellent for voice pickup, which makes the weak call quality score a bit frustrating. The hardware is there, but something in the processing chain isn't keeping up. Battery life is a standout at 68 hours, putting it near the top of the charts for over-ear ANC headphones.

Against the Sony ULT WEAR WHULT900N/B, the Nothing wins on sound quality and battery life, but Sony takes comfort and ANC. Sony has been doing this for decades and it shows in the fit. The Technics EAH-A800 is a closer match on sound, with both offering Hi-Res support, but the Technics is more comfortable for long sessions. The Sennheiser HDB 630 is the wildcard here. It's cheaper and more comfortable, but the sound doesn't touch what Nothing is doing with that triple driver setup.

The JBL Tune 670NC and TOZO HT3 are budget options that make the Nothing look expensive. You get maybe 70% of the sound quality for a third of the price, and honestly, the TOZO HT3 is more comfortable. But none of those budget picks have the build quality or the distinctive look of the Nothing. The titanium, aluminum, and glass construction feels premium in a way that plastic budget headphones just don't.

At $399 USD, the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro is priced right in line with the Sony ULT WEAR and Technics EAH-A800. You're paying for the sound quality and the design, and those are genuinely excellent. But the comfort issues make this a harder sell than it should be. If you're in Canada, the $590 CAD price tag is steep for headphones you might not want to wear for more than an hour. The JBL Tune 670NC and TOZO HT3 offer much better value if you're on a budget, though you'll sacrifice sound quality and build materials.

The Nothing Headphone (1) Pro is the company's swing at the premium over-ear ANC market, and it's a weird one in the best way. You get a triple driver setup with a 40mm dynamic driver, a precision dynamic driver, and a treble xMEMs driver, all wrapped in that signature transparent design language. At $399 USD, it's priced to compete with heavy hitters from Sony and Technics, not just look pretty on a shelf.

So is the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro good for everyday listening? Mostly yes, especially if you care about sound quality above all else. The Hi-Res Audio certification with LDAC support means you're getting high bitrate wireless audio on Android, and the sound tuning sits at the absolute top of our database. But comfort is a real problem, and that's going to be a dealbreaker for some people.

Battery life is a strong point at 68 hours with ANC on, and the fast charging is genuinely useful. Five minutes plugged in gets you two hours of playback, which is the kind of feature you don't think about until you're running late. The 10 microphone ANC system is solid, though not class leading, and call quality is the weakest link here.

Skip the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro if you wear headphones for long stretches or have a larger head. The comfort is genuinely bad, scoring in the bottom 10% of our database, and no amount of sound quality fixes a headphone you don't want to wear. If you take frequent calls, the weak call quality will frustrate you. Budget shoppers should look at the TOZO HT3 or JBL Tune 670NC instead, and comfort focused buyers should check out the Sony ULT WEAR or Technics EAH-A800.

Should you buy the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro? If sound quality is your top priority and you don't mind a heavier headphone, yes. The triple driver setup delivers detail and clarity that nothing else in this price range matches, and the battery life means you'll rarely think about charging. The design is also genuinely unique, which matters more than some reviewers admit.

But if you wear headphones for hours at a time, or if you take a lot of calls, look elsewhere. The comfort score in our database is near the bottom of the category, and that's a fundamental problem for an over-ear headphone. Try them on before you buy if you can. Your ears will thank you.