Nothing Headphone (1)

The Nothing Headphone (1) has a killer 80-hour battery and top-tier ANC, but comfort is a real weak spot. At $299, it's a style-first pick that trades all-day comfort for standout design. Worth it if you love the look and need the battery, skip it if you wear headphones for hours on end.

Battery life is the headline act here. 80 hours is genuinely wild, and the 5-minute quick charge giving you 5 hours of playback is the kind of feature that saves you on a travel day. The hybrid ANC with dual feedforward mics does a solid job blocking out the world, and LDAC support means Android users get high-res audio without much fuss. Sound quality lands at the 74th percentile, which is good but not great. The KEF tuning gives it a clean, balanced signature, but it doesn't blow the doors off. The mic setup with 6 total mics is fine for calls, nothing special. The weak spot is studio use at 56.6 out of 100, so don't expect reference-grade accuracy.

Against the Sony WH-1000XM6, the Nothing Headphone (1) has a clear battery advantage and a more distinctive look, but Sony's comfort and sound tuning are more refined. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra is the comfort king, and the Nothing can't touch it there. The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 sounds better and feels more premium, but it costs more and doesn't match the battery life. The Sennheiser HDB 630 is a solid all-rounder that undercuts the Nothing on price. The JLab Epic Lux is the budget pick, but it doesn't have the same design flair or ANC performance. The Nothing Headphone (1) is a niche pick: great battery, great looks, but not the best all-rounder.

This is where it gets tricky. $299 puts it in direct competition with the Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra, both of which are known for all-day comfort and top-tier ANC. The Nothing Headphone (1) wins on battery life and design, but the comfort score is a serious red flag. If you're buying these as a fashion statement or for the battery, the value is there. If you're buying them as your daily driver for long work sessions, you might end up frustrated.

The Nothing Headphone (1) is a head-turner. That retro cassette-inspired design is unlike anything else on the shelf, and the spec sheet backs up the looks with hybrid ANC, LDAC, spatial audio, and an absurd 80-hour battery claim. Our database puts the battery at the 97th percentile, which basically means it outlasts almost everything else we track. The ANC is no slouch either, landing in the top tier at the 94th percentile.

But here's the thing. The comfort score is rough, sitting at the 30th percentile. That's a problem for headphones you're supposed to wear for hours. And the affordability ranking is even worse at the 13th percentile. At $299, you're paying a premium for the design and battery life, not necessarily for all-day comfort or studio-grade sound.

Skip these if comfort is your number one priority. The 30th percentile comfort score means they're likely to get uncomfortable during long sessions, and at $299, you can get the Bose QuietComfort Ultra or Sony WH-1000XM6 for similar money with much better long-wear comfort. Also skip if you need studio-grade sound, since the studio score is the weakest area at 56.6 out of 100.

Buy the Nothing Headphone (1) if you want a pair of headphones that looks like nothing else on the market and lasts longer than anything else in your bag. The battery life and ANC are genuinely impressive. But if comfort is your top priority, or if you need studio-grade sound, look elsewhere. These are for people who value style and stamina over plush comfort and reference tuning.