Nothing just debuted its first over-the-ear headphones, the Nothing Headphone 1, alongside the new Nothing Phone 3. At $299, this product stands out for its mix of innovative and retro style.
Nothing has gained attention for its unique products. With a competitive price point and distinctive features, I was genuinely impressed with the Headphone 1. It’s no surprise the company calls this product “designed to be seen.” It features a transparent design on the outer ear cup and an aluminum frame. With memory foam cushions and oil-resistant material, it’s built to last.
The Headphone 1 also includes distinctive buttons and switches that make it feel like a blend of headphones and a Discman. Very cool. With up to 35 hours of listening time with ANC on and a USB-C port, you can get up to 80 hours of use without ANC.
Reviews so far say the audio quality is great, although its Spatial Audio-like features aren’t particularly strong. The audio tuning was done by KEF:
Headphone (1) is the first product born from Nothing’s partnership with KEF – an audio pioneer with over 60 years of expertise in high-fidelity sound. Leveraging KEF’s advanced acoustic engineering and proprietary tuning tools, the custom-built 40 mm dynamic driver delivers rich, natural audio with deep bass, detailed mids, and crisp treble across all modes, including ANC, Transparency, and Spatial Audio.
Can these headphones replace my AirPods Max?
For almost five years, I’ve been using AirPods Max. Even though Apple slightly updated its premium headphones with a USB-C port last year, I didn’t feel compelled to upgrade since it’s basically the same model.
While rumors suggest the next AirPods Max might not launch until 2027, it feels like Nothing may have just created the headphones I want to use before Apple releases a new version.
First of all, the design is really unique. While it lacks Apple’s signature “magical features,” it brings a fresh approach to a market that hasn’t seen many exciting changes in recent years.
I’ll still need to try them out to decide if they’re worth $299, but it’s a very competitive price point with plenty of solid options out there. Still, none of them look as striking as Nothing’s offering.
Wrap up
Nothing Headphone 1 is currently available to pre-order, with shipping starting on July 15. BGR will share more about Nothing’s new headphones once we’ve had an opportunity to test them.
