Can anybody take a look at the Nothing Headphone 1 for the primary time with out cracking a smile? It was the discuss of TechRadar’s Sydney workplace after I unboxed it for the primary time and has virtually everybody else I’ve proven cooed over. And that is as a result of it wears its greatest points on the surface.
The Nothing Headphone 1 is a breath of recent air amongst in any other case well-tuned however very same-same headphones. I am positive I will have stirred some sturdy reactions with that assertion, however hear me out, please.
I could be targeted on masking smartphones at TechRadar (having simply gone hands-on with the Nothing Telephone 3), nevertheless it’s nonetheless fairly apparent in my view that the overwhelming majority of over-ear headphones characteristic impartial, uninspired aesthetics, incorporating ovular cups and usually single-tone colorways with out a lot model to talk of. Contact buttons are frequent, as are restricted shade choices.
It’s possible you’ll like
In protest, the Headphone 1’s cups are squared, with the outside sporting an aesthetic evoking retro sci-fi hits like Blade Runner and Akira. A mixture of metals and plastics have been employed to make the Headphone 1 really feel distinctive wherever your fingers could land, and in contrast to the corporate’s telephones – which you would be inclined to place in a case – the aesthetic of those headphones are on full show always.
And, better of all, there aren’t any contact controls – a characteristic I’m rising more and more uninterested in throughout all of the tech that I assessment, from wearables to electrical vehicles. That is the bit I’m most head over heels for, and when blended with a reasonably modest value level, I consider the Headphone 1 represents the most effective realization of Nothing’s imaginative and prescient but.
The Nothing Headphone 1 is iconic and, by my estimation, it is the tech of the second.
Nothing’s cooking
(Picture credit score: Zachariah Kelly / TechRadar)
I don’t consider Nothing wants its headphones to supply the most effective sound high quality amongst its shut competitors. Certainly as you’ll have learn in our Nothing Headphone 1 assessment, sound can come throughout as compressed from these cans – however I’m keen about all of the points that the corporate aces to put an excessive amount of weight on its soundscape – in spite of everything, sound is a private choice.
Nothing’s distinctive aesthetic will little question weed out many potential prospects, however as with Nothing’s telephones, the model has its followers. That is precisely the form of aesthetic that appeals to me, reminiscent of retro designs whereas additionally feeling recent and distinctive in its personal regard. It’s daring, totally different and to some extent underscores the design chops that corporations like Apple had been recognized for years in the past (suppose the iMac G3).
And I might harp on in regards to the aesthetics for a complete article, however I’ll prevent the boredom by shifting onto Nothing’s silver bullet – actual buttons. The tech trade at giant, so devoted to effectivity and maximized financial savings, forgot that tactile buttons truly really feel actually nice to make use of, and provides the person far more confidence over their product (in that they’ll be higher knowledgeable about what buttons have been pressed, ergo what features are activated).
(Picture credit score: Zachariah Kelly / TechRadar)
The amount is managed by what Nothing calls the Curler, a horizontally moved cylinder on the sting of the headphones, which will also be pressed to pause, play, and change between ANC and transparency (extra on that later). It’s a button of all trades, in impact, and one thing hardly ever seen within the headphone trade as of late. The Sonos Ace and the Bose QuietComfort Extremely Headphones have multi-function buttons, however I’m not conscious of many units that give one button so many features.
In the meantime, a ‘paddle’ beneath the Curler selects the subsequent or earlier monitor, whereas additionally providing answering and rejecting calls. An extra button to the highest proper of the suitable cup then prompts your voice assistant on Android and iOS platforms, however will also be certain to a number of different features on Nothing OS (or should you use a Nothing Telephone). There’s yet one more button on the within of the suitable cup, however that is solely used for Bluetooth pairing.
This simply makes me so joyful! So lengthy and farewell to the annoyance of not activating a perform like skip or pause as a result of a contact management failed to note the delicacy of your finger press.
Higher but, with many of the headphones’ exterior left with none buttons in the best way, the headphones are exhibiting off various free house. On the one hand, that’s house I’m joyful to go away uncovered as they appear nice. On the opposite, I wish to cowl these dangerous boys in stickers, and that’s the form of thought Nothing’s enjoyable philosophy feeds into.
Wrapping up the issues I actually love about these headphones, the lively noise cancellation is extraordinarily spectacular – on par with Sony headphones I’ve used up to now – and highly effective sufficient to sufficiently take away the audio from a room with a dwell DJ standing proper beside me. I like getting work completed with noise cancellation turned all the best way up, so that is tremendous satisfying for me.
- Nothing Headphone (1) (Black) at Nothing Tech – USA for $299
Nothing’s excellent
(Picture credit score: Zachariah Kelly / TechRadar)
There are solely a few issues that I’m hoping Nothing will change with both software program updates or upcoming product releases.
The primary might sound form of unusual, however consider me after I inform you it’s unnerving. Nothing’s sound results with the Headphone 1 are uncomfortable. Switching to transparency mode provides an impact that appears like somebody’s inhaling your ear, whereas different sound results really feel aggressive and method too tight – corresponding to a bass thud when switching on noise cancellation, or a sci-fi pc beep when switching off ANC or transparency.
I get it, Nothing has a really deliberate strategy to aesthetics and design, and that extends to its sound results, however that is simply an excessive amount of – you might be distinctive with out being bizarre.
One other is that the headphones are fairly tight on my head – and I’ve a reasonably average-sized head! After some time of use, the Headphone 1 begins to really feel uncomfortable, so I’m hoping the corporate releases an upsized mannequin or makes an adjustable band for the second-gen mannequin.
(Picture credit score: Zachariah Kelly / TechRadar)
There’s additionally clearly the problems reviewers have raised with sound. Certainly my Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones produce extra balanced sound regardless of being a barely older set of cans, with deeper bass and richer audio. For a pair of headphones as costly as they’re, you’d definitely anticipate the Headphone 1 to be as much as scratch – particularly as they’ve been tuned in collaboration with British hi-fi stalwart KEF.
Now, do not get me fallacious: the sound is nice and satisfactory, however I’d definitely prefer it to be higher. Sadly, when you’re given a good quantity of audio profile tweaking through the Nothing X app, you possibly can’t make the headphones produce sound that simply sounds extra dynamic.
I might nonetheless encourage anybody who appreciates the design to audition the Headphone 1, after all, as what could not sound fairly proper for me could sound implausible to you – as I’ve already alluded, sound is private. Evaluations can solely present a lot data, should you just like the sound a product produces, then that’s the suitable one for you.
Other than that, I genuinely don’t suppose there’s anything fallacious with the Nothing Headphone 1: it’s properly weighted, can go flatly compact and has a few of the greatest ANC I’ve ever heard.
Nothing’s on the rise
(Picture credit score: Zachariah Kelly / TechRadar)
4 years after releasing its first product, the Ear 1 earbuds in 2021, adopted by a aggressive portfolio of aesthetically fascinating tech, Nothing has lastly tipped its hand to disclose its most spectacular product but – a tool that genuinely one-ups the competitors with an distinctive person interface.
It’s actually that straightforward. The Nothing Headphone 1 won’t have the most effective sound high quality of all of the headphones in the marketplace, nevertheless it’s definitely some of the thrilling choices. The aesthetic rocks, it has an ideal characteristic set and finally it’s not priced inaccessibly (and chances are high you may discover it getting a great low cost when Black Friday 2025 comes calling later within the 12 months).
I’m actually excited to see what a next-generation set of Headphones from Nothing shapes as much as be like. For now, I believe I’ll be utilizing the Nothing Headphone 1 as my each day audio machine as a substitute of my Sonys or my Samsung buds, and that’s saying one thing.
In the present day’s greatest Nothing Headphone (1) offers
