Nothing has been a bit of an audio tear this year, with the release of the solid Headphone A and the surprisingly good Ear 3A headphones. The A headset was released at $199, while the headphones cost less than $100, leaving room for something fancier. That something is the Nothing Headphone 1 Pro, the company’s new $399 flagship that surprised me with everything it offers. They include what you’d expect from a pair of flagship headphones, like active noise cancellation (ANC), multiple sound profiles, and easy-to-use controls. They also have a few things you might not have: a three-speaker design, Auracast, and something I’ve never seen before: a Flat EQ switch that delete treatment.
Rather, the recent trend has been to add EQ customization to headphones. Even Apple finally added a 3-band EQ option for AirPods with its recent iOS 27 update. But the Headphone 1 Pro has a switch to turn off the EQ and spatial audio options in the Nothing X app. The goal is to give studio pros the ability to hear what they’re mixing without coloration with the headphones. The idea came from a partnership with Metropolis Studios, a recording and mastering space in London where Mark Ronson produced the Amy Winehouse track. Back in black.
Nothing’s default Balanced EQ setting is advanced in the mids and highs. The vocals are present with a bit of bite and the cymbals are very crackling. It’s a marked difference when the switch is flipped. Enabling Flat EQ brings these mid and high frequencies more in line with the bass: nothing stands out too much, although it does take away some of the lightness from the music. For regular listening, I preferred to remove some of the high end by using the advanced parametric EQ in the app instead of using the Flat EQ switch.
The switch is small and located in an inner corner of the left earcup, away from all the other controls, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally turning it on or off while using the headset.
The idea of a flat EQ response curve seems appealing, allowing the user to hear what it might sound like in the mixing room without the headphones adding their own sonic signature. But extensive research by Dr. Sean Olive and his colleagues at Harman shows that most people prefer a curve with high bass response, relatively neutral mids for natural-sounding vocals, and slightly boosted highs (before they start to dip above about 5 kHz). This is called the Harman curve. So while it’s helpful to use an unaffected EQ curve when working in the studio, a flat EQ for most people will sound bad. (There is also an argument to be made that even in a studio environment, flat EQ headphones are not necessary because most studio monitors are also tuned to the Harman curve.)
Another thing that sets the Nothing Headphone 1 Pro apart from mainstream headphones like the Sony XM6, AirPods Max 2, and Bose Ultra Headphones Gen 2 are the drivers. While these three competitors use a single driver for each side, the Nothing uses a three-driver design. There is a 40mm dynamic driver for bass, a separate midrange driver, and an xMEMS driver (which is a small solid-state driver) for higher frequencies. This design allows each speaker to focus on a specific range, so things like attacking higher frequencies are faster and cleaner.
The Nothing Headphone 1 Pro supports LDAC, wired and wireless high-resolution audio up to 24-bit/96kHz, as well as lossless wired via USB-C up to 24-bit/192kHz. The earbuds can also act as an Auracast transmitter or receiver with the Nothing
The ANC performance impressed me during my short time with the Nothing Headphone 1 Pro. It does a great job blocking low-end rumble, such as air conditioners or airplane noise, and a good job with highway traffic. It’s not as good as the current top three – Sony XM6, Bose Ultra Headphones Gen 2 and Apple AirPods Max2 – but with music I was adequately isolated from the world around me. And it’s definitely the best I’ve ever heard from Nothing, by far.
There’s no chance of mistaking the Headphone 1 Pro for anything other than a Nothing headset. It has the same design style as the company’s other headphones and uses the same touch controls, which I really like, especially the volume wheel. What I don’t like is the AirPods Max-esque case, which only closes around the earbuds and leaves the headband exposed, acting as the case’s handle. One advantage over the AirPods bra case is that it’s a hard shell, but I wish the case protected the entire earbuds.
The headphones are IP52 rated and offer up to 30 hours of battery life with ANC enabled, or up to 68 hours without ANC.
I haven’t had enough time with them to come to a full verdict, but after a little more time and comparison I will update this review with a full rating.
Nothing makes a pretty strong statement with its flagship Headphone 1 Pro, and these are definitely the best Nothing headphones I’ve used. The Flat EQ switch will be new to most regular users, but studio pros might find this option useful. And for everyone else, the ANC performance is on par with the big competition and the sound is good (especially for someone who likes a more premium presence). Plus, they have the unmistakable Nothing look for those who want to stand up. out.
Photography by John Higgins / The Verge
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