Nothing's statement headphones sound great and deliver solid value
For its first over-ear headphones, Nothing collaborated with audio outfit KEF, which handled the tuning. It's clear the in-house audio and design teams also have a great passion for the product, and have grown confident over the past four years of creating various wireless earbuds. These headphones will turn heads, don't look like anything else and deliver really good sound.
In keeping with other Nothing devices, Headphone 1 has a transparent finish exposing interlocking panels that give the impression of the underlying tech. In this case, the brand's trademark red square serves as a handy reminder of which side needs to go on your right ear. The flat two-layer design gives an industrial vibe compared with most current headphones, which tend to be rounder and softer, and that's reinforced by the printed text and the idiosyncratic roller and paddle controls (more on those later).
The unit I tested is called white, or more accurately two kinds of grey on silver aluminium, with black cushions. At first glance I thought the design was a bit much, with a lot of detail and many different shapes, but I've come to like them. By the time I saw the black versions at Nothing's local launch event, I thought the reduction in contrast made them look too subtle compared with the white.
They don't feel as eccentric as they look, with decent cushioning on the headband and cups, a firm but not uncomfortable pressure to keep them on your ears and a smooth adjusting action. The cups can turn inwards to rest naturally if you wear them around your neck. My one physical design complaint isn't actually about the headphones but the hard travel case they come with; the tiny zip puts up a fight to open every single time.
Sonically, the sound stage of the Headphone 1 isn't as expansive as you'd expect on more expensive models such as Apple's AirPods Max or the Sonos Ace, but by default the sound is rich, bass is quite present, and everything's clear and well imaged. Dive into the app and you'll find an extensive and detailed equaliser that gives you full control over the sound. There are smart presets and simple settings like a bass boost, which I found brought the lows forward successfully without distorting them or rattling my skull. You can also turn on head-tracking spatial audio, which can be handy for movie watching.
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In terms of high-resolution support, the Headphone 1 can connect to a supported device via AAC or LDAC, and is certified for 24-bit/96kHz sound. If you prefer a wired connection, the headphones support USB-C and 3.5mm, but they need to be turned on to work, so wired mode won't help you keep listening once the battery's flat.
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