Nothing Headphone (1) vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
Bose's ANC cans have long been at the top of the list when it comes to noise-canceling headphones. They have a slick style, a comfortable fit, and decent sound, but how do they match up against the newest headphones on the block?
The Nothing Headphone (1) are the upstart in the headphone world. They want to upset the balance between the established competition, like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and the Sony WH-1000XM5, and undercut them both on price. That means loads of features, a cool-looking design, and some impressive battery life.
But, for the money, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are still the best noise-canceling headphones that you can buy today. They feature mind-blowing ANC, impressive sound, and a very comfortable fit to go with their decent feature set.
They might be more expensive, but Nothing's going to have to do a lot to make a better set of cans.
Nothing Headphone (1)
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
Price
$299/£299/AU$549
$429 / £449 / AU$645
Colors
Black; Silver
Lunar Blue; Deep Plum; White Smoke; Black
Size
Not specified
Not specified
Weight
11 ounces
8.8 ounces
Battery life (rated)
Up to 80 hours
Up to 24 hours
Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.3 with SBC, AAC and LDAC support
Bluetooth 5.3 with SBC, AAC and LDAC, aptX HD support support
Special features
Adaptive ANC, Ambient Sound Mode, Bluetooth multipoint, customizable sound, quick charge, passive mode, Spatial Audio
ANC, Immersive Audio, Bluetooth multipoint, customizable EQ, quick charge
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are one of the more expensive flagship offerings that you can currently pick up. They cost $449, a whole $150 more than the new Nothing Headphone (1). That's also more than the Sony WH-1000XM5, and the same as the also new WH-1000XM6.
The Bose worth the higher price, sure, but we have to give credit where credit's due: Nothing Headphone (1) just cost less. They're $299, making them one of the cheaper options when compared to the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones have been out long enough now that we see discounts, so you might not have to pay full price. Even then, their lowest price still doesn't match the MSRP of the Nothing Headphone (1). That's first blood for the Nothing Headphone (1).
The Nothing Headphone (1) bring something new to the table. While the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones have a nice, if standard, look, the Headphone (1) look unlike just about anything else out there. They've got Nothing's signature design style, and I think that's pretty cool — just like the Nothing ear and the Nothing phones, they have transparent panels that hide some retro future design touches.
These Nothing's design isn't for everyone and the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones look more traditional. That's no bad thing, however. They're quite stylish thanks to the use of multiple finishes, along with their subtle branding.
The Nothing Headphone (1) is built slightly better though thanks to some improved materials. There's metal in the earcups, and there's more substantial heft to them
But the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are more comfortable. Their cushioning is more plush, and you won't suffer from the slight squeezing effect that you'll find in the Headphone (1).
Despite a better build and more interesting design, I'm going to give this to the less divisive and far more comfortable Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones.
Physical controls are my preferred way of controlling headphones, and the Nothing Headphone (1) deliver just what I'm looking for. They've got very intuitive controls, including a volume roller, a paddle for skipping tracks, a power switch, and a customizable button.
Each one is easy to find without looking, and feel wonderful under the finger. I think they might be some of my favorite controls on a pair of headphones ever, bringing innovation to the table with their tactile clickers.
The Nothing app is also good, letting you control ANC level, change the EQ, and adjust other settings on the fly. It's good that the EQ is so good given that the sound needs adjustment out of the box, but we'll get to that later.
The controls on the Bose QuietComfort are more annoying. There's a multi-control button that controls the ANC, playback, and other features, alongside a touch stripe for volume. The touch stripe is annoying to use and fairly inaccurate, while the button pulling triple duty has to do too much.
The Bose app pulls everything back, however. It's easy to use and very well laid out, letting you easily access the 3-band EQ, noise-canceling settings, and more.
Overall, though, the control section has to go to the Nothing Headphone (1).
Despite the influence of KEF on the sound of the Nothing Headphone (1), they don't sound as good as I'd hoped. They're much too dark, with an overreliance on upper-bass and lower-mids that take over the soundscape. This tuning leaves music feeling like it's being played in the next room, blocked by a wall.
You can dial in the sound quality with the Nothing X app, but I'd have preferred the core sound be good enough out of the box. Not many users are going to dive into a complicated looking EQ adjuster when they realize their brand-new headphones don't sound very good.
The Bose, on the other hand, sound good out of the box. It's a fairly bassy sound signature, with bass that can take some of the edge off the detail, but it's otherwise spacious and pleasant to listen to.
It can be adjusted with a slightly weaker EQ, but the core sound is good enough that it's not entirely necessary.
Headphones should sound good out of the box, so this round is going to go to the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones.
The Nothing Headphone (1) bring a great feature set to the table, including the EQ, USB-C mode, and spatial audio. The former two features work very well, and the USB-C mode is something I wish I saw on more headphones coming out in 2025.
Unfortunately, however, the spatial audio feature doesn't work very well. It serves only to thin out the music and make it sound less dynamic, as it stretches out what's there to make it sound much bigger. I'm generally not a fan of spatial audio modes, and this one is the perfect example as to why.
The Bose have similar features, although they lack the USB-C mode. Immersive Sound (Bose's version of spatial audio) is much better, however, and it's the reason that they're going to win this round.
The two headphones are fairly well matched for features, although the Bose just manage to eke out the victory. You can expect solid feature sets from both, however.
This is going to be a blowout for the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones. They're the best noise-canceling headphones for a reason, with some of the best ANC that I've ever experienced out of a pair of headphones.
They block out even the loudest and most disturbing noises, whether you're on the go or stuck inside the office. Fans are silenced, busy cafes subdued and bus journeys made a whole lot more tolerable. They're my choice if I want to block out everything happening in the world, and they've never let me down.
That's not to say that the Nothing Headphone (1)'s noise canceling is bad, but it's not as good as Bose's. It does a fine job of keeping out the noise, but it does struggle a bit with the wind.
Transparency mode is good for both pairs, and you'll have no problem hearing the bus driver when you go to buy your ticket. Thanks to their impressive ANC overall, though, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones take the win at the end.
I don't need to say much here. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones last for 24 hours after a full charge. Meanwhile, the Nothing Headphone (1) will last you for 35 hours with ANC turned on, and then 80 hours when the ANC is turned off.
The win here goes to the Nothing Headphone (1).
The Nothing Headphone (1) get very close to being a very good pair of headphones. They've laid down the ground work, with a lovely design, solid build quality, and some impressive features for the price.
But they're let down by some very disappointing sound quality. They don't sound as good as the Bose, that's for sure, which also beat them in noise canceling and comfort. The price differential is massive, but there's no denying that the more well-rounded product package from Bose is a better way to spend your money.
I'd hoped to see Nothing arrive on the scene and bring some disruption to the table. While they got pretty close to the competition, there still needs to be some work done on Nothing's part to make sure they sound their best. As it stands, they're let down by the sound profile — and what are headphones all about if not their sound?
Nothing Headphone 1
Bose QuietComfort Ultra
Price and value (5)
4
3
Design (15)
14
14
Controls (10)
8
5
Sound quality (25)
15
22
Active noise cancelation (20)
17
20
Call quality (10)
6
9
Connectivity (5)
5
5
Battery life (10)
9
5
Total Score (100)
78
82
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Android Authority
3 hours ago
- Android Authority
Nothing Phone 3 doesn't win on value, but it won me over anyway
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Gizmodo
3 hours ago
- Gizmodo
Sorry Haters, the Nothing Phone 3 Looks Good
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That history of design extends to today's best Star Wars content. Andor's first season is a perfect example of this. In episode 5, the young idealist Karis Nemik extols the benefits of tech not made by the Empire, that it can be remodeled and remade by its owner. His device is blocky, asymmetrical, and dirty. That's because it was likely an old Polaroid camera, specifically an SX-70, with other bits and bobs stapled to its front and sides. We don't know what all those doohickeys are for, but it drives the imagination. Similarly, the Phone 3 wants me to wonder what each random button does, why the cameras are located where they are, or why it has a red camera light. Even if the answer isn't as engaging as the question, I'm glad it made me wonder all the same. 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Android Authority
5 hours ago
- Android Authority
Here's the real problem with Nothing's quirky Phone 3 design
Ryan Haines / Android Authority I love Nothing's semi-transparent design language. Its debut Phone 1 was the first Android phone in a long time that I can remember being just as happy to look at as I was to use (if only because it didn't work in the US). Then, I watched Nothing refine its style over a few generations of mid-range and budget phones, reworking its Glyph interface and camera placement until it found a combination so cute that Wall-E might fall in love with it. Now, though, I think it's jumped the shark. Its Phone 3 design looks like nothing (no pun intended) I've ever seen before, let alone tried to protect. It has camera sensors, buttons, and a revamped Glyph Matrix scattered across the back panel, and I've never been so scared to go without a phone case. Here's why that's such a big problem. There's unique, and then there's impractical Ryan Haines / Android Authority Like I said, the Nothing Phone 3 is one-of-a-kind. It doesn't make a single traditional design choice other than having a USB-C port on the bottom and buttons on the sides. Other than that, though, chaos. The cameras sit as far apart as boys and girls at a middle school dance, and the circular Glyph Matrix feels like I should be able to raise a Tamagotchi on it. Don't get me wrong, it's a neat look. I wasn't sure I'd like it at first based on Nothing's trickle of teasers and leaks, but the finished product tickles my design-loving brain just right. However, just because I like the look of something doesn't make it a great idea. I loved the idea of Nike's Adapt Auto Max — a shoe that you could only tighten if charged via a proprietary pad — but I would never buy one because it was in no way practical. Nothing's design is clever as can be, but did it have to put a camera sensor so close to the edge? Unfortunately, that's how I'm starting to think about the Phone 3. At times, it feels like Nothing's engineers realized they could, but didn't stop to think if they should. They didn't consider that spreading out the camera sensors and relocating the Glyph Matrix would open the Phone 3 to easier damage, just as long as the finished product looked cool. Like a shoe with moving electronic parts is more susceptible to wear and tear, a phone with too many cluttered corners feels like it's living dangerously in an adventure-filled world. And yes, I know that the now-iconic camera bar that graces the back of every Google Pixel is a less-than-practical choice too. It's a huge bump that nearly splits any would-be phone case in half. However, it also steps in where a case would have trouble, putting a thick metal frame around the cameras and using tough glass to protect all the sensors simultaneously. The Phone 3 doesn't. Its telephoto sensor is so alarmingly close to one edge of the Gorilla Glass Victus back panel. At the same time, the Glyph interface bumps right up against the other edge, making it impossible to find a 'safe' edge on which to drop your phone (not that I recommend dropping your phone to begin with). It took me years to stop stressing about keeping my phone perfectly clean and immaculately protected, but Nothing has brought back all those worries in such a short period. Please, Nothing, all I'm asking for is a good phone case Ryan Haines / Android Authority I hear you, dear reader, yelling at me from the other side of your screen, telling me to put my Nothing Phone 3 in a case. I get it — it's exactly what I should do. After all, we love to recommend phone cases for any and all devices that come across our desks because the best phone is a working, unbroken one. However, I can't do that right now, and it's not my fault — not even a little bit. Instead, it's Nothing's fault. It's Spigen's fault. It's Mous' fault. It's Nomad's fault. Right now, I can blame every case maker for making me live dangerously with my Nothing Phone 3, because none of them has decided to offer a third-party (or first-party) case for protection. Of course, I get it — it's tough to make a highly specific case for an unusual-looking phone that may or may not move decent volume in the US. And yet, if just one of them were to make a case for the Phone 3, it would automatically claim 100% of the market, and I would recommend it without hesitation. There's only one Phone 3 case on the market right now, and it's as impractical as female RPG armor. Well, if it were a normal enough case, anyway. There is one case — er, bumper — er, frame — er, something to protect the Phone 3. Arc decided to take the plunge and launch its two-piece Arc Pulse for the Phone 3, making it the only option for the most cautious of Nothing fans to protect their phones. Unfortunately, I have a hard time trusting it. I can get on board with a one-piece case, or even a two-piece case that covers my entire phone, but the Arc Pulse doesn't do that. Instead, it's more like the stereotypically impractical female armor in RPGs, somehow getting smaller and less protective the more you level up. I'd still be much too scared to let my Phone 3 take a tumble, only for its minimalist aluminum shell to bounce off and leave my phone cracked on the sidewalk. So, it's time for Nothing itself to step up. If nobody else will protect its first proper flagship-ish device, the call will have to come from inside the house. It already makes cases for the Phone 3a and Phone 3a Pro, and the Phone 3 costs as much as its siblings put together. If Nothing leads the charge, maybe top phone case brands will follow, but I need someone to take that first step.
