Out of the Silence: A Strange and Wonderful Hands-On Review of Nothing Headphone

Headphones are a purchase that most of us shouldn’t need to think too much about. 

The latest Sony WH-whatevers are usually the best for most people, with Bose QuietComfort not far behind, while the AirPods Max are for Apple die-hards only. Plenty of cheaper models are available, but it’s worth paying a premium for years of reliable use. 

However, the new Nothing Headphone (1) seriously threatens to disrupt that. The British company has made several pairs of earbuds before, but this is the first time it’s ventured into over-ear headphones. And my god, it was worth the wait. 

The Headphone (1) has the wacky design we’ve come to associate with Nothing products. But with genuine quality and some impressive, thoughtful touches, I see no reason why these headphones can’t compete with the best in the business. 

Even after only a day or so of testing, I can confidently say they’re my favourite headphones I’ve tried out in a very long time. Let’s explore in more detail. 

Retro, yet futuristic

In the lead-up to launch, the Nothing Headphone (1)’s design is all anyone has been talking about. And with good reason – these are the most ridiculous-looking headphones I’ve ever seen, but that’s exactly why I love them so much. 

While the headphone market is a sea of sameness, Nothing is daring to be different. The Headphone (1) cans borrow the semi-transparent design we’ve seen in Nothing smartphones, giving them a futuristic vibe.

Yet, at the same time, they remind me of old cassette tapes – a decidedly retro form of technology that many people my age will never have used. This fusion of old and new results in a design that’s as unique as it is divisive. 

If you’re looking for an understated pair of headphones that will pair with any outfit, this ain’t it. But if you’d prefer to stand out from the crowd and make your headphones part of your personal style, these are the cans for you. 

As an introvert, I haven’t dared venture outside wearing them yet. I’m anticipating plenty of stares and a few questions – another reason I won’t be doing it, at least while they’re under embargo. 

Long-term, something from Sony or Bose is undoubtedly a safer bet.  But for pure wow factor, and a design that’s actually interesting to look at, Nothing wins every time. 

In total control

When I took the Nothing Headphone (1) cans out of the box, the physical controls confused me a lot. I couldn’t even figure out how to turn them on. 

However, over time, they’ve proven to be surprisingly intuitive. The power switch is only used to turn the headphones on or off, which I appreciate. 

The roller, which feels a lot like the scroll wheel on a mouse, is used to control audio in real time – play/pause, transparency/active modes and volume, with the last of these making full use of its scrolling ability. 

A separate paddle sticks out in an unusual way, but it provides an easy way to move between songs and calls. Being able to tell the difference between buttons based on their feel alone is a huge benefit. 

Before opening the companion app, I hadn’t even realised there was a third button on the top-right of the right headphone. It’s used to trigger the voice assistant (Google Gemini in my case), but I ignored it most of the time. 

Alongside the USB-C port for charging, it’s also worth mentioning the 3.5mm jack, which gives you the option of wired audio. 

Comfort to the max

The aluminium and plastic build of the Headphone (1) cans certainly feels very robust, and Nothing has specifically highlighted the durability tests that each part has had to pass.

But with this industrial-style construction and unusual squircle (square with rounded corners) exteriors, I was concerned that comfort would be sacrificed. 

However, as soon as I tried them on, all these worries melted away. The soft earcups perfectly cushioned the edge of my head, fully covering my ears. An easily adjustable headband (also cushioned) allowed me to get a good fit within seconds. 

And crucially, the Nothing Headphone (1) maintains its comfort as time goes on. Despite weighing a relatively hefty 329g, I had no problem wearing them non-stop for a couple of hours. For long flights, comfort shouldn’t be an issue, unless you’re trying to sleep while wearing them! 

That sounds amazing

Design and comfort are important, but they mean nothing (pun intended) if the sound quality isn’t good. 

And while I’m no audio expert, I was blown away by how good they sounded. The combination of 40mm drivers and tuning from audio experts, KEF, results in rich, full-bodied music with crystal-clear vocals. 

My testing wasn’t the most scientific, although the majority of tracks I listened to were in Amazon Music’s lossless ‘Ultra HD’ category, which is considered even better than CD quality. 

I’ve listened to songs from the likes of Olivia Dean and Joy Crookes dozens of times previously, yet the Headphone (1) cans tease out extra details and background instruments that I’d never heard before. 

Switching to Amazon’s ‘Best of Ultra HD’ playlist allowed me to test out another key feature: ‘Bass Enhancement’. Within the Nothing X app, you can customise how much you want across five different levels. Bass isn’t exactly lacking with ‘Bass Enhancement’ turned off, but the throbbing, dancefloor-like hit you get at Level 5 is addictive. 

It’s not all about music, though. Podcasts are a massive deal in 2025, so it’s likely you’ll be using the Headphone (1) to catch up with your favourite shows.  

Crisp, clear voices are available by default, but I enjoyed dialling up the immersion with ‘Spatial audio’. I’ve been a sceptic of features like this in the past, but with sound coming from lots of different directions, it genuinely feels like you’re there in the room with the hosts. I particularly like the head-tracking version, which automatically adjusts depending on the way you’re facing. 

Last, but very much not least, is the active noise cancellation (ANC). ANC is one of the most important things for me when buying a set of headphones, and I’m pleased to report that Nothing does a great job of blocking out background noise. At the other end of the scale, the transparency mode amplifies these sounds very effectively. 

Sony still has the slight upper hand in this area, but based on early testing, the Headphone (1) cans aren’t far behind. 

Nothing has kept things simple in the Nothing X companion app, prioritising access to these key settings, alongside an equaliser for you to customise the sound even further. 

A competitive price tag

With so many high-end features, there’s no doubt that the Nothing Headphone (1) is a premium set of headphones. 

However, at £299/$299, they significantly undercut the £399/$449.99 Sony WH-1000XM6 while offering a similar range of functionality. Pre-orders via the Nothing website begin on 4 July, ahead of a 15 July release date. 

Assuming the Nothing Headphone (1) performs as well as it has so far, battery life is the only thing stopping me from recommending it already. The 1040mAh sounds promising, but you can never be sure.