Nothing Headphone 1 Pro: They Copied the Wrong Thing! | Marques Brownlee

The Gist

Nothing's $400 Headphone (1) Pro delivers great sound, excellent noise cancellation, and physical controls, but ruins the experience with a completely unprotective, clumsy hard-shell case that lacks a charging pass-through. Sony's WH-1000XM4 remains a better value at around $300 while offering foldability and superior active noise cancellation.

Quick Overview

The Nothing Headphone (1) Pro costs $400 and packs triple-driver audio, impressive noise cancellation, and a flat EQ mode that disables all digital processing. While the headphones themselves excel in comfort, battery life, and physical controls, the rigid, non-folding case is a major design failure that requires opening the case just to plug in a USB-C cable.

Key Points: Nothing prices the Headphone (1) Pro at $400, making them the company's most expensive headphones to date. The build features an aluminum frame, titanium arms, 9H panda glass side panels, and soft ear cushions. A triple-driver setup uses a 10Hz-10kHz base driver, a 5kHz-15kHz mid driver, and a 10Hz-40kHz treble driver. Physical controls include a top volume roller, a play-pause button, and a paddle for track navigation. A dedicated flat switch bypasses all audio processing and colorations to deliver the raw source track. Active noise cancellation excels at removing mid-frequency office noises like keyboards and furniture movement. The included hard-shell carrying case leaves the top headband unprotected and requires opening to charge the headphones. Sony sells the WH-1000XM4 for around $300, providing better noise cancellation, folding capability, and overall value.

Context: Nothing is known for transparent aesthetics and affordable consumer electronics, but the brand is now entering the premium over-ear active noise-canceling headphone market alongside established giants like Sony and Bose.

Detailed Analysis

Nothing attempts to capture the premium headphone market with the Headphone (1) Pro, a $400 pair of over-ears featuring a triple-driver system and transparent glass side panels. The audio profile is colorful and wide, with a flat EQ mode that completely turns off signal processing for a purist listening experience. Physical controls on the right ear cup provide reliable volume rolling and track navigation. Active noise cancellation rivals top-tier competitors by successfully neutralizing mid-range office noise without being overly aggressive. However, the carrying case is a massive design failure, offering no headband protection, lacking a charging pass-through, and requiring users to awkwardly open the hard shell just to plug in a cable.