Verdict
The Nothing Headphone 1 Pro offers outstanding audio clarity and detail, with a stylish premium design at a reasonable price. If you’re looking for a headphone that can pull double duty as a commuter headset and a semi-pro monitor, this is the one for you
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Super-premium build
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Excellent audio quality
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Greatly improved ANC
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Highly adaptable EQ
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Nothing’s most expensive cans yet
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Some controls can be knocked accidentally
Key Features
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Review Price:
£349
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Design
The Headphone 1 Pro has aluminium earcups with a transparent glass window to show the inner workings
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Unique triple-driver setup
Each earcup has a 40mm dynamic driver, a precision driver, and a solid-state xMEMS treble driver
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Flat EQ mode and spatial audio options
A new flat profile makes the Nothing Headphone 1 Pro more suited to professional work, while additional spatial audio modes can make for a more immersive listening session
Introduction
Nothing introduced its first over-ear headphones in 2025, and they’ve proven quite popular, judging by how many I’ve spotted out and about. The brand then added a cheaper option, the Headphone A, which became my go-to set of headphones for the last few months. Now, it’s time to get acquainted with the Headphone 1 Pro.
The new cans aren’t replacing the original; instead, they’ll sit alongside them as a more premium option. They’ll set you back £349, while the Headphone 1 currently sells for around £249.
Interestingly, the original Headphone 1 was tuned by KEF, and the new Pro model isn’t. I never listened to the original, but the sound was somewhat divisive, whereas the Headphone A was more universally well received. So perhaps that’s a good move.
That said, with these headphones being Nothing’s most expensive set so far, they’re up against some serious competition from the biggest names in the space. Can Nothing compete, or are these flashy headphones just a fashion statement?
Design
- Premium aluminium and glass build
- Redesigned earcups and padding
- New hard-shell carrying case
The Headphone 1 Pro manages a fine balancing act. The design has changed enough to keep things feeling fresh, but the Nothing DNA is still plain to see, with a similar shape, materials, and design ethos to its predecessors. Personally, I think the Headphone 1 Pro is Nothing’s best-looking set of headphones yet.
The highlight is the glass window on each earcup, which lets you peer into the inner workings of the headset, where each component is painted in a flawless matte black finish. Nothing has been playing around with transparent designs since its inception, but I’ve never seen a transparent segment with so much depth. It’s a really impressive look.
Like the original Headphone 1, the Pro has a matte aluminium finish that’s cool to the touch and feels extremely premium. This time, the transparent section is made from shatter-resistant Panda Glass, rather than plastic, which adds to the premium feel and should be harder to scuff. Surprisingly, this hasn’t made the headphones any heavier; in fact, the spec sheet says the Pro are lighter than the originals
The earcup cushions have also been redesigned. They’re now 50% softer, which means they’re more comfortable for glasses-wearers (like me), while also creating a better seal around your frames. In addition, a new silicone baffle in the middle of the cushion reduces sound leakage and improves passive isolation.
The headband cushion is also thicker and wider to reduce pressure on the top of your head, but otherwise, the overall shape and button layout will feel familiar if you’ve tried Nothing’s other Headphones. That’s a good thing, if you ask me.
The controls each have a unique shape, so you can always figure out what you’re adjusting by feel alone. There are no touch controls here – everything is 100% tactile. Each makes a unique sound when you press it, too. I’m particularly fond of the ratcheting sound that plays through the headphones as you adjust the volume roller.
I’ve been using the Headphone A daily since they were released, so I’m very accustomed to these controls. The only difference here is a new (well-hidden) switch to activate the Flat EQ, but more on that later.
I must say, though, when wearing the Headphone 1 Pro around my neck, I found that the volume would accidentally get adjusted by brushing against my shoulders, and that doesn’t happen as often with the Headphone A – maybe the extra weight of the metal chassis is the culprit.
On the plus side, despite being heavier, these are just as comfortable, if not more comfortable than the lighter Headphone A. I regularly wore them for almost an entire workday with very little discomfort.
The Headphone 1 Pro comes in either Black or White options, although I think grey/silver might be a more accurate description of the lighter model. Nothing sent both pairs so I could see them in the flesh, and honestly, I’m having a lot of trouble deciding which I prefer. The lighter option stands out a bit more, but the black model looks super slick. You can’t really go wrong.
No matter which colour you go for, you’ll get an identical glossy grey hard shell case in the box. Nothing says it’s inspired by Peli Cases used to transport high-end camera gear. It’s a hinged clamshell with a push button to open, and it only covers the earcups, while the headband sticks out like a carry handle.
There are also attachment points on either side, so you can add your own over-the-shoulder strap and carry your headphones like a handbag (there’s no strap included). It’s a fun idea, but with zero storage compartments inside the case, I’d imagine the people who actually use it like that will be few and far between.
The hardshell case is a fun and unique design; I love to see something a little more creative than the usual velvety pouch. It does mean that the headband will be unprotected during travel, though, and I can’t imagine the high-gloss plastic looking as pristine in the long term – but maybe that’s intentional. Well-used Peli Cases don’t look pristine, either.
Features
- New spatial audio modes with head tracking
- New physical switch for Flat EQ
- 10 Mic Adaptive ANC
The Nothing Headphone 1 Pro works with the Nothing X app, just like the brand’s other headphones. And while you can access all the basic features using the onboard controls alone, it’s well worth diving into the settings to make them your own.
The app handles everything from firmware updates and button remapping to managing connected devices, EQ, and spatial audio options. You can even create a personalised sound profile that’s tailored to your hearing.
This implementation of the personal audio profile is a little more basic than I’ve seen from competing brands, but the results seem just as impressive. It’s not doing anything too clever, like using microphones to measure your ear canal (as seen from Nura in the past); this just plays tones at different frequencies in each ear and asks you whether you can hear them or not. Still, it works, and only takes a few minutes to set up.
In lieu of the KEF partnership, Nothing has instead teamed up with London-based Metropolis Studios. Together, they crafted the new Flat EQ mode, as well as Studio B, a spatial audio preset based on one of their actual recording studios. There are also 5 new Metropolis Studios-approved EQ modes: Bass, Neo Jazz, Electronica, British Rock, and Grime.
The spatial audio effects are all very impressive, and they dramatically change the sound output without noticeably degrading the quality. There’s also a head tracking option, which makes it feel like the sound is coming from a fixed point in space.
Personally, though, I’ve never really been sold on the whole spatial audio thing. I always appreciate a nice wide soundstage, but I don’t see the appeal of virtualised echoes and reverb. I’d rather hear my music the way it was intended to be played. Still, it’s there if you’re into it, and it does its job well.
The EQ options are more up my street, and these headphones have some of the most comprehensive options I’ve ever come across. In Simple mode, you get five basic presets, and a custom option with three adjustable sliders for Bass, Mids, and Treble.
If you want more control, you switch into the Advanced tab where you create custom EQ curves with up to six bands for the main drivers, and up to four additional bands for the precision driver. You can also import the aforementioned Metropolis Studio presets and use those.
These options make a massive difference to the sound output, so if you aren’t impressed with the default sound signature, you can likely craft your perfect profile by tinkering with them.
Noise Cancellation
- Adaptive ANC
- Transparency mode
The Headphone 1 Pro has ANC, which now uses 10 inward-facing microphones (five on each side), up from six on the Headphone 1 and four on the Headphone A. Nothing says the inward-facing orientation dramatically reduces wind interference, and there’s an extra 5db of noise reduction overall.
As someone who uses the Nothing Headphone A almost every day, the difference is huge, the Headphone 1 Pro is on another level. My biggest complaint was wind noise, and that’s almost entirely solved.
They also fully eliminate background hums, and even do a good job reducing the volume of nearby conversations, which is something a lot of headphones struggle with. Transparency mode works well, too, which is perfect at home when you’re trying not to be antisocial.
Battery Life
- 30 hours with ANC
- Fast-charging support
Battery life is good, but this model can’t match Nothing’s cheaper headphones, which is a bit of a shame. Nothing reckons you’ll get 30 hours with ANC/transparency mode active, or 68 hours with it off. The Headphone A boasts 75 hours with ANC on.
That said, it’s more than good enough for my needs. Despite using the headphones for multiple hours every day, I still only needed to charge them about once per week. Charging is pretty quick, too. A full charge takes 2 hours, while just 5 minutes on the charger will get you another 2 hours of listening (with ANC on).
Sound Quality
- 40 mm Bass Dynamic Drivers
- 13x8mm Precision Dynamic Drivers
- xMEMS solid-state treble drivers
The Nothing Headphone 1 Pro has a very unique driver arrangement. Each cup features three drivers: a more typical 40mm dynamic driver, a precision dynamic driver, and an xMEMS solid-state treble driver.
This is the first time these xMEMS drivers have been used for an over-ear design; they’ve usually been found in in-ears/IEMS. They focus entirely on the 10 – 40kHz treble region, while the precision dynamic driver handles vocals and instruments in the mid-range, and the 40mm driver gives you that low-end thump.
As mentioned, the EQ makes a massive difference to the way these headphones sound. It’s almost like you’re individually adjusting the volume of each driver when you play with the settings. So, for the sake of simplicity, I’ll mainly focus on the default Balanced EQ that the headphones ship with.
I never tried the original Headphone 1, so it’s hard to say how the sound compares, but side-by-side with the Headphone A, it’s a completely different signature. The Headphone 1 Pro, is much more balanced, with exceptional clarity in the mids and high end. I wouldn’t describe them as bright, necessarily, but they’re brighter than the Headphone A, with less of a boost to the low end.
The Headphones can still reproduce the deepest sub-bass tones (shout out to Three Ralphs by DJ Shadow for being an ever-reliable test song), but the bass is precise and unexaggerated. The Headphone A feels like it’s shaking your head with a song like that; by contrast, the Headphone 1 Pro can reproduce all the tones accurately, but it’s much less boomy.
I’m a bit of a bass fiend, and I found a substantial low-end boost in the EQ suited my tastes better. But no matter what you do, you won’t quite match the subwoofer-like rumble of the Headphone A.
What’s not up for debate, though, is the clarity. The Headphone 1 Pro is in a completely different league: fantastic airy vocal reproduction, a wider soundstage, and exceptional positioning. Playing I Can See Clearly Now by Johnny Nash, I noticed breaths and instrumentation that I’d never been able to pick out with other headphones; it’s seriously impressive.
Another big change with these headphones is the Flat EQ mode, which is designed to transform these headphones into near-pro-level monitors at the flick of a switch. Again, it makes them sound completely different, and for some reason, it disables transparency mode when active. You can only choose between ANC on or off.
The Flat mode certainly isn’t as fun for casual listening. The clarity is superb, but they’re much less lively and vibrant. That’s fine, though; that’s what this mode is for. I’ve been using these headphones for video editing, and I find it’s a much better way to normalise my output levels and dial in compression settings. If you’re a music maker, you’ll likely appreciate it even more.
Should you buy it?
You’re looking for style and precision
The Headphone 1 Pro stands out from the crowd with its unique styling and provides more clarity than most with its triple-driver arrangement.
You want ultra-long battery life
The battery life is good, but Nothing’s more budget-friendly model outlasts the Pro by a large margin.
Final Thoughts
In many ways, the Nothing Headphone 1 Pro stands alone as a unique offering. It blends the portability and advanced ANC of popular options like the Sony WH-1000XM6 and AirPods Max 2, with an audiophile-grade triple-driver arrangement, and a Flat EQ mode that’s suited to semi-professional use.
In my opinion, they might be the best-looking headphones on the market today, and they feel just as premium as they look, with their aluminium and glass earcups. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that the Headphone 1 Pro has the best ANC available, but it’s certainly not far behind the likes of Sony and Bose.
The £349 MSRP means the Headphone 1 Pro is directly competing with the Sony WH-1000XM6, but it still manages to undercut the AirPods Max 2 and Bose QC Ultra Headphones Gen 2.
In any case, Nothing’s latest outshines them all with its detail and precision in the higher frequencies. I can’t say whether you’ll prefer the sound or not, but you’ll almost definitely hear more detail.
If you’re shopping for headphones in this price range, it’s well worth giving the Nothing Headphone 1 Pro a try. I’ve loved using them, and they’ll remain my video editing headphones of choice for the foreseeable future.
How We Test
We test every pair of headphones we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry-standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find.
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Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
- Tested for two weeks
- Tested with real world use
FAQs
Yes, the Nothing Headphone 1 Pro comes with a 3.5mm cable in the box, and supports hi-res 24-bit 192kHz playback through a wired connection.
Not fully, but an IP52 rating means it’s protected from splashes.
Full Specs
| Nothing Headphone 1 Pro Review | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Nothing |
| IP rating | IP52 |
| Battery Hours | 30 |
| Fast Charging | Yes |
| Weight | 327 G |
| Release Date | 2026 |
| Audio Resolution | LDAC, AAC, SBC |
| Driver (s) | 40mm Bass Dynamic, Precision Dynamic Driver, xMEMS |
| Noise Cancellation? | Yes |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 6.1 |
| Colours | Black, White |
| Frequency Range | 20 40000 – Hz |
| Headphone Type | Over-ear |
| UK RRP | £349 |
| USA RRP | TBC |
