REVIEW: Nothing Headphone (1) provides a clear tackle premium audio

When you’re chasing a set of headphones that stand out from the gang, then cease wanting, you’ve discovered them. Nothing Headphone (1) could have a bizarre identify, however the wi-fi headphones have a really distinctive fashion, one thing that’ll assist set you aside from the flood of individuals sporting Airpods.

Nothing’s over-ear headphone provides a hanging clear design, one thing that gives a pleasant connection to expertise from the previous. These included the Apple iMac G3, the Nintendo 64 controllers, Recreation Boys and Nintendo DS’ and seeing a brand new firm hold this custom alive is nice to see.

This enables a glimpse into the internal workings of the earcups, a design alternative that’s each retro and futuristic. Whereas they’re provided in a black, the silver is certainly the one to get, a refreshing departure from the monotonous sea of black and silver headphones that dominate the market.

Nothing has an actual give attention to tactile controls right here, so that you gained’t discover any contact sliders, as an alternative bodily buttons are in.

The headphones creation as a part of a partnership with audio veterans KEF, the Headphone (1) goals and whereas I wasn’t conversant in KEF merchandise, I can guarantee you they sound nice, however we’ll dive into extra element within the efficiency part of the complete assessment.

Design

From the second you unbox the Nothing Headphone (1), it’s evident that design is on the forefront. The primary trace there’s one thing a bit distinctive is the headphone case that contains a dent. This isn’t practical, however is designed to create a tactile, fidget-friendly expertise, very like the quantity knob on their earbuds case.

The clear earcups are the primary occasion right here, showcasing the meticulous association of parts inside. It is a deliberate transfer away from the minimalist and infrequently indistinguishable designs of rivals. It’s a dialog starter, a chunk of tech that’s meant to be seen.

These are such a dramatic departure from the Dell Premier Wirelss Headset I reviewed lately and I’d take these day by day of the week.

The construct high quality feels premium, with a satisfying heft and use of high quality supplies that counsel sturdiness. This ruggedness additionally comes with a bit additional weight at 329g, however that is solely barely larger than one thing just like the Sonos Ace at 312g and truly lower than the Apple Airpod Max at 384g.

With regards to your interactions with the headphones, Nothing has opted for bodily controls. This features a bodily curler for quantity, which additionally doubles as a play/pause button. If this wasn’t distinctive sufficient, there’s a paddle straight under it for observe skipping.

Nothing might have simply used two rollers, maybe one on every earphone, however as an alternative opted to leverage two utterly totally different controls, which create gratifying tactile suggestions that’s typically lacking in fashionable headphones.

One facet of the design that you simply’ll must cosnider in your shopping for choice is that these aren’t foldable, that means they’re the scale they’re, and don’t fold inwards. Certain, the earphones rotate flat, permitting you simply slide in a backpack in entrance of a laptop computer, however if you happen to have been making an attempt to suit these in a handbag the glovebox or middle console in your automobile, you might wrestle.

Maybe an important attribute on my shopping for listing for headphones is the query of consolation. No matter how good one thing seems or sounds, if it hurts my head after 2 hours of sporting it, I gained’t put on it. Fortunately the excellent news is that Headphone (1) feels comfy for multi-hour listening classes. When you’re somebody who commutes each day, or takes the practice typically, and even want to make use of headphones at house to keep away from annoying household or room mates together with your music, then these are nice!

Efficiency

Placing the Nothing Headphone (1) to the check, the audio expertise is spectacular, although with some caveats. The 40mm dynamic drivers, tuned by KEF, ship a clear and well-balanced sound profile. The bass is current and well-defined with out overpowering the mids and highs, leading to a listening expertise that’s satisfying throughout varied genres.

For individuals who crave a extra personalised sound, you need to defintiely discover the Nothing X app which provides a customized 8-band equaliser for granular management.

The energetic noise cancellation (ANC) is one other sturdy level. It successfully minimises the drone of public transport and the final hum of an workplace atmosphere, creating an immersive listening bubble. Having travelled with these on the practice recenlty, I can attest to how nice these are at tuning out the skin noise and permitting you to give attention to the duty at hand.

There are a number of ANC modes to select from, together with a transparency mode that sounds pure and permits for consciousness of your environment. You’ll be able to entry this by urgent and holding the curler button, or use the app to set this as a press and maintain possibility for the button on the exterior face of the suitable earmuff (yep, a third fashion of button).

Being a Bluetooth headset, these additionally supply the power to make and take calls. To make calls, easy use the voice assistant (fired by the identical button as above) and ask it to name your contact.

If you’re on a name, the opposite participant sounds nice, and I’ve had no complaints in regards to the name high quality from my finish, possible a results of the the a number of microphones doing a superb job of isolating your voice from background noise. Whereas the out-of-the-box sound is sweet, I’d undoubtedly suggest spending time within the app to get essentially the most out of those headphones.

Options

The Nothing Headphone (1) is filled with options that improve the consumer expertise.

Clear Design
A novel aesthetic that showcases the inner parts, setting it aside from different headphones in the marketplace.

KEF Tuned Audio
Collaboration with the famend audio model KEF for a high-fidelity sound expertise with 40mm dynamic drivers.

Superior Equaliser
The Nothing X app gives an 8-band equaliser for detailed sound customisation, together with presets for fast changes.

Hybrid Lively Noise Cancellation
A number of modes of ANC to successfully block out exterior noise, plus a natural-sounding transparency mode.

Spatial Audio
Head-tracking permits to expertise audio as if it was coming from a single path, like a stage forward of you. As you flip your head, the audio swings to come back from the left or proper. This selection is out there by way of the Nothing cellular app and default is Off.

Tactile Controls
Bodily buttons, together with a curler for quantity and a paddle for observe navigation, supply intuitive and dependable management.

Twin Gadget Connection
Seamlessly change between two linked Bluetooth units.

Lengthy Battery Life
Take pleasure in as much as 80 hours of playback with ANC off and a nonetheless spectacular 35 hours with ANC enabled. A fast 10-minute cost gives as much as 8 hours of listening time.

Points and Alternatives

Whereas there’s lots to like in regards to the Nothing Headphone (1), there are just a few areas for potential enchancment.

I’m on board with a lot of the daring choices Nothing made with this machine, however what’s actually unusual is the choice to make an audible sound when switching between Noice Cancellation modes.

Noise cancellation: When switching to this mode, you hear an audible ‘Thunk’.
Transparency: As you alter to this mode, you’ll hear a feminine voice whisper ‘aaahh’.. yep, it’s as bizarre because it sounds.
Off: Flip off ANC and also you’ll hear a digital ‘blip’ such as you’re taking part in Portal.

Defaults are one factor, however having no choice to disable these sounds is actually annoying. It was cute for the primary day or two, however is definitely is now annoying. Having 3 utterly totally different soundscapes for this seems like a call that displays the three very totally different button sorts on the machine. Personally I would really like consistency over variation and after a few days of possession you would study what’s what.

The match, whereas usually comfy, might be longer. The headscarf provides a novel design in the best way that it attaches to every earmuff. This implies the scale adjustment has to occur additional up the headphones and I put on them virtually on the most prolonged measurement. I might simply see situations the place this restricted adjustment means they don’t match bigger heads properly.

Worth and Availability

The A$549.00 price ticket for the Nothing Headphone (1) locations it within the premium phase of the market, an area at present dominated by heavyweights from Sony, Bose, Sennheiser, and Apple. Right here’s a comparative have a look at how Nothing’s providing stacks up towards its key rivals when it comes to value:

Apple AirPods Max: For customers closely invested within the Apple ecosystem, the AirPods Max stay a top-tier alternative. Nonetheless, they arrive with the heftiest price ticket on this comparability, retailing for $899 in Australia.

Sonos Ace: The primary headphone providing from the multi-room audio large, the Sonos Ace, has entered the Australian market with a premium value level. It’s out there for $699, making it a considerably costlier possibility than Nothing’s debut mannequin and inserting it within the higher echelon of the market.

Sony WH-1000XM5: A perennial favorite and extensively considered among the finest within the enterprise for noise cancellation and general efficiency, the Sony WH-1000XM5 sometimes retails for round $549 in Australia, although costs can fluctuate with promotions. Its successor, the newly launched Sony WH-1000XM6, has been launched with an RRP of $699, pushing the boundaries of the premium shopper headphone market.

Bose QuietComfort Extremely Headphones: Bose, one other titan within the noise-cancelling headphone house, costs its newest flagship mannequin, the QuietComfort Extremely Headphones, at roughly $649 RRP, making them a costlier possibility in comparison with the Nothing Headphone (1).

Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wi-fi: German audio specialist Sennheiser provides its highly-rated Momentum 4 Wi-fi headphones with an RRP ranging from $549.95, inserting them in direct competitors with the Nothing Headphone (1) on value.

The Nothing Headphone (1) is out there from the next retailers:

On the time of writing, Optus can be providing a promotion the place you may get the Nothing Headphone (1) without spending a dime when buying a Nothing Telephone (3) on a plan.

General

The Nothing Headphone (1) is a compelling first entry into the over-ear headphone marketplace for the model. It efficiently marries a novel and crowd pleasing design with a function set and audio efficiency that largely justifies its premium price ticket. The tactile controls are a pleasure to make use of, and the ANC is extremely efficient.

It is a headphone for the style-conscious particular person who desires to face out from the gang and appreciates a thoughtfully designed piece of expertise. Whereas die arduous followers of different manufacturers could not come throughout, I like that there’s a refreshing new strategy and well-rounded different.

For individuals who worth design and consumer expertise as a lot as sound high quality, the Nothing Headphone (1) is a implausible alternative and a robust assertion that Nothing is a severe contender within the audio house. It represents good worth for many who are captivated by its distinctive aesthetic and stable efficiency.