Nothing Headphone (1)

I've said it several times already. I'll say it again, and again; Teenage Engineering's Nothing designs are the most exciting in this entire segment right now, and they're doing things with Nothing phones and headphones that giants like Sony, Sennheiser, Bose and Sonos can't even come close to. The newly released over-ear debut Nothing Headphone (1) is certainly no exception, quite the opposite. These gorgeous headphones won't appeal to everyone with their quirky retro-futuristic look and form factor, but I love the way they look. As an old designer, it's always inspiring to see manufacturers who are really pushing the envelope when it comes to innovative and, above all, fun, eventful industrial design, and Nothing's is currently the best in the world.

The design won't appeal to everyone, of course, but I really love the way these look.

The Nothing Headphones (1) look (as you've obviously already seen) like a cross between a pair of old AKG headphones from the happy 70s, an old cassette tape and a dashboard from the spaceship in Kubrick's minimalist, gorgeous 2001: A Space Odyssey. They are downright exquisite in the way they have been designed and the attention to detail in the design, inside the transparent plexiglass covers, is amazing. That said, I don't find the Nothing Headphone (1) particularly comfortable. I wear a size 59 (XL) headphone and consider the Sennheiser Momentum 4 to be the most comfortable headphone in the segment. I have no problem with the Nothing Headphone (1) being a bit heavier (stepping into the ring at a hefty 330 grams, almost 100 more than Sennheiser's counterpart) but they do pinch a bit against both skull and ears, which is not adjustable and in my case has made these headphones feel uncomfortable after only about 30 minutes of listening. That said, ergonomics and fit are of course 100% subjective. If you have a smaller head than me, or a narrower one, I am confident that you will find these comfortable.

As for the sound quality, the Nothing Headphone (1) is just fine in Bluetooth wireless mode. The character is a tad dull, a bit toned down in terms of tuning and I never find them as playful or lively as, say, the Sennheiser Momentum 4 or Technics equivalent, during my listening hours. There's plenty of control here though, much thanks to speaker giant Kef who helped Nothing tune the chip in the Headphone (1), but I do miss a bit of life, a bit of midrange dynamics and a bit more bass. It is then rather with the USB cord connected to the headphones and to my Nothing 3A that these headphones come into their own, as they can then run in LDAC protocol and offer lossless 24 bit/96 kHz sound. Here, the Nothing Headphones (1) sound much better than they do wirelessly, and it's clear to me that Kef has focused on topping the competition here, which is both odd and a bit strange. All the music I've listened to in wired mode has sounded more natural, there's loads more presence to it than in Bluetooth Mode and I like the more powerful and airy bass more here, too. So here you can get audiophile hi-fi via a "Bluetooth headphone" just by plugging in a USB-C cable. This is before Sennheiser has even unleashed its twice as expensive HDB 630.

The fit and weight of the headphones is not optimal, however.

In terms of call quality, battery life and active noise cancellation, the Nothing Headphone (1) is good. The ANC can't really compete with Sony or Bose right now, but it's good. I've tested these at the gym and due to the design and weight itself, I find them inappropriate for physical activity but the ANC blocked out a lot of what was going on at the gym around me and everyone I've called to test the microphones has found my voice to sound natural and warm unlike many other headsets in the same category, which tend to make the conversational voice a tad thin, and nasal. Nothings app and their own EQ are good, though. There are plenty of settings here and it's very clear that Kef has been involved here and given me, as a listener, real hi-fi possibilities in terms of the settings I can make. It's also satisfying that Nothing and Teenage Engineering have skipped touch and put physical buttons in these headphones, which I always, always prefer.

40+ hours per charge and good ANC, is certainly not bad.

There's a bit to work on for Nothing here. The next model needs to be foldable, they need to be at least 80 grams lighter and I reckon the memory foam needs to be even softer so as not to make your ears sore after an hour or two. However, it must be said that the Nothing Headphone (1) is an impressive first attempt and the fact that the USB C functionality with 24 bit/96 kHz audio sounds as good as it does, is for me as an audio geek really enjoyable. The battery lasts for over 40 hours per charge and the included storage case is great. Some bad, lots of good - in other words. I suspect the Nothing Headphone (2) will be brilliant.