Smartphone maker Nothing today introduced the Headphone (1), the company's first set of over-ear headphones. The new audio accessory was created in partnership with high-end speaker company KEF.
Like most of the Nothing products, the Headphone (1) features a transparent design that lets you see the internal components inside. The see-through look does not work quite as well as it does for a smartphone, and the Headphone (1) will definitely draw attention.
The earpieces are rectangular, with PU-covered memory foam ear cups and an adjustable headband, with the shell made from a mix of plastic and aluminum. There are no distracting glyph lights like there are on the Nothing smartphones.
The Headphone (1) ear cups aren't as large as the ear cups on some other over-ear headphones, and there is a good amount of pressure on the ears that can get uncomfortable over time. The ear cups are where weight is concentrated and they are tight on the head, so you may feel them after a couple hours. The AirPods Max also have a lot of weight in the ear cups, so the fit of the Headphone (1) is similar to the fit of the AirPods Max.
Sound quality is good for a set of headphones priced at $299, and it's not too far off what you'll get with over-ear headphones from companies like Sony, Bose, and Apple. Out of the box, the headphones are heavy on the bass, but the Nothing X app allows for EQ adjustments. Bumping up the mids and highs makes for a much more balanced listening experience.
The Headphone (1) supports Apple-esque features like spatial audio and dynamic head tracking, though you're going to be missing the iCloud-based functionality like automatic pairing and device switching. Active Noise Cancellation is included, and the Headphone (1) fits tightly on the head to minimize sound leakage, so the overall result is a solid sound dampening experience. The headphones are able to scan every 600ms to adapt to external noise.
There are physical control buttons on the Headphone (1), and they can be customized to the functions that you find most useful. There's a paddle button that can be used for audio playback, and a roller for adjusting volume. There's a 3.5mm audio jack along with support for LDAC and USB-C audio. As for battery life, the Headphone (1) lasts for 35 hours with ANC and 80 hours without it.
What do you think of the Headphone (1)? Let us know in the comments below.
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