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If you've been searching for a pair of over-ear headphones that stand out from the crowd, Nothing Headphone (1) could be the answer.
The London-based technology upstart this week unveiled its first premium over-ear Bluetooth headphones alongside its first genuine flagship Android phone, Nothing Phone (3). Discussing what led the small start-up to work on Headphone (1), co-founder and CEO Carl Pei lamented the uninspired designs from most established players, like Sony, Beats, Bose, and Bowers & Wilkins.
Asking ChatGPT to generate an image of over-ear headphones will see the AI dream-up a pair of cans that really don't look too disimilar from the bestselling products on the market, Carl Pei joked. And that left an opening for the award-winning designers at the British start-up.
Nothing says its Headphone (1) are "designed to be remembered," and it's tough to argue with that assessment.
Nothing Headphone (1) are available in either White or Black
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If you've been following the team's efforts with smartphones like the Phone (2a), Phone (3a), and incoming Phone (3), and its ear (1) 'buds, you'll know that transparency is a trademark design, and Headphone (1) offers a peek into the acoustic chambers and precision-cut internal components.
The earcups are built from aluminium and durable plastics, while Nothing says the memory foam ear cushions are designed to mould naturally to the listener’s head, reducing ear pressure and offering a secure, comfortable seal for all-day wear.
Roller is the name of the scroll-wheel on the rear of the right earcup used to control volume, playback, and switch between Transparency Mode (that lets in the outside world, so you can hear those around you without taking off the headphones) and Active Noise Cancellation
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If you prefer physical controls over the swipes and taps on touch surfaces favoured by some of the most popular over-ear headphones on the market, Nothing Headphone (1) has you covered with a deliberately tactile approach. The Roller functions a little like the scroll wheel inside a computer mouse, with a roll to the right increasing volume, and the opposite direction lowering the sound. It's a fun fidget-spinner-like way of controlling volume, and is accompanied with a pleasantly mechanicalclick inside the headphones to let you know that it's working.
A quick press on the same surface will play or pause the song, audiobook, or podcast you're listening to, while a long press to toggle between Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Transparency Mode.
The second tactile control on the back of the right earcup is what Nothing calls the Paddle. This thin bar can be flicked to the right to skip forward, or pushed left to go back to the previous track. Hold to scrub either forwards or backwards at speed, especially handy for skipping through a podcast, then release to resume playback.
Headphone (1) use the Paddle to flick between tracks. Hold this tactile bar to the right to scrub forwards and left to scrub backwards
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Lastly, there's also a single button on the side of the earcup. On Nothing phones, this unlocks a feature called Channel Hop that cycles through recent audio apps or favourites that you've defined in the settings — so it can automatically cycle through the latest episode of a favourite podcast feed, a specific playlist, or radio station On iOS and other Android devices, a press of the Button will launch the built-in smart assistant.
All functions are fully customisable via the Nothing X app – whether you want to open Spotify, get the latest news, or trigger ChatGPT with a press.
Nothing has a shelf heaving with awards for this type of stand-out design and interesting control mechanisms, so you might expect all of these features from its first pair of high-end headphones... but what about the sound?
Interestingly, Nothing has teamed-up with KEF, a Kent-based company known for its high-end audio products, including HiFi speakers, subwoofers, architecture speakers, and wireless speakers, to help out with that aspect of the Headphone (1).
The award-winning designers at Nothing turned to KEF, the prestigious audio brand founded in Maidstone, Kent in 1961 by a BBC engineer Raymond Cooke, to help with the sound performance of the Headphone (1)
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Headphone (1) is the first product born from this new partnership between the UK-based technology brands. KEF brings over 60 years of expertise in high-fidelity sound.
Nothing relied on KEF’s advanced acoustic engineering and proprietary tuning tools to create the custom-built 40 mm dynamic drivers inside each earcup that deliver rich, natural audio with deep bass, detailed mids, and crisp treble across all modes, including ANC, Transparency, and Spatial Audio.
According to the start-up, on-device spatialisation and built-in head tracking ensure "Headphone (1) transforms any stereo source into a 360-degree soundstage that adapts in real time to the listener’s movement".
Like its Android handsets, Nothing has used transparency to reveal some of the inner workings of its products, including a glimpse of the acoustic chambers in the earcup of the Headphone (1)
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There's also support for Hi-Res Audio, LDAC, USB-C lossless playback, and a 3.5mm jack — helpful for those who want to take advantage of the improved sound and noise-cancellation with the entertainment system on long-haul flights.
"With Headphone (1), we set out to create something that doesn't just sound great, it feels different the moment you pick it up," said Adam Bates, Head of Design at Nothing. "From the tactile controls to the transparent construction, every detail is intentional. It's a product that looks different, works differently, and invites people to connect with sound in a more expressive way."
You'll get up to 35 hours of listening time with Active Noise Cancellation enabled, while the Headphone (1) only need five minutes on charge to top-up the battery with enough juice for 2.4 hours of playback.
Powered by With Bluetooth 5.3, Nothing Headphone (1) support being paired with two devices at the same time. There's also built-in support for Fast Pair and low-latency performance, so switching between devices is seamless.
Nothing Headphone (1) will cost £299 at launch, which pits them head-to-head with the latest offerings from Sony and Bose
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Headphone (1) will be available in either Black or White.
Nothing will charge £299 for the Headphone (1) in the UK. Preorders start on July 4, 2025 from nothing.tech.
More retailers are expected to stock these Bluetooth headphones when they're on-sale worldwide on July 15, 2025.
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