OpinionDrafted with AI assistance and reviewed by our editors. Sources linked below.
Nothing's $399 headphones put three drivers in each ear. The spec sheet is the easy part.
CNN Underscored flagged the titanium-built Headphone (1) Pro among this week's launches. Triple drivers, 46 dB of noise cancelling and a physical flat-EQ switch make a strong case on paper. Whether that beats Sony and Bose at nearly the same price is the real test.
Nothing has built its reputation on design — the see-through earbuds, the dotted light panels — and its first over-ear headphones were praised more for looks than sound. CNN Underscored’s launches column this week singled out the follow-up, the Headphone (1) Pro, described as an ANC headset with a titanium build. At $399, it is $100 more than the original and sits one step below Sony’s flagship at $449.
What’s changed is mostly inside. According to the specialist coverage, each ear cup carries three drivers — a 40 mm bass driver, a mid driver and an xMEMS tweeter — with active noise cancelling rated up to 46 dB using a ten-microphone array. Battery life is rated at 30 hours with ANC on and up to 68 hours off. The titanium is in the arms and headband, which Nothing says are around 45% lighter than before, though the headphones still weigh 327 g. There is a physical flat-EQ switch, lossless audio wired and wireless, and IP52 water resistance.
Why three drivers is more than a number
Most headphones use one driver per ear and ask it to do everything. Splitting bass, mids and treble across dedicated drivers is how expensive speakers work, and it can make a real difference to clarity — provided the crossover between them is done well. That “provided” is where headphones in this price range live or die, and it’s not something a spec sheet can tell you.
The flat-EQ switch is the feature we’d single out. Most consumer headphones ship with a tuned, bass-forward sound and bury the neutral option in an app. A physical switch to a flat response is a small, honest gesture towards people who want to hear the recording rather than the brand’s idea of it.
Where the doubts are
The reviews that have appeared are split on value. TechRadar’s verdict is that the headphones “struggle to justify their premium asking fee,” with a pointed complaint that a heavy case accounts for too much of the money. Others find the hardware more interesting than Sony’s or Bose’s at a similar price. That split is the honest state of play: this is a genuinely different design that may or may not be worth $399 to you.
Weight is the other thing to check. Titanium headbands sound light; 327 g is not, and it’s a figure to compare against whatever you’re wearing now.
The takeaway
If you buy headphones on sound and want something that isn’t Sony or Bose, this is the first Nothing product we’d put on the shortlist — the driver layout and the EQ switch are real engineering, not decoration. If you buy on comfort and noise cancelling for long flights, try them on first. $399 is a price at which “interesting” has to also mean “better,” and that’s a judgement only your ears can make.
