Nothing Headphone (1)

Cool-looking headphones with a competitive price that hold their own against AirPods Max.

The $299 Nothing Headphone 1 offers many features that compete well with Bose, Apple, and Sony, and the lower price might get some folks to choose it. If you’re planning to use headphones for voice calls, I’m not sure this is the right pick. But if not, and if the design fits your personality, then saving $200 for this audio quality and noise cancellation makes this a package worth considering.

The Nothing Headphone (1) ended up being more impressive than I thought it would be. Nothing has always been a good marketing company that usually does a bang-up job hyping its products. Its first earbuds were a little more style over substance (the performance has improved with more recent models), but this headphone's sturdy, eye-catching design is backed by strong performance.

The Nothing Headphone (1) stands out in a crowded market with a distinctive design, customizable controls, and good noise cancellation, but getting the best sound quality requires some work on your part.

The Nothing Headphone 1 mark a bold debut in the over-ear headphones space. There are some sound quality inconsistencies with ANC enabled and their heavy, overly-tight frame aren't great for those with a larger head and ears, but with USB-C audio, built-in spatial features, and a rare IP52 rating, Nothing's first-ever cans are feature-rich, uniquely vintage-styled alternatives to the best from Sony, Bose, and Apple.

Nothing’s bold entrance to the over ear headphone market has resulted in a comfortable, versatile headphone, but there’s a sense that in some ways it’s more style than substance. The noise cancelling - is only decent and not among the strongest in its category and it might take some tweaking with the EQ to get the sound that you want. Otherwise, they’re enjoyable and easy to listen to and to live with.