“Does feeling cheap undermine sonic enjoyment?”: I used Nothing’s new budget headphones for weeks – here’s my honest verdict
I liked Nothing’s initial tilt at making over-ear headphones – its Headphone (1) felt like a really interesting entry into the market in years. With an exterior design and a heavy emphasis on physical control, all it needed was a good sound to hit a home run, and I felt like it ticked that box, too.
That left me very interested to see what Nothing would do next, and now I’m not surprised that it’s going down the wallet-friendly route. The brand’s first over-ear audio product had a hefty price tag, but the Nothing Headphone (a) looks to make things more affordable. I had a pair for a two-week tour and a hard listen, to see how it stacks up.
Price and Availability
You don’t know that it wouldn’t fly very close to the price of Headphone (1) if it wanted real separation. So, Headphone (a) comes in at £149, $199 or €159 depending on the region. In theory, that’s half the price of the Headphone (1), and the new headphones should be available to order from March 13th.
That said, we should point out that even in recent weeks the Headphone (1) has been available for a third of its full price, which is £199 here in the UK. Since it’s less than a year, it’s possible that we’ll see that number improved soon, too, which narrows the big gap between the two categories of Nothing’s Headphone products.
Design and features
(Image credit: Future | Max Freeman-Mills)
Nothing really hits the needle on the headphone design (a), as far as I can tell. I was a big fan of the look of the Headphone (1) boldly, but I would admit that my review sample was informed by being a black, more toned down version.
The white version was quite bold, and its clarity ended up looking like a good cassette, and it makes sense that Headphone (a) brought things back. It still has the rectangular silhouette that made the Nothing stand out, but its earcups are now filled with smooth and hollow plastic ovals.
(Image credit: Future | Max Freeman-Mills)
This is very easy on the eye, and makes the headphones less kooky on your head, for all you still get a hint of pop and a red square symbol to mark it. You can also get them in many colors – white and black are back, but there is also a pale pink and limited yellow option, too.
Holding them in hand and comparing them to Headphone (1), you can easily see that nothing has reduced its cost, either. Materials feel equally cheap throughout, with more plastic and not a hint of metal to be found. This makes them very light, which is not a bad thing, but there is no doubt that they do not have the durability of the best headphones.
However, None did a great job of keeping some important touches, including the physical controls that I really liked on the Headphone (1). That said, the right earcup boasts a volume control roller, a rocker for skipping tracks, a portable power button, a customizable external shortcut button and a Bluetooth pairing button. There’s also USB-C and a 3.5mm port for charging and connectivity.
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It’s as comprehensive a set of controls as you’ll find on any headphone in this price bracket, and I can’t recommend it enough to make a decision. I’m sure it was an option to return these controls, but keeping them is the right decision so far.
That said, not all roses are empty. By reducing the hard materials, it has accepted an obvious trade-off: the Headphone (a) does not feel as premium or close to it in the hand. This also has a small product in terms of comfort, too.
Although I find these cans comfortable to wear for hours at a time, the reduced weight means they provide a more isolated feel when worn. Obviously, active noise cancellation (ANC) is there, but it’s not that important that they haven’t been installed properly in your head in the first place. They’re also very comfortable to adjust thanks to a slightly modified headband design that I haven’t had much fun working with.
Working with Sound
(Image credit: Future | Max Freeman-Mills)
From a sound point of view, Nothing brought much to the Headphone (a). It’s kept the same 40mm driver it uses in the Headphone (1), to begin with, which is a great jumping off point.
That means you get the same warmth, precision and enthusiasm that I loved about those more expensive headphones, at a price that feels like a great deal.
Along with the rest of the world, I’ve been listening to a lot of Olivia Dean The Art of Loveand its rich vocals come through surprisingly well with Headphone(a), as does the sweetness of some of the backing tracks. Punchier, louder stuff like Led Zeppelin’s IV it has the heft I expect, too.
I also installed Headphone (a) for ANC at its best. My sample arrived at the start of a busy schedule, so they accompanied me on several flights, train rides, taxi rides and more. They made a decent splash across the board, including a busy arena at the MWC show in Barcelona.
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Due to the reduced amount of isolation provided by the design, they are not at the same level as the Headphone (1), however. Nothing told me in the forum that the ANC technology is the same between the two models, but that doesn’t mean it works effectively.
For the price, though, I think the sound quality and ANC on offer is really solid, and it adds some neat extra features.
First, the battery life is pretty amazing, 75 hours with ANC on full, or up to 135 hours with that feature off. Those are the numbers that big brands should emulate with more expensive headphones, but they often don’t. What’s more, 5 minutes of charging gets you a ridiculous 8 hours of playback, which is a little surprising.
On the durability side, the IP52 rating isn’t exemplary – it means that water drops are fine, and should be sweat-safe, but heavy rain is a question mark. The onboard microphones also don’t make for the best call quality, which is nothing new for over-ears.
Finally, the Nothing X app continues to be a solid companion for tweaking various settings and features. I’ve dealt with a lot of these over the years, so a smooth experience is always a nice bonus.
Nothing Headphone (a) review: Decision
(Image credit: Future | Max Freeman-Mills)
Nothing impressed me with its first pair of in-ear headphones, and I was impressed again with its second, cheaper offering in Headphone (a).
Some people may sniff at its ownership, but don’t underestimate the challenge of breaking into new stages like this, let alone doing it with the most powerful devices.
The only things holding these over-ears back are their slight stiffness in the hand, and the odd fact that the original Headphone (1) has had a lot of sales recently to close the price gap.
Overall, the Nothing Headphone (a) is comfortable, incredibly durable, has solid sound and noise canceling (ANC), and retains the visual flair of its older sibling. That’s an important checklist for success.
Think again
If you see the Headphone (1) to reduce the price at that time, at the time of writing, I would say that it is a very reasonable purchase. That’s a bit of an “if”, but keep your eye out and you’ll get a good chance.
If not, I would say that the Anker Soundcore Space One Pro should be on your radar. This extremely comfortable pair of headphones is great sounding and can be picked up for singing, with the same set of features offered by the Nothing, albeit with a very different look.
