As everyone knows, Nothing already has several audio products of their own and it can be said that all of them have a good reputation after their launch. After launching several TWS series, Nothing starts a new step into the headphone world with Nothing Headphone (1) and will these headphones be able to maintain the same good reputation as other Nothing audio products?
Specifications
Nothing Headphone (1)
Type Closed-back earphones
Driver 40mm Dynamic Nickel Plated
Designed By KEF
Microphone 6 microphones
Battery 80 Hours ANC
35 hours without ANC
USB-C charging port
Wireless charging None
CODEC AAC, SBC,LDAC
Supported operating systems All
Virtual assistant support All
Control pad Power switch,
Bluetooth button,
Control pedal
Touch button
Waterproofing IP52
Selling price RM1099
Black and White
Design and Usage
In short, the design of Nothing Headphone (1) certainly has the identity of Nothing, which is a transparent design that reveals the components inside. This design makes the headphones from Nothing different from others, suitable for those of you who like unusual designs. At a glance at the ear cups of this headphone, it looks like a cassette player which may bring back memories for some people.
This square-shaped ear cup is made of aluminum and plastic on the transparent part. The connector between the ear cups and headband uses a plastic material that feels very smooth to adjust. On the headband, it is made of aluminum. Because it uses a lot of aluminum material, it makes these headphones feel premium and expensive. One disappointing thing is that these ear cups cannot be folded and can only be rotated 90 degrees.
On the ear cups and headband, it uses sponge made of memory foam and PU. What I can say is, these are the most comfortable headphones I have ever used. I can wear these headphones for quite a long time because they do not make my ears feel hot quickly. These ear cups also cover my entire ear well and can provide fairly good passive noise cancellation.
All the control buttons for these headphones are only on the right ear cup. On the bottom of the ear cup, there is a power switch to turn on these headphones, a USB C connection and a 3.5mm audio jack for using them wired. On the side, there is a control paddle to skip forward or backward. Another function of this control paddle is to speed up or rewind the song and only some applications can use this function.
In addition, there is an oval-shaped button that has two functions, namely activating the noise cancellation function or transparent mode by pressing it for a few seconds and controlling the audio volume by rotating it. In addition, there is a button to call the virtual assistant located on the outside of the ear cup. This button also has a 'channel hop' function that will change different audio applications.
One strange thing about the control buttons on these headphones is the position of the Bluetooth connection button which is located on the inside of the ear cup and its size is also quite small to press. In terms of customization, only the buttons on the outside and the oval-shaped button can be changed functions through the Nothing X application.
Because these headphones cannot be folded into a smaller size, automatically the storage case is also quite large and takes up space when placed in a bag. The overall design of this storage case is also nothing interesting. On the inside there is a pocket to place the charging cable and 3.5mm audio jack cable.
Audio Quality
The special feature of the Nothing Headphone (1) is the audio produced through a specially made 40mm nickel-plated driver that has been tuned by KEF, a company that makes high-quality audio products such as speakers and headphones. According to Nothing, the audio produced through collaboration with the British company will be more neutral. At the beginning of the experiment, I used these headphones according to the settings given right out of the box.
Basically, the audio of these headphones has high bass but it is not extreme like most gaming headphones out there. This high bass also gives a little effect to the sound of other instruments such as the sound of cymbals which feel quite far away. I listen to a lot of songs with the post hardcore genre on these headphones and the bass produced is really felt in the ears but it causes the guitar sound to be slightly affected. In terms of vocals, for male singers it sounds quite flat but female singers sound fine.
After two days of using the original settings, I changed the EQ via the Nothing X app on these headphones to my own taste. By using my own EQ, the sound produced became more balanced and neutral. Overall, these headphones have a ‘warm’ sound characteristic. If you prefer a sound with bass, you don’t need to change anything on these headphones.
I also tried these Headphones (1) wired using a 3.5mm audio cable with a DAC/AMP. The sound produced was quite surprising because it was more balanced and natural without changing the EQ.
In terms of audio staging, it was not very spacious and as if you were listening to a song in a small space but was able to produce good sound. The sound of the instruments’ directions was also still identifiable and did not interfere with each other.
ANC And Transparent Mode
The very good thing about this Nothing Headphone 1 is its ANC ability to block out ambient noise. For several days I used these headphones in the LRT and with this ANC feature it was able to reduce ambient noise quite significantly. This is also helped by the memory foam in the ear cups of these headphones which can reduce some of the ambient noise. At the beginning of use, I could feel a little vacuum effect from this ANC feature but after a few days it was not felt very much.
The ANC feature is not complete without its partner, which is the transparent mode. I have no problem with the transparent mode of these headphones because it can do the job well, only when using this feature my voice sounds like it is stuck but the voices of the people around me are very clearly heard.
Application
Like Nothing and CMF audio products, these Headphones (1) can also be controlled through the Nothing X application. I personally really like the Nothing X application because it looks very neat and does not give me a headache while using it. On these headphones, there are several interesting functions with Nothing X that you can try such as the head tracking spatial audio feature. With this feature, the audio you are listening to will follow the movement of your head but I rarely use this function. Another function is the 'channel hop' which will switch to another audio application if you use more than two applications simultaneously.
I really appreciate the 8-band equalizer function found in this application. With this function I can slightly change the original sound of this headphone to a sound that suits my taste. If you don't understand how to use the 8-band equalizer, you can still use the standard 3-band equalizer and several sound presets provided.
Although this Headphone (1) has many physical buttons, only two buttons that can be pressed can be changed in function, namely the oval-shaped button and the button located on the outside. The button on the outside can also be used with the Essential Space on the Nothing Phone to record voice notes. This button is also integrated with AI and the News Reporter widget feature for Nothing devices.
Battery
This Nothing Headphone (1) can last up to 54 hours of use with LDAC and the ANC function activated according to Nothing itself. This battery performance is better than its competitor, the Sony WH-1000XM6. Based on my use, I was able to use it for 5 consecutive days with an average of 5 hours of use per day and during this review period I only charged these headphones 2 times.
Speaking of charging, these headphones have a 5-minute quick charge for 5 hours of use without ANC and 2.4 hours with ANC. The time it takes to fully charge is 2 hours via the USB-C port.
What's In The Box
1x Nothing Headphone (1)
1x Storage bag.
1x USB-C to USB-C charging cable.
1x 3.5mm audio jack cable
1x Manual.
1x Warranty card.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this Nothing Headphone (1) may be able to maintain its performance similar to other Nothing audio products. By bringing a unique design and good audio quality, this Nothing Headphone (1) can make a name for itself in the premium headphone market. As a non-headphone fan, this Nothing Headphone (1) managed to interest me in the world of headphones.
Pros
The design is very unique and attractive.
Very comfortable on the head
Good audio quality
Multifunctional physical buttons
Long-lasting battery
Cons
Can't be folded.
Need EQ for more balanced audio
Large storage container.
The Bluetooth tethering button is in a strange position.