The Nothing Headphone (1) launched last year as the first headphone from Nothing can be categorized as a successful product. With a combination of transparent panel design and good build quality, it is unique in a market with a lot of headphones.
This year they launched the Nothing Headphone (a), these are more affordable headphones than the Headphone (1). If the Headphone (1) is not right for you, maybe the Headphone (a) could be the solution. Continue reading this review article to find out more.
Specifications
Nothing Headphone (a)
Type Closed-back earphones
Driver 40mm Dynamic Titanium-Coated
Ditala By Nothing
Microphone 4 microphones
Battery 1060 mAh
90 Hours ANC
62 hours without ANC
USB-C charging port
Wireless charging None
CODEC AAC, SBC,LDAC
Operating system supported All
Virtual assistant support All
Control pad Power switch,
Bluetooth button,
Control pedal
Touch button
Waterproofing IP52
Selling price RM699
Black, White, Yellow and Pink
Design and Usage
Nothing Headphone (a) simply takes a little of the design DNA from Headphone (1) but there are also minor differences on Headphone (a) for example the design of the outer part of the ear cups is more rounded. The other difference is in the color choice which this time looks more cheerful but for our unit which is black it looks more classic.
The construction material of this Headphone (a) is also different because this time it uses a lot of plastic so it makes these headphones look less premium but what's good is that it's lighter than Headphone (1) so it doesn't put too much strain on your head when worn for a long time. Only the connector between the headband and the ear cups uses aluminum. The main reason Nothing changed the construction material to plastic is to further reduce the selling price of this Headphone (a).
There is a soft sponge on the ear cups and this is probably the same sponge as the one on the Headphone (1). There is also a soft sponge on the headband. If you use these headphones outside, you will feel your ears get hot and uncomfortable quickly but in areas like air-conditioned offices it will not cause any problems. The good thing is that these ear cups can cover the entire ear well and can provide passive noise cancellation indirectly.
Nothing still maintains the physical buttons on this Headphone (a) and their positions are also the same as those on the Headphone (1). On the bottom of the ear cups, there is a power switch to turn on these headphones, a USB C connection and a 3.5mm audio jack for using them wired.
The side has an oval-shaped button to control the volume and ANC mode, a paddle button to skip music forward and backward. The outside of the ear cups has a multi-function button for user convenience. The only difference is the Bluetooth connection button which is located inside the ear cups.
This Nothing Headphone (a) also maintains the same issue as the previous Headphone (1) where it cannot be folded into a smaller shape for storage purposes. In addition, Nothing does not provide a storage case but instead provides a storage bag whose quality feels quite cheap. In addition, this headphone also does not have a built-in proximity sensor so the song or audio you are playing will not stop automatically when you open these headphones.
Audio Quality
To be honest, I do not have high expectations about the audio quality of this Nothing Headphone (a). This is because, this time Nothing has not collaborated with any audio company to tune the sound on this Headphone (a). Headphones (a) use 40mm titanium-coated drivers with their own sound tuning. So how does the sound produced by these headphones sound?
At first glance, the sound produced has a higher bass, even higher than Headphones (1). This is one of the features of affordable headphones, which is to have a fairly high bass. This bass is more noticeable when the ANC function is activated. At mid-frequency or 'mid', it feels a little piercing despite having high bass. Singers' vocals sometimes feel thin and move away more from male singers or those with low 'key'.
In short, the Nothing Heaphone (a) has a 'warm' sound profile. This is not surprising because this sound profile is more general and suitable for most people. If you don't like the sound of these headphones, you can still change the sound a little through the EQ. In terms of sound staging, it is not the best and not too loud, it is still noticeable but not too wide and the instrument sound is also a bit noisy if you use the standard EQ.
ANC & Transparent Mode
Because the ear cups on these headphones can provide some passive noise cancellation, it helps a little when activating active noise cancellation. The noise in the Kelana Jaya LRT can still be heard a little if you don't play anything. There is a slight vacuum effect when activating the ANC function and as I said earlier when using this ANC feature it seems to give a little 'boost' to the bass.
For transparent mode, it also works well because it uses the 4 microphones on these headphones to enhance the sound of the environment. However, I feel that the sound seems to be processed because when you open these headphones it feels like you are hearing another environment.
Application – Nothing X
I have tried several Nothing audio products and I still like this Nothing X application. The interface in the application is very neat and not confusing even for new users. At the time of writing this article, there are no new additional features for this Headphone (a) and most of the existing features are still the same as those in Headphone (1).
Only the spatial audio feature has a slight addition, namely Concert and Cinema modes. This feature only changes the direction from which the audio comes and is not too special in my opinion.
If you don't like the existing sound on Headphone (a), you can change it a little by using the 8-band Equalizer in Nothing X. If you don't understand how it works or don't know how to change it, you can just download some other user presets in Nothing Playground and go straight to Nothing X.
Through this Nothing X you can also change the functions of the existing buttons such as the buttons on the outside of the ear cups and the oval-shaped buttons because those are the only buttons that can be changed functions so far. In short, the functions and controls on this Headphone (a) are still the same as its older brother Headphone (1).
Battery
The Nothing Headphone (a) is loaded with a 1060 mAh battery and according to Nothing it can last for 62 hours of use with ANC and LDAC functions. This battery life is better than Headphone (1) and can beat other competitors that have higher prices.
I was able to use these headphones for a week without charging right out of the box. In terms of charging, it supports 5-minute fast charging for 5 hours of use with ANC and for a full charge from an empty battery it will take up to 2 hours.
What's In The Box
1x Nothing Headphone (1).
1x Canvas storage bag.
1x USB-C to USB-C charging cable.
1x 3.5mm audio cable.
1x Manual.
1x Warranty card.
Conclusion
This Nothing Headphone (a) is clearly aimed at those who want to find a headphone that looks premium through a unique design at a price that does not break the bank. However, I recommend trying this Headphone (a) before buying to see if the audio quality meets your taste. This is not a headphone that will provide the best audio quality right out of the box, you need to get used to changing the EQ settings for better audio.
Pros
Very unique design.
Interesting color choices.
Very comfortable on the head and lightweight.
Multi-function physical buttons.
Long-lasting battery.
More affordable price.
Cons
Cannot be folded.
Needs EQ for more balanced audio
The storage bag feels cheap.
Bluetooth tethering button in a strange position.
No proximity sensor to pause music automatically.
