Nothing Headphones (1) Pro Review: 3 Drivers—Hear the Difference

From the beginning, Nothing has aimed to stand out both through bold aesthetics and technological choices. Launched in 2020 by Carl Pei (one of OnePlus’s cofounders), the brand made a name for itself with earbuds that reviewers regularly praised for their sound quality, noise cancelling and overall value. Whether for earphones or, now, over‑ear headphones, Nothing has become a go‑to option for buyers seeking strong performance without a sky‑high price tag.

The original Headphone (1), introduced in 2025, signaled a clear push toward high‑fidelity sound thanks to a partnership with British loudspeaker maker KEF. Brand tie‑ups don’t always yield meaningful results, but that first model genuinely felt like a premium wired hi‑fi headset. I won’t hand the same uncritical endorsement to the Headphone (1) Pro, but putting it through its paces was, for me, promising.

The headline change is the use of three separate drivers in each earcup—an approach borrowed from loudspeaker design—whereas most headphones rely on a single full‑range driver. Later on I’ll explain why that choice can be beneficial, what trade‑offs it brings, and most importantly whether it truly improves the listening experience (or triples it).

Nothing Headphone (1) ProTechnical specifications

This review was carried out using a unit loaned by Nothing.

Nothing Headphone (1) ProA visually distinctive design, refined

Nothing hasn’t abandoned the visual language that sets it apart. The Headphone (1) Pro keeps the retro‑inspired squarish cups, transparent glass panels and visible mechanical elements that made the original so recognizable, but the Pro version pushes the finish toward something that feels more upscale.

The most striking feature is the large glass surface on each earcup that gives a glimpse into the hardware. Because the glass is smoked, you don’t actually see everything clearly, but it invites a little guessing game about the internals. In reality the visible rear of the drivers isn’t as important as the membranes facing the ear, which remain hidden.

Nothing calls the panel Panda Glass 9H and markets it as both scratch‑ and impact‑resistant.

The brand also states that the Pro’s yokes are 45% lighter than those on the Headphone (1). That said, the headset hasn’t become featherweight: it weighs in at 327 grams versus 329 g for the original. The real improvement lies in how the mass is distributed: the headset feels much less prone to inertia, so it hardly shifts when you move your head.

The headband has been widened by about 10% and its padding increased by roughly 12%, while the ear cushions are said to be 50% softer than before. The earcups also tilt roughly 20 degrees to better fit different head shapes. Result: the Pro is comfortable to wear for extended listening.

Controls that are easy to tell apart

The physical controls from the Headphone (1) return here and remain one of the model’s strengths. There’s a tactile rotary wheel, reminiscent of vintage hi‑fi equipment, for adjusting volume—each notch is audible—and a press to play or pause.

Holding down the wheel cycles through ANC and transparency modes, while a slim touch paddle on the cup handles track skipping: a push to the right advances to the next song, left goes back. The paddle also answers or rejects calls.

The third physical button summons the voice assistant by default but can be reassigned in the Nothing X app to other tasks, including launching ChatGPT or activating the camera shutter on compatible phones—handy for remote photos.

A small Flat EQ switch lets you instantly restore the headphone’s flat tonal profile if you’ve been fiddling with the app’s equalizer and want to return to the stock sound in one motion.

The included carrying case is unusual: it wraps around the headband and acts like a handle, along the lines of Apple’s soft polyurethane case for the AirPods Max 2. This case is made from very stiff plastic and is unexpectedly heavy.

At first you might assume the case hides a battery or electronics, but it doesn’t—just a solid piece of molded plastic that protects but also significantly increases the weight you carry. In fact the case can weigh more than the headphones themselves, which makes you question whether you’ll take it on trips, especially on flights where every gram counts.

Analog jack and Hi‑Res wired options

The Headphone (1) Pro supports Bluetooth 6.1, compatible with SBC, AAC and LDAC codecs, and can maintain simultaneous connections to two devices so switching from phone to laptop doesn’t require re‑pairing. A low‑latency mode reduces lag to below 120 ms, aimed at gaming; in practice you may still notice a slight AV delay in certain games, but video playback is in sync.

The 3.5 mm mini‑jack input is digitized by default and supports Hi‑Res audio up to 24‑bit/96 kHz, while the USB‑C port can function as a digital audio link up to 24‑bit/192 kHz lossless.

Nothing Headphone (1) ProA feature‑rich software companion

The Nothing X app is packed with options and guided tips for getting the most from the headset. You can tweak the ANC behavior, run a hearing test that tailors tonal balance to your ears, and enable spatial audio. That said, spatial processing isn’t always flattering: it can noticeably alter timbre and smear the soundstage. In some poorly recorded tracks it can help, but with well‑produced material the benefit is limited.

The app’s standout strength is its hybrid equalizer. Nothing partnered with Metropolis Studios to create preset tonal profiles that instantly change the headphone’s voicing. If none of the presets suit you, a parametric EQ is available: you can select narrow or wide frequency bands (via Q factor) and adjust gain down to one‑tenth of a decibel. For advanced tweaking, the app even lets you modify the response of the main driver separately from the midrange driver.

Should you dive into it? If you like experimenting, absolutely; if you’re content with the stock sound, there’s no obligation.

On the wireless side, the Pro covers SBC, AAC and LDAC for music, the latter enabling high‑resolution wireless listening. Nothing also includes LC3, though that’s used only for Auracast audio broadcasting.

Nothing Headphone (1) ProANC that remains highly capable

Nothing beefed up the noise cancelling array to ten microphones (up from six on the Headphone (1)) and advertises up to 46 dB of attenuation, versus 42 dB on the non‑Pro model. That figure is a theoretical maximum based on Nothing’s lab tests; actual suppression will vary by environment. ANC is adaptive and offers four levels—low, medium, high and adaptive—and the difference is most noticeable in complex, real‑world situations like public transport where there are sharp, irregular noises and conversations. Overall, the Pro’s ANC ranks among the stronger implementations on the market, although some class leaders (such as Apple’s AirPods Max 2 and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Gen 2) still outperform it slightly.

Passive isolation has improved too thanks to ear pads made from foam that’s about 50% softer, designed to conform better to the ear and reduce sound leakage.

The transparency mode does not erase the sensation of wearing headphones, but it does let in ambient sound clearly enough to carry on conversations or stay aware of street traffic. For everyday use, it gets the job done.

Nothing Headphone (1) ProA surprisingly refined listening experience

The defining feature of the Headphone (1) Pro is its trio of drivers: two dynamic drivers and an xMEMS tweeter. This mirrors loudspeaker practice where separate drivers handle bass, midrange and treble to reduce distortion and increase responsiveness. On a speaker the woofer is large and heavy and would distort badly if forced to reproduce high frequencies, so manufacturers add a small, lightweight tweeter for precise treble. Nothing adopted the same principle to refine the Pro’s sound.

The bass driver is a 40 mm dome coated with metal and ceramic to minimize deformation. The mids come from a compact 13 × 8 mm dynamic unit that can move more quickly and cleanly, while the highs are handled by a very small xMEMS element with an extremely light diaphragm. Each driver is fed by its own amplifier, which further enhances clarity.

Tonally, the Pro isn’t radically different from the Headphone (1) or the Headphone (a), but its transient response and overall agility are markedly improved. Kick drums, vocals and string instruments sound cleaner and more distinct; notes feel more sustained and decay more naturally. The end result is a sound that comes across as unusually rich and dense.

Frequency response shape

A look at the measured frequency response reveals a W‑shaped curve, with pronounced bumps in the lower mids, midrange and the extreme treble.

That curve is completely adjustable in the app: if you want extra sub‑bass, or if the bump around 1 kHz seems too forward and you’d like to soften it, you can. The three‑driver design makes EQ changes particularly effective—more so than with a single‑driver headphone—so tweaks yield tangible results.

Dynamics and soundstage behavior

The fast response from the three drivers translates into impressive dynamics. Instruments and voices gain more micro‑detail—breaths, subtle inflections and percussive attack are better defined—which is a major strength of this design.

That said, excellent dynamics don’t automatically guarantee an exceptionally airy soundstage. The Headphone (1) Pro performs well, but its staging lacks some of the space and separation you’d expect from top‑tier models. Part of this stems from overlapping driver bands: where the drivers’ ranges meet, phase and timing differences can blur the depth and the layering of instruments. It’s not a critical flaw—imaging is still good—but the Pro doesn’t quite reach the scene precision of a Sony The Collexion or the top Apple AirPods Max 2, which is consistent with its more accessible price point.

Source dependency

Interestingly, the Pro reacts noticeably to different sources. The perceived dynamics and midrange presentation shift depending on whether you’re using an iPhone, an Android phone over LDAC, or a USB‑C wired connection. For example, playback from an iPhone tends to sound a touch softer but still dynamic, while LDAC on compatible Android devices brings out a more forward character. Wired USB‑C connection generally raises the perceived power and clarity on both compressed and lossless material.

Nothing Headphone (1) ProSolid call performance

The four microphones dedicated to voice calls are paired with an AI‑driven ambient noise suppression system that’s been trained on a large dataset—Nothing cites some 30 million audio samples recorded in busy streets, restaurants and windy scenarios. In everyday use this yields clear voice pickup with good background rejection. However, in very complex noise environments that include nearby human voices, you may notice occasional gain pumping or slight artefacts. Wind remains a challenge for the headset and can sometimes require angling the cup away from the gust. Overall, though, the Pro is reliable for frequent calling.

By the seaside you’ll occasionally need to shield the microphones, but for normal urban use it performs well.

Nothing Headphone (1) ProBattery life that’s more than adequate

Nothing advertises up to 30 hours of playback with ANC on (28 hours using LDAC), and up to 68 hours with ANC off (53 hours in LDAC). A rapid charge feature gives you two hours of ANC playback (four hours without ANC) from a five‑minute top‑up, and a full charge takes roughly two hours via USB‑C.

Those figures are comfortable for daily use, although total runtime is a touch lower than the original Headphone (1), which was rated at 35 hours with ANC. That’s unsurprising: powering three drivers consumes more energy than a single unit.

Nothing Headphone (1) ProPrice and rivals

Priced at €349 in black or white, the Headphone (1) Pro sits in a highly competitive segment.

Direct alternatives include the Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless (~€399), which sticks to a conventional single‑driver approach (42 mm) and offers a very neutral, organic presentation with a wide soundstage and excellent transient control.

Sony’s WH‑1000XM6—introduced at €449 but often available below €380—remains a strong competitor with a relatively neutral tuning and class‑leading ANC.

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd gen) at around €449 favor supreme comfort and aggressive noise cancelling, paired with a more consumer‑friendly voicing that emphasizes bass and treble.

Finally, the original Nothing Headphone (1), launched at €299 and frequently found for about €199 today, is arguably the Pro’s nearest price‑for‑performance rival.