Nothing Unveils $399 Headphone 1 Pro With Studio-focused Controls
Nothing’s new flagship headphones pair a three-driver design with a switch for flat EQ, aiming at both everyday listeners and audio professionals.
Nothing has unveiled the Headphone 1 Pro, a $399 pair of over-ear headphones that adds studio-focused controls to the company’s audio lineup. The flagship model has three drivers in each earcup, active noise cancellation and a physical switch that turns off sound processing for people who want to hear a mix without the headphones’ usual equalization.
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A Switch for Studio Listening
The switch activates a flat EQ mode and disables spatial audio settings, according to Engadget and The Verge. Nothing developed the EQ features with London-based Metropolis Studios. WIRED reports that the headphones also offer a “Studio B” spatial audio mode intended to recreate the studio’s mixing room, alongside other customizable sound profiles.
Nothing is pitching the feature to recording artists and audio professionals as well as everyday listeners, WIRED reports. Its practical appeal may differ between those groups. In an early listen, The Verge’s reviewer found the flat setting less airy than the default sound and preferred adjusting the app’s EQ for ordinary listening. Engadget had not yet listened to the headphones when it published its report.
Three Drivers and Multiple Connections
Rather than asking one driver in each earcup to handle the full frequency range, Nothing uses a 40-mm driver for bass, a separate driver for midrange sounds and an xMEMS driver for high frequencies, according to WIRED and The Verge. The Verge reports support for LDAC and high-resolution audio through wired and wireless connections, including lossless audio over USB-C. A 3.5-mm jack offers another wired option, while the Nothing X app lets the headphones serve as an Auracast transmitter or receiver.
Nothing says this is its strongest active noise cancellation yet, using 10 microphones to detect surrounding sound. After a short test, The Verge found it effective against low rumbling and traffic, though not as strong as the competitors its reviewer considered leaders. The headphones carry an IP52 dust- and water-resistance rating.
Design, Battery Life and Availability
The Headphone 1 Pro retains Nothing’s distinctive look and physical controls. WIRED reports that glass panels reveal parts of the driver assembly, while a wider headband and thicker padding refine the fit. A hard case covers the earcups but leaves the headband exposed.
The reports agree on a claimed battery life of up to 68 hours with noise cancellation off, but differ on the figure with it enabled: Engadget says Nothing promises up to 32 hours, while The Verge lists up to 30 hours. The headphones are available through Nothing, Amazon and Best Buy in the US, according to Engadget.
Sources
This story was compiled by AI from the reports below. Read the originals for the full details.