The Nothing Headphone (a) looked good enough to tempt me into buying them. Three weeks later, I’m still struggling to find a reason I shouldn’t have.
Working for Richer Sounds is dangerous for the ol’ bank balance. Because every day you’re surrounded by cool stuff that you actually want to buy. We sell it, we make videos about it, we spend hours testing it and talking about it, and eventually you start thinking, “Well, I could just buy one of those”… And that’s basically what happened with the Nothing Headphone (a).
I’d already been using my 3rd generation Apple AirPods for quite a while, and while I’ve got plenty of appreciation for them, they’re starting to feel a little long in the tooth. More importantly, they don’t really do what I needed them to do anymore. My commute to our video studio involves a bus, and the AirPods simply don’t block out enough of that constant background chatter, engine noise and general public-transport chaos.
Then we made a YouTube video about the Nothing Headphone (a), and you can probably guess where this is going. I was so impressed by them while making the video, but our videographer Ben was even more convinced, as he ended up buying a pair himself after using them, and seeing Ben actually put his money where his mouth was was probably the final push I needed. So, I bought some. And I’ve got to say, I’m really glad I did.
See… I really did buy them!
The first thing that attracted me was obviously the design. Nothing has managed to make headphones that look like they’re simultaneously from about 1987 and 2037, which is a pretty difficult trick to pull off. The transparent elements, exposed-looking engineering and slightly retro-futuristic styling are completely different from many other simple black plastic headphones at this price point that seem to dominate this part of the market.
I went for the black version, but we’ve also got white, yellow and pink options, and I think whichever one you choose, those bold colours and unique square design will absolutely make a statement when you wear them. (Even more so when you’re bald, lol).
They’re properly capable headphones, with 40mm titanium-coated drivers, Hi-Res Audio certification and LDAC support, so there’s plenty of detail and punch available when you’re listening to good-quality music. You can also use them wired via USB-C or 3.5mm, with support for high-resolution audio up to 24-bit/96kHz.
For me, though, the biggest reason for buying them was always going to be noise cancellation as the ANC is genuinely very good. There are three levels of noise cancellation, plus Transparency Mode when you need to hear what’s going on around you, and Hybrid ANC can adapt the cancellation according to your surroundings.
On my bus commute, that makes a massive difference compared with my old AirPods. Rather than having to turn the music up to compete with conversations around me, I can actually switch off a little and concentrate on whatever I’m listening to. Then when I hop off the bus or train, I switch on Transparency Mode and I can be more aware of pedestrians and traffic for safety.
It’s not a completely flawless experience, though. I’ve noticed that when I’m sitting on a particularly rattly or vibrating bus, there can occasionally be a very subtle distortion or strange artefact from the ANC. It’s not something I’ve found particularly distracting, and I suspect it’s partly the headphones reacting to that very specific combination of vibration and low-frequency noise, but it’s worth mentioning because this is a review rather than an advert. In fact, if I turn ANC and Transparency Mode off, the normal listening mode seems to cancel this mild distortion out. But I usually forget to do this because you really have to pay attention to hear it and it depends on the transport.
Most of the time, though, the ANC does exactly what I bought these for. The other thing that has genuinely surprised me is the battery life. Nothing quotes up to 135 hours with ANC turned off and up to 75 hours with ANC switched on, which is already absolutely ridiculous compared with what I’m used to.
I’ve been using these for around three weeks and I’ve only charged them… once. In fact, I’m wearing them while I’m writing this review, and they’re currently showing 60% battery. That’s after weeks of using them for commuting, listening around the house and generally grabbing them whenever I want something playing without having to think about wires. Even when you do manage to run them down, five minutes of charging can apparently give you up to eight hours of playback, so a quick top-up is more than enough to get you through a day.
The Nothing X app is another big part of why I’ve ended up liking these as much as I do. It isn’t one of those companion apps that you install once, change one setting and then completely forget about, there’s actually a lot you can do with it.
You’ve got an advanced eight-band EQ, with the ability to properly tailor the sound to your own taste, as well as preset options including Balanced, More Bass, More Treble and Voice. There’s also a Custom mode if you want to get more specific, and the app gives you control over the ANC and other listening features too. I’ve gone with some slight tweaks to the Custom mode based off some Reddit comments from folks who’ve experimented with them. You can also play around with Spatial Audio, configure the physical button on the headphones, manage dual-device connections and use a low-latency mode for things like gaming and video. It’s a nice touch, but I don’t particularly like to use modes like that, instead opting for the purest version of what I’m listening to (minus the EQ tweaks).
At the time of this blog going out Richer Sounds currently has the Nothing Headphone (a) at £149, which puts them in an interesting part of the market. The Argon Audio Quiet Storm sits a little higher at £169 and offers ANC, Bluetooth 5.0 and up to 30 hours of battery life, while the Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus is currently £139 and gives you Adaptive ANC, Sennheiser’s Sound Personalization and up to 50 hours of playback with ANC switched on. So, the Nothing isn’t simply competing on price; it’s bringing an unusually long battery life and a particularly extensive app experience into this price bracket.
For noise-cancelling headphones that want for nothing, check out the Headphone (a).
I’ve also used them at the gym, although that’s probably where I’ve found the one real downside to the over-ear design. After a decent workout, my head can get a little warm and sweaty underneath them. That’s hardly unique to the Nothing headphones, and at least the memory-foam cups are really easy to wipe clean afterwards.
They’re also IP52 rated for dust and water resistance, so they have some protection against everyday dust and light rain, although obviously these aren’t headphones I’d be deliberately soaking. Nothing says the design has also gone through durability testing covering things like drops, twisting, simulated sweat and temperature stress, which gives me a little more confidence about chucking them into everyday use rather than treating them like delicate hi-fi equipment.
The physical controls are another little detail I’ve come to appreciate. There’s a roller for volume and playback, a paddle for skipping tracks and a configurable button, so you don’t have to keep reaching for your phone every time you want to change something. It’s a fantastic feature of these headphones as the unique shapes of the buttons tell you exactly what each of them does just by touch. The Bluetooth discoverable button is also very well placed on the inside of one ear cup, where there’s no chance you’d accidentally press it. They’ve also got a dual Bluetooth connection mode, for the seamless switching between laptop and phone (for me that is).
And perhaps the best endorsement I can give them is that I didn’t actually need another pair of headphones. I work around this stuff every day. I get to try loads of products, talk about them on camera and then put them back in the box. But the Nothing Headphone (a)’s really hooked me in on unique looks, functionality, battery life, price and sound quality. What more could you want in a pair of headphones?
Head to your local Richer Sounds store and check out these great headphones for yourself. Or you can check out our website or speak to our Telesales team.
Author: Arron, Marketing Department
