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Nothing Headphone (1) Pro: Studio Quality
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Nothing headphones have always stood out from the competition, and the Headphone (1) Pro is no different. It’s the brand’s most premium option yet, putting it up against the best from Sony, Bose, and Apple. After nearly a month of testing, I’d say these headphones belong among those top-tier choices, while bringing a few unique ideas to the table.
Design is the first standout in the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro. On the outside, it follows the same formula as the Nothing Headphone (1) and Headphone (a), with a distinct square shape and two-tone, transparent outer shell.
The Headphone (1) Pro pushes this design to 11, largely by using premium materials instead of plastic. The square cans are made from a solid aluminum block. The arms are made of titanium. The transparent outer window is made of glass. There’s very little (if any) plastic to be found, yet they actually weigh 2 grams less than the Nothing Headphone (1).
The case is … interesting. It’s basically a hard-shell version of the purse-like case for the Apple AirPods Max 2—a near universally loathed case, I might add. The Headphone (1) Pro case offers better ear cup protection, but the headband remains exposed. It’s something you use once, then promptly forget.
All that being said, these are Nothing’s most comfortable headphones yet. The softer, thicker padding, wider headband, and reduced clamping force make these noticeably more comfortable than the Headphone (1).
Noise canceling and transparency are also great, thanks to extra microphones and impressive sound isolation. It’s not quite as bulletproof as Sony and Bose, but it was more than enough for any New York City situation I threw at it.
Inside, things get even more interesting. The headphone uses a triple-driver design—a bass dynamic driver, a precision dynamic driver, and a treble xMEMS driver. The idea is that each driver handles a different frequency range, delivering clearer, fuller, less distorted sound. When every other major ANC headphone brand uses a single dynamic driver for the full frequency range, this triple-driver design is a big risk. Fortunately, sound quality is outstanding.
I’m not going to pretend I’m an audio engineer (I’m not). But songs I’ve listened to for years came back to life with the Headphone (1) Pro, with added emphasis, clarity, and energy in the midrange and treble I didn't expect.
I don’t usually make the stank-face to “Staring at the Sun,” by TV on the Radio, but I did pretty consistently with these headphones. Stevie Wonder’s “Another Star,” with its dense mix of vocals, hi-hat, trumpet, and guitar, sounded more spacious on the Nothing headphones than on the Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen). Bass is clear, but not as punchy as headphones like the Sony XM6. I didn’t mind, but it was a little less fun with artists like Bad Bunny and Kendrick Lamar, or anything in the EDM genre. A simple EQ adjustment changed this (more on that later).
This focus on engaging mids and highs meant that music on the Nothing headphones commanded my attention more often. I actually had a harder time achieving deep focus at work with these headphones than with more bass-forward mixes on the Sony XM6 and Bose QC Ultra 2nd Gen.