Most headphones pick a lane: neutral studio cans that sound clinical on the bus, or noise-canceling commuter pairs that nobody would trust in a mix. The new Headphone (1) Pro wants to do both, and at $399 (£349) it's Nothing's most expensive audio product yet. It's on sale now in the US and UK.
What's new with Headphone (1) Pro
The biggest change is inside the ear cups. Where most headphones rely on a single driver, Nothing has split the work across three: a bass dynamic driver for punch, a precision dynamic driver for vocals and instruments, and an xMEMS driver handling the treble.
Nothing also brought in London's Metropolis Studios to help with tuning. That partnership gives you a dedicated Flat EQ Switch for a neutral sound profile and a new Dynamic Spatial Audio mode called Studio B, which Nothing says recreates the acoustic character of a mixing room. There are also five Custom EQ profiles that Nothing says are designed around British music.
Why it matters
Nothing's audio lineup has always led with design, letting the transparent aesthetic do most of the talking. The (1) Pro is a clear pitch to people who care about how their headphones sound, not only how they look in a coffee shop.
It's also moving firmly into premium territory owned by Sony and Bose. A physical switch for a neutral reference sound is a rare feature on consumer ANC headphones, and it gives creators a reason to look at this pair that has nothing to do with glowing ear cups.
Key details
Nothing says the adaptive noise cancellation reaches up to 46 dB, using a 10-mic system that's better at filtering wind and traffic. The ear cushions have been redesigned with an 8 mm silicone baffle wall inside, which Nothing says creates a stronger seal.
For playback, you get Hi-Res audio over Bluetooth and wired over USB-C at up to 24-bit/192 kHz. There are five Dynamic Spatial Audio modes with head tracking, including the new Studio B.
The Nothing X app goes deeper than before. Advanced EQ lets you drag tuning points across the frequency range and control the main and precision drivers individually, while Simple EQ keeps things to bass and vocal sliders. Personal Sound and custom EQ profiles round it out.
The design builds on Nothing's transparent look, with 9H Panda glass on both ear cups showing hints of the driver setup underneath. Aluminum is paired with titanium, and Nothing has swapped steel arms for titanium ones to help bring the weight down to 327g. A wider headband with thicker padding and softer ear cushions should help with longer sessions.
Battery life is rated at up to 68 hours with ANC off, with fast charging and an IP52 rating. Headphone (1) Pro comes in Black and White.
Price and availability
Headphone (1) Pro costs $399 and is available now from nothing.tech, Amazon, and Best Buy stores across North America. In the UK, it's £349 from nothing.tech, Amazon, John Lewis, Argos, Very, Richer Sounds, and Harrods.
Should you buy Headphone (1) Pro?
On paper, this is Nothing's most ambitious pair of headphones yet. If you want one pair that handles the commute and a bit of home production, the Flat EQ Switch and individual driver control make a strong case. If you only care about the quietest possible flight, holding off for reviews against Sony and Bose makes more sense.
It'll be worth seeing how the 46 dB noise cancellation and the triple driver tuning hold up in real-world use, and we can't wait to get a pair on our heads. Nothing has spent years proving it can make headphones people notice; now it wants to make ones people listen to.
