Nothing Headphone (1) review: Balanced sound, bold looks, and seriously satisfying buttons

I'm sure most of us have heard of Nothing by now, the brand that defies 'normal' in pursuit of something completely and wildly 'different.' This is most obviously seen in their transparent hardware, glyph interface, and design-focused branding.

Having released smartphones, smartwatches, and earbuds, the forward-thinking company thought it was high time to introduce a headphone product to their lineup. Enter the Nothing Headphone (1) and the product I've been testing recently.

I was sent a pair of these headphones and was keen to see how they performed when listening to music as well as whether they would make any dent in our list of the best headphones for video editing.

Nothing Headphone (1): Specifications

Nothing Headphone (1): Design & Handling

The Nothing Headphone (1) makes an immediate statement with its transparent design, a core element of the brand's aesthetic. Instead of hiding the internal structure, the headphones feature see-through plastic elements that reveal the internal components. You'll either love it or hate it.

Even the haters have to acknowledge that it's a bold contrast to the smooth, monolithic designs that are dominating the premium headphone market. It won't be for everyone, but Nothing knows that, and they're unapologetic about it.

Beyond the striking visual look, the design prioritizes premium build quality and practical comfort. Constructed with a mix of durable, lightweight materials – including formed aluminum for the frame and soft PU memory foam for the earcups – the headphones are engineered for secure yet comfortable all-day wear. Unfortunately, at 329g some of the comfort is lost on account of the extra weight.

To complement the design, Nothing has completely abandoned more common touch controls in favor of tactile physical buttons. Having owned a number of pairs of headphones with finicky touch controls, I've lost count of the number of times that I've become frustrated with them.

No such frustration with Nothing's setup. The analog control scheme features a paddle for skipping tracks and a roller for some of the most satisfyingly precise volume adjustment imaginable. The buttons are easy to find, easy to use, and seriously elevate the overall user experience.

One of the key practical differentiators of the Nothing Headphone (1) is the IP52 water and dust resistance rating, but you'll only care about that if you're planning video editing in the shower or poolside. No one? No, I didn't think so.

As much as I adore the design of these headphones, one thing I don't love is that the design prioritizes form over ultimate portability; the earcups only rotate flat rather than folding up, and as a result, you have little choice but to utilize the bulky carry case if you're wanting to travel with them.

Nothing Headphone (1): Performance

Let's begin with ANC performance. As soon as you put the Nothing Headphone (1) on you'll notice a distinct dampening of all external noise. They far from eliminate all noise but certainly provide a quieter landscape for layering your audio on top of. That's perfect for the times that you're video editing in public spaces. Given that I tested the headphones in a room with around 50 people all talking at once, I was quite impressed by their noise-canceling capabilities.

From there I launched my favorite album at the moment, After Hours by The Weeknd. Thanks to a precision-engineered 40mm driver and KEF partnership, the headphones serve up an incredibly well-balanced sound. Every instrument and note stays well within its limits, which means there is fantastic low-end performance and, most importantly, zero distortion.

Their ability to handle and control sound makes them well worthy of consideration for video editors and indie filmmakers – especially if you'd like to make a design statement while knocking out an edit.

Bass and trebles are kept within range, and the overall soundscape is perfectly balanced. Users who like more control can take advantage of the advanced and comprehensive 8-band equalizer (EQ) that is found in the Nothing X app. Personally, I was happy with the straight-out-of-the-box experience, especially for video editing.

If I thought the sound was impressive, that was nothing compared to the headphone's battery life. With up to 35 hours of playtime with Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) on and a whopping 80 hours with ANC off, they blow pretty much all competition out of the water. My experience of the headphones backs the claims up.

Other features include spatial audio and hands-free voice calls. The latter makes use of a four-mic Environmental Noise Cancellation (ENC) system, which is AI-backed to isolate the voice. They do a fantastic job of suppressing background noise, wind, and echoes. I also love the ability to accept or reject calls using the paddle/rocker button.

Nothing Headphone (1): Verdict

The Headphone (1) is Nothing's first foray into the headphone market, and it's a really impressive entrance. Far from being a first edition that needs broad and significant improvements, the product feels like it's doing most things right already. Much of this is thanks to its already established design aesthetic as well as their decision to partner with award-winning speaker designers KEF.

The headphones produce a well-balanced sound that is ideal for most types of video editing. If I were to purely use these for listening to music, then I'd want a little more bass, but all in all, they're a fantastic all-rounder. Aside from sound, maybe the most impressive feature is the long battery life that is superior to most competitors.

Check out alternative options in our guide to the best headphones for video editing, and also in our rundown of the best headsets