Nothing’s new flagship Headphone 1 Pro put you in the studio

The idea of a flat EQ response curve is one that sounds appealing, letting the user hear what it might sound like in the mix room without the headphones adding their own sound signature. But extensive research conducted by Dr. Sean Olive and his colleagues at Harman shows that most people prefer a curve with elevated bass response, relatively neutral mids for natural sounding vocals, and slightly boosted highs (before they start to roll off above around 5kHz). It’s what’s referred to as the Harman Curve. So while there’s use for an unaffected EQ curve while doing studio work, a flat EQ for most people will sound off and wrong. (There’s also an argument to be made that even in a studio environment, flat EQ headphones are unnecessary because most studio monitors are tuned to the Harman Curve as well.)

Another thing that sets the Nothing Headphone 1 Pro apart from mainstream headphones like the Sony XM6, AirPods Max 2, and Bose Ultra Headphones Gen 2 are the drivers. While those three competitors use a single driver for each side, the Nothing use a triple-driver design. There’s a 40mm dynamic driver for bass, a separate midrange driver, and a xMEMS driver (which is a small solid-state driver) for upper frequencies. This design allows for each driver to focus on specific range, so things like the attack of higher frequencies is faster and cleaner.

The Nothing Headphone 1 Pro supports LDAC, wired and wireless high-res audio up to 24-bit/96kHz, as well as wired lossless over USB-C up to 24-bit/192kHz. The headphones can also act as an Auracast transmitter or receiver with the Nothing X app — something I think all flagship headphones should include, as do the Sony XM5 and XM6 and just recently the Bose Ultra Headphones .

The ANC performance impressed me during my short time with the Nothing Headphone 1 Pro. It does an excellent job blocking out low-end rumbling, such as A/C units or airplane noise, and a good job with street traffic. It’s not quite as good as the current top three — Sony XM6, Bose Ultra Headphones Gen 2, and Apple AirPods Max2 — but with music playing I was suitably isolated from the world around me. And it’s definitely the best I’ve ever heard from Nothing, by far.

There’s no chance of mistaking the Headphone 1 Pro for anything other than a Nothing headphone. It has the same design style as the company’s other headphones, and uses the same tactile controls, which I really like, particularly the volume roller. What I don’t like is the AirPods Max-esque case, which closes around just the ear cups and leaves the headband exposed, acting as the case handle. One benefit over the AirPods bra case is that it’s a hard shell, but I wish the case protected the entire headphones.

The headphones are IP52 rated, and get up to 30 hours of battery life with ANC on, or up to 68 hours with it off.

I haven’t had quite enough time with them to come to a full verdict, but after some more time and comparison, I’ll update this review with a full score.

Nothing makes a pretty strong statement with its flagship Headphone 1 Pro, and they’re definitely the best Nothing headphones I’ve used. The Flat EQ switch will be a novelty for most regular users, but studio professionals could find the option useful. And for everyone else, the ANC performance is comparable to the big competition and they sound good (especially for someone that likes more high-end presence). Plus they have the unmistakable Nothing look for those that want to stand out.