I tested Nothing's first over-ear headphones, and they made my AirPods Max look boring
ZDNET's key takeaways The Nothing Headphone 1 are available for preorder now at $299. These over-ear headphones feature a 40mm dynamic driver made in partnership with KEF, Spatial Audio playback, ANC, and more. You'll have to really admire the design and customizability of the headphones to make the most of them. View now at Nothing Nothing's first over-ear headphones are as ambitious, polarizing, and divisive of a product as you'd expect from the brand. The writing was always on the wall -- from the moment the London-based tech company debuted with a pair of earbuds with a transparent design. Yet, somehow, I found myself taking a step back when I unboxed the Headphone 1.To an extent, Headphone 1 represent the pinnacle of Nothing: a playful, finely tuned pair of headphones with Teenage Engineering influence, a seamless software experience that leaves no iOS or Android user behind, and a feel and finish that could split any room into two. Also: The 12 best headphones of 2025The design will undoubtedly turn heads and start conversations, but it's the audio performance that will make everyone stop and listen. It did for me. But is it worth the $299 listing price? Here's my verdict after a week of testing. Let's start at the beginning. There are effectively four parts to the Headphone 1: the padded headband, memory foam earcups, squircle frames, and transparent modules that house the drivers, batteries, and other internal components. Together, you're looking at roughly 329 grams of aluminum, plastics, and foam that doesn't weigh down on the head an uncomfortable amount. Kerry Wan/ZDNETFor reference, my AirPods Max weigh 385 grams, and both the clamping force and weight of the earcups are noticeably heavier. The lightness of the Nothing headphones can be attributed to the soft-touch plastic throughout the body, which looks great but, to put it bluntly, can feel cheap. The hollowness of the squircle frames, for example, can be heard when they inevitably clink together when folded down. For what it's worth, Nothing says the headphones have undergone over 50 rigorous reliability tests. They're also IP52-rated for some level of dust and water resistance (up to 15 degrees of water sprays). Most over-ear headphones aren't formally tested or designed for any degree of water resistance, so it brings some peace of mind knowing the Headphone 1 can withstand short bouts of light rain.Also: The viral wireless audio dongle for in-flight entertainment is better than everThere are some finer touches throughout the Headphone 1 that I'm more enthusiastic about, such as the memory foam ear cushions that attempt to shield off skin oils, the "left" and "right" labels along the headband, and the 3.5mm headphone jack for true lossless listening. The zippered carrying case, which is one of the slimmer ones I've tucked in my backpack, is also easy to appreciate.Just know that you'll have to readjust the headband distance every time you put it in and remove it from the case, and there are no distance indicators to consistently match your head shape. Kerry Wan/ZDNETTo operate the headphones, you'll have to familiarize yourself with three controls, all of which are tactile and fairly intuitive.Roller: Dialing the roller left or right adjusts the volume level. Pressing it triggers play/pause, and a long press toggles between Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode.Paddle: Pushing the Paddle left or right skips tracks, while a long push rewinds or fast-forwards.Button: A customizable button on the outer frame of the right earcup launches your connected device's smart assistant or Channel Hop when paired with a Nothing Phone 3, which switches between multiple media platforms, such as your music player, video player, or podcasting app.Also: I ditched my daily driver Bose headphones for the XM6 - and I'm hesitant to go backI found the controls to be very straightforward to use, and I much prefer the tactile feedback of them over standard tap/touch gestures, as those can more often lead to misinputs. The only knock I have is the ergonomics of the buttons, as they're a bit too far behind my ear to use in a natural motion. I often found myself reaching behind with my thumb, trying to get a feel for which button is which, and then awkwardly scrolling and pressing. Kerry Wan/ZDNETThe audio performance of the Headphone 1 is where they truly impress. Nothing's embedded a 40mm dynamic driver, designed with a nickel-plated diaphragm and uniform dome texture, to strike a wide spectrum of deep lows and clear highs. I've been jamming to the new F1: The Movie soundtracks, which lean heavily on techno motifs like kick drums, synth stabs, and punchy layering, and the headphones have done a commendable job with clean separation and spatial depth. Also: Why I recommend these wireless headphones over pricier flagship modelsIn Layman's terms, I was able to clearly distinguish the layers of instruments from the vocalist or rapper, which often poses difficulty for midrange headphones (and even some models that cost more). And with each track, I could feel the hypnotic precision more so than the complexity, something that Nothing had hoped to achieve by partnering with British audio maker KEF.While I'm no bass head -- I've kept Nothing's Bass Enhancement scale to a minimum on the companion app, I did find there to be some blurring between percussions, basslines, and other deep-sounding instruments. Did it negatively impact the listening experience? Not unless I was lying down, eyes closed, and nitpicking the details. In almost every other scenario, from office commutes to jogging at the park, I was vibing from start to finish. Kerry Wan/ZDNETIt helps that the headphones' active noise cancellation and transparency modes are so reliably effective. The former rejects ambient sound so that my ears don't feel pressured within the cups, and the latter reproduces voices, bird chirps, and other sounds in an organic way. I was especially sold when I conversed with my wife, took the headphones on and off, and barely noticed the difference in her voice. I just wish the headphones did just as well with blending my speaking voice into the playback, as it often comes off as shallow and echoey.Also: I replaced my QuietComfort Ultra with these midrange headphones - and I'm sticking with themAs far as battery life goes, the Headphone 1 lasted me about four days of heavy usage (ANC on and volume at around 65%). That's a little less than the Nothing's 37-hour rating (or 80 hours with ANC off), but still very impressive compared to the likes of the AirPods Max (20 hours), Sony WH-1000XM6 (30 hours), and Bose QuietComfort Ultra (24 hours). These are easily the longest-lasting wireless headphones I've tested to date.ZDNET's buying adviceThat's to say, Nothing's first pair of over-ear headphones, the Headphones 1, have a lot going for them. They sound great, last long, and have just enough customization options within the app to tailor to your listening needs. At $299, the Headphone 1 undercut their closest flagship competitors by at least $100. Heck, they make my $549 AirPods Max feel like highway robbery.I'll need a few more weeks, and maybe some cross-country flights, for a definitive take on the funky, transparent design. But if you're just as bored with the same monochrome look of traditional headphones as the folks at Nothing, I'd recommend giving this pair a shot. Nothing's first pair of over-ear headphones oozes with design and technical prowess, from the longer-than-average battery life to the fit and finish to the audio performance. The 40mm dynamic driver delivers impactful sound while the multiple microphones scattered across the body effectively block out ambient noise. While the blend of aluminum and plastic may not be everyone's cup of tea, the enhanced durability, with an IP52 rating, should give users a greater sense of relief. At its price point, these are the headphones ZDNET recommends to most people. Show more Featured reviews