With a retro-futuristic, pop-punk/techno look, the Nothing Headphone (1) looks like, well, nothing else out there. It’s something I’d expect to see atop Robert Duvall’s head in THX-1138 or on a table in the background of Blade Runner.
Simply put, it looks sick with all the buttons decorating the outside. As of today, July 4, you can declare independence from groupthink design and dip back into the good, old days when the future was full of promise and Malaise Era takes on futuristic design. Release day (July 15) can’t come fast enough.
why nothing?
Nothing generates most of its buzz lately from their smartphones, the latest of which—the Nothing Phone 3—also launched today. But Nothing’s first product was actually a pair of earbuds, the Nothing Ear (1). Released back in July 2021, it feels like Nothing has been on the scene forever, even though it’s only been a short four years.
Chalk it up to Nothing’s success in setting itself apart from a crowd that seems, as far as design, to be mostly chasing each other. Nothing’s devices feature transparent cases that show off the guts of the machines—or at least as much as is possible.
Like its smartphones, Nothing’s Headphone (1) features a transparent case that shows its internal workings, although there’s not a whole lot to see within a pair of headphones. Still, the effect is cool and unique without coming off as contrived.
Expect up to 80 hours of playtime from the Headphone (1), according to Nothing. The playtime drops significantly to 35 hours if you turn on active noise cancellation (ANC). Put in simple terms, this technology works to cancel out background noise even more effectively than just regular, passive over-the-ear cups by playing opposite sound waves to cancel out the ambient environment’s sound waves.
The Nothing Headphone (1) supports lossless audio, too. That should be a basic yardstick for any pair of headphones that bills itself as a premium, high-end option.
It took forever (4 1/2 years after launch) for the far pricier Apple AirPods Max to finally support lossless audio. Even then, it only works if you use a wired connection between them and your streaming device.
The Nothing Headphone (1) looks like it could pose a serious threat to the AirPods Max, the Sony WH-1000MX6, and Beats Studio Pro, if they live up to the hype.
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