Nothing Headphone (1) review

I haven't used the Nothing Headphone (1). This review relies on SoundGuys' review from July 4, 2025, and Nothing's US product page, which I read on November 8, 2026. The 7.3 is my own opinion, and it rests mostly on battery and spec data. I haven't based it on anyone's verdict about the sound.

It's Nothing's first over-ear headphone, so there's no older model to compare it against. SoundGuys lists the release date as July 1, 2025.

The price at Nothing's US store is $299Not verifiedNot verified, checked November 5, 2026.

The battery is the strongest number here

SoundGuys ran it with ANC on and got 42 hours 53 minutes. According to SoundGuys, Nothing rates it at 35 hours with ANC on. The reviewer thinks Nothing tested at 50% volume, against roughly 38% in SoundGuys' run. So if you listen louder, expect less than 42 hours. That's still close to a week of commuting on a single charge.

Nothing's own page complicates this. It says "up to 80 hours of playback" and leaves out whether ANC is on. I'd guess it's off. It's still a guess, and a battery claim that leaves the reader guessing is a bad battery claim.

The spec page leaves most of it out

This annoys me. Nothing's US page has the 80-hour line, "Sound by KEF" and real-time adaptive ANC. It doesn't give a weight, a driver size, a codec list, a water rating or a word on multipoint. You're spending $299Not verifiedNot verified and the store tells you three things.

SoundGuys' spec table fills most of the gaps:

• 40 mm dynamic drivers
• LDAC, up to 24-bit/96 kHz on compatible Android devices
• Bluetooth 5.3
• IP52
• 329 g

SoundGuys also says it connects to two devices and switches between them. The article doesn't call this multipoint, but that's what it describes.

On IP52: splashes and dust are fine. A heavy downpour isn't. I'd keep it in a bag on a wet run.

If you use an Android phone

This is the buyer I'd point it at. LDAC is where most of the codec story is, and it only helps on compatible Android phones. Add the 42-hour ANC result from SoundGuys and two-device switching between a phone and a laptop, and that covers what I'd want from a headphone at this price.

If you use an iPhone

Then LDAC is a line on a spec sheet you won't use. You'd be paying $299Not verifiedNot verified for the battery, the ANC and KEF's tuning. Sound quality is the part I can't vouch for. Before spending that much, I'd wait until more outlets have published listening tests.

If weight matters to you

SoundGuys lists 329 g. Nothing doesn't publish a figure, so I can't check it against the maker. If you wear headphones for whole flights or eight-hour workdays, try a pair on in a store first if you can. Clamp and weight are things a spec sheet can't settle anyway.