If you want better Weight comfort
Choose Sony WH-CH720N Wireless Headphones. It scores 5.0 vs 3.3 for Weight comfort, with a 3.8 overall score.
Nothing Headphone (1) Review
Bottom Line
Choose the Nothing Headphone (1) for bold design, tactile controls, long battery life, strong app EQ, and good value. Skip it if you want class-leading sound, ANC, comfort, or a compact travel case.
Best for
Best for listeners who want a bold-looking over-ear headphone with tactile controls, long battery life, strong connectivity, and a powerful EQ app. It also suits people willing to tune the sound rather than rely on the default profile.
Not for
Not for buyers who want the best sound, ANC, or transparency mode straight out of the box. It is also less ideal for travelers who need a compact folding design or users sensitive to weight and headband pressure.
Verdict
The Nothing Headphone (1) lands as a strong first over-ear effort because reviewers repeatedly praised its distinctive build, tactile controls, long battery life, useful wired options, and unusually powerful Nothing X app. The tradeoff is sound: several reviewers liked the balance or improved it dramatically with EQ, but many criticized the default tuning as dark, flat, narrow, or compressed for the price. ANC and transparency are good enough for daily use, yet not consistently at Sony, Bose, or Apple levels. Comfort is also context-dependent, with many finding them wearable for hours and others noticing weight, heat, headband pressure, or pad issues.
Feature Scorecards
Summary
79 reviewed features-
Very positive 4.5-5.011 (14%)
-
Positive 3.5-4.439 (49%)
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Neutral 2.5-3.423 (29%)
-
Negative 1.5-2.46 (8%)
Pros highlights
-
Sound quality was the most divisive area: some loved the tuned or EQ-adjusted sound, while many criticized the default tuning as dark, flat, or compressed.
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Battery life was one of the clearest strengths, repeatedly praised for 35+ hours with ANC and exceptional longevity without ANC.
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Design was one of the most discussed strengths, repeatedly praised as distinctive, premium, and eye-catching, though also polarizing.
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Physical controls were a standout strength, widely praised for tactility and usability, although a few reviewers found the layout or paddle/roller behavior finicky.
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Value was generally positive because the headphones undercut major rivals while offering strong build, controls, battery, ANC, and EQ, though weak default sound hurt value for some.
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ANC was generally viewed as strong for the price and effective in everyday noise, though several reviewers said Sony, Bose, or AirPods Max still outperform it.
Cons highlights
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Weight comfort was mixed: reviewers often found them wearable, but their 329g weight was repeatedly noticed against lighter Sony/Bose options.
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Soundstage was often criticized as narrow or compressed, though a few reviewers heard decent width after tuning or in positive listening sessions.
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Spatial audio was mixed: some found it useful for movies and broad device support, while others called it weak, limp, or harmful to music.
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Treble clarity was a common weakness in negative sound reviews, with several reviewers hearing recessed, dull, or less crisp highs.
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Midrange clarity was polarizing, with some praising vocals while others heard too much lower-mid darkness or underemphasized midrange.
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Voice prompts and feedback split reviewers sharply: one loved the mode sounds, while others found cues uncomfortable, awful, loud, or jarring.
Compared With Category Average
Compared with other Over-Ear Headphones, this product is above average in Water/sweat resistance rating, Smart Pause performance, LDAC, near average in Comfort during long use, Button control usability, below average in Sustainability materials, Immersive audio quality, Wear detection performance.
Comparison summary
79 compared features-
Above average 0.4+ pts higher19 (24%)
-
Same as average within 0.3 pts30 (38%)
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Below average 0.4+ pts lower30 (38%)
Largest category differences
| Attribute | This product | Category average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sustainability materials | 2.0 | 4.1 | -2.1 |
| Immersive audio quality | 2.4 | 4.3 | -1.9 |
| Water/sweat resistance rating | 4.0 | 2.4 | +1.7 |
| Wear detection performance | 1.5 | 3.2 | -1.7 |
| Wear detection auto-pause | 1.5 | 3.2 | -1.7 |
| Smart Pause performance | 4.8 | 3.3 | +1.5 |
| Replaceable earpads | 2.5 | 3.8 | -1.3 |
| Auto on/off reliability | 2.0 | 3.3 | -1.3 |
Consider This Instead
If you want better Microphone quality for calls
Choose Marshall Monitor III A.N.C. Over-Ear Bluetooth Headphones. It scores 4.8 vs 3.7 for Microphone quality for calls, with a 4.2 overall score.
If you want better Sustainability materials
Choose Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 Headphones. It scores 4.6 vs 2.0 for Sustainability materials, with a 4.3 overall score.
If you want better Button control usability
Choose Marshall Milton A.N.C.. It scores 4.9 vs 4.3 for Button control usability, with a 4.3 overall score.
Compared in Reviews
Products reviewers directly compared with this model, grouped into quick takeaways.
- Better: comfort CNET remained slightly more partial to Sony WH-1000XM6 for comfort.
- Better: ANC strength The reviewer says Nothing's ANC is not as powerful as Sony WH-1000XM6.
- Better: sound breadth and detail TechRadar preferred the breadth and detail of Sony WH-1000XM5.
AirPods Max
- Worse: value CNET says Nothing has a case as a better value than AirPods Max.
- Better: ANC strength The reviewer says Nothing's ANC is not as powerful as AirPods Max.
- Better: overall sound, comfort, and ANC Tom's Guide says the Nothing is outclassed by Airpods Max where sound, comfort, and ANC matter.
FAQ
Do the Nothing Headphone (1) sound good out of the box?
Reviewers were split. Some liked the balance, but many said the default sound is dark, flat, narrow, or compressed and benefits heavily from EQ.
How good is the active noise cancellation?
The ANC is generally good for daily noise, commuting, offices, and public transport. Reviewers repeatedly said it trails the strongest Sony, Bose, and AirPods Max options.
Is the Nothing X app useful?
Yes. The app was one of the most praised parts because it offers deep EQ controls, presets, ANC settings, button customization, and later Personal Sound support.
Are the controls better than touch controls?
Most reviewers preferred the tactile roller, paddle, and buttons over touch surfaces. A few found the controls busy, finicky, or prone to accidental volume jumps.
Are they comfortable for long listening sessions?
Often yes, but not for everyone. Several reviewers wore them for hours, while others noticed weight, heat, thin headband padding, clamping pressure, or earpad pressure.
How is battery life?
Battery life was a strong point. Reviewers cited roughly 35 hours with ANC on, longer results in some tests, and useful fast charging.
Sample Expert Reviews We Analyzed
These are a few of the reviews included in our analysis.
Video Reviews
YouTube - Youtube
- Review score
- 4.4
Article Reviews
techradar.com
- Review score
- 3.7
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