Nothing Headphone (1) Evaluation: Daring First Assertion, Increased If Further Cosy

Introduction

The strikingly-named smartphone maker, Nothing, has made a couple of “true wi-fi” earbuds and now the Headline (1) headphones are its first set of over-ear decisions. Costing S$399, the headphones are tuned by British audiophile company KEF, attribute IP52 water resistance, and promise 35-hour battery life with energetic noise cancellation. We not too way back checked out how the bundle sounded.

Design

The Nothing Headphone (1) headphones match correct into the comany’s product lineup and design language. A transparent shell bares a monochromatic, circuit-like aesthetic that moreover seems like a traditional cassette tape. The company makes use of geometric shapes and symmetry at liberty.

A rounded rectangle accommodates each earpiece, and the elongated circle is meant to resemble a cassette tape. The rectangular indentation inside the middle has two spherical buttons (not usable) that resemble tape reels, whereas the cluster of symmetric holes all through add texture.

I personally similar to the look of the product, notably the way in which it stands out in direction of totally different headphones with often minimalistic appearances.

The Nothing headphones reveal thoughtful engineering of their adjustability mechanisms. The adjusters on each facet of the scarf slide alongside simply with out clicks, with merely the correct quantity of resistance to essentially really feel premium.

The earcups themselves swivel outward roughly 100 ranges. They enable the headphones to place totally flat for storage inside the included carrying case. The corners of the two rectangular earcups can collide on this place if worn over the neck, nonetheless, and the sound of matte metal brushing in direction of each other will probably be unpleasant.

Measurement and luxurious

The headphones measure 173.9 x 78 x 189.2 mm and weigh 329g. The cushioned carrying case is considerably greater, at 220 x 52 x 220 mm and weighing 264g.

As any person further used to true wi-fi earbuds, I uncover the Nothing Headphone (1) clearly weightier. Fortunately, the earpads are comfortable ample. They utilise memory foam growth that create a protected seal, though I consider they’re usually rounder for an excellent increased match.

The scarf choices associated memory foam padding, nonetheless is roofed in leatherette. Proper right here, I consider the scarf may need achieved with wider cushions. You’ll be capable of actually really feel the load of the headphones pressing in direction of the best of your head and need it’s further distributed.

That is additionally because of the clamping drive over my head feels further pronounced than lighter headphones, because of angular growth of the overhead arm.

Choices and Battery Life

The Nothing Headphone (1) headphones play up the nostalgia theme by taking out its contact controls as correctly. All the upper, to me. Compared with tap-once-and-guess contact controls, buttons are tactile and get the job achieved.

The roller on the best of the correct headphone could be utilized for amount administration, whereas the paddle button subsequent to it’s for altering tracks. A third button on the doorway face of the correct headphone will probably be mapped as a shortcut to, say, the voice assistant or to cycle between equaliser modes.

The Nothing Headphone (1) moreover assist 3.5mm and USB-C connections to audio sources, in case you don’t intend to utilize Bluetooth. The USB-C port could be meant for charging.

Nothing claims battery lifetime of 80 hours with out energetic noise cancellation, and 35 hours with them on. I didn’t time how prolonged it took to exhaust the associated fee, nonetheless I would check out the Headphone (1) over 5 days, on and off, with out requiring a recharge.

Listening Experience

Out of the sphere, the sound signature feels significantly flat, with midrange displaying recessed and the final presentation lacking vibrancy.

Using Nothing’s equalizer makes points increased. The eight-band parametric EQ with adjustable Q-factors (or bandwidth) unlocks the headphones’ true potential. On the app, you even get admission to curated equaliser settings created by others.

Testing the headphones with bass-heavy tunes like Hailee Steinfeld’s Love Myself, the relentless, churning lows in no way overwhelmed. The lows carried satisfying weight to reinforce your whole sound range with out sacrificing definition. This means to not anticipate head thumping bass, nonetheless a further rounded experience.

The midrange is the place the Nothing Headphone (1) does its best. There’s enough warmth on the lower midrange with guitars, whereas the readability of human voice (or the upper midrange) is on a regular basis excellent and emphasised. The instrumental separation doesn’t sound mashed, though the soundstage is, naturally, further intimate than the expansive experience of additional premium rivals.

As for treble, the Nothing Headphone (1) deal with to grab the refined texture of string gadgets with low cost fidelity, nonetheless the prioritisation on the midrange means I can detect a slight roll-off on the uppermost frequencies, making cymbals sound further muted.

Nonetheless, Nothing has achieved correctly to companion a longtime audio agency to create its first over-ear product, tapping its expertise whereas boosting shopper confidence.

Calls and noise cancellation

Nothing’s noise cancellation technique are very like its wi-fi earbuds. There’s a transparency mode, along with three ranges of noise cancellation for listening.

I’ve in no way been a fan of transparency mode as a result of it often overly amplifies ambient noise inside the title of elevated spatial consciousness. With the Nothing Headphone (1), I turned off noise cancellation and nonetheless found the atmosphere sufficiently audible, though your mileage would possibly fluctuate.

As regards to noise cancellation for listening, the adaptive algorithms efficiently suppress fixed low-frequency rumble from air conditioning objects and website guests, whereas higher-frequency looks like conversations require stronger settings to realize vital low cost.

Noise cancellation for spoken voice is bigger than respectable, though not market major. I found this whenseated inside the open-air area of a restaurant near a website guests junction at Bugis one cool post-rain weekday. There have been vehicles starting and stopping, nonetheless these I conversed with on the alternative end let me know they might hear me with solely a little bit little bit of muffling.

Conclusion

The Headphone (1) represents Nothing’s daring debut inside the over-ear market. The design has a nostalgic however futuristic enchantment which is able to polarise opinions nonetheless directions consideration.

The KEF partnership delivers actual audio engineering competence with satisfying effectivity from low to extreme frequencies. There’s an emphasis on the midrange and notably inside the presentation of vocals.

At S$399, these headphones occupy a value bracket barely beneath the right of best from the likes of Sennheiser and Sony. Whereas the Nothing bundle impresses with a standout design, IP52 rating, distinctive battery life, and good sound, I would like that the headphones are considerably further comfortable to placed on.