Nothing Headphone 1 Pro Puts Three Drivers In Each Ear

Most over-ear headphones ask one driver in each earcup to handle everything from bass to treble. Nothing’s new Headphone (1) Pro gives those jobs to three separate drivers, while keeping both Bluetooth and wired listening options.

At £349, these are an ambitious first serious pair rather than a cheap everyday replacement. Their practical appeal is that they work across iOS, Android and computers, with a cable available when a wireless connection is not the right tool.

Quick Reference

• Product: Nothing Headphone (1) Pro over-ear headphones.
• Price: £349 in the UK.
• Drivers per ear: 40mm bass driver, separate midrange driver and xMEMS treble driver.
• Connections: Bluetooth 6.1, USB-C digital audio and 3.5mm analogue cable.
• Battery: Up to 68 hours with noise cancelling off, or up to 30 hours with it on, under specified conditions.
• Other features: Noise cancelling, Flat EQ switch, tactile controls and Auracast.

Three Drivers With Different Jobs

The main 40mm moving-coil driver handles lower frequencies. A smaller oval driver focuses on part of the midrange, including vocal detail. A tiny solid-state xMEMS unit takes on the highest frequencies. This is a three-way idea familiar from some loudspeakers, adapted to a headphone earcup.

Nothing says the headphones were tuned with engineers at Metropolis Studios. These are design claims, not a listening verdict; whether the extra hardware improves the music is a question for a proper review.

Wired And Wireless Choices

Bluetooth 6.1 supports ordinary AAC and SBC, as well as LDAC with a compatible source. USB-C can carry digital audio at up to 24-bit/192kHz from suitable equipment. A 3.5mm analogue cable is also supplied for a traditional headphone connection.

The physical Flat EQ switch changes from a listener’s chosen equaliser setting to a neutral profile developed for checking music. The Nothing X app offers further adjustment on iOS and Android.

Controls Noise Cancelling And Sharing

A roller changes volume, a paddle handles track skipping, and a switch selects Flat EQ. These are useful when a phone is in a pocket. Adaptive active noise cancelling uses microphones to analyse outside noise; transparency mode deliberately lets some outside sound through.

Auracast is included for compatible Bluetooth broadcasts. It will not turn every existing Bluetooth source into an Auracast broadcaster, so check the other device before buying with that feature in mind. Multipoint can keep the headphones connected to two sources.

Battery And Fit

Nothing quotes up to 68 hours with active noise cancelling switched off when using AAC at 50 percent volume. With cancelling on, the figure is up to 30 hours. Listening louder, using another codec or changing features can reduce those figures. The over-ear design weighs 327g and comes with a hard case.

IP52 gives limited dust and splash resistance. It does not make the headphones suitable for a shower or a swim.

Price And Availability

The Nothing Headphone (1) Pro is priced at £349 in the UK, in black or white. Availability can vary by colour and region.

What The Terms Mean

Driver: The part of a headphone that moves air to create sound. Treble: The higher notes and details in music. EQ: Equalisation, or adjustment of different frequency ranges. LDAC: A Bluetooth codec that can transmit more audio data than the basic SBC codec on compatible devices. Lossless: Audio data delivered without discarding information during compression.

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