Nothing Headphone (1) review: a design statement for your eyes and ears

I'll be honest, I'm no audiophile. I'm not a technical person who can tell you the new Nothing Headphone (1) will make every wump-wump sound amazing, but I can tell you there's not a pair of headphones I've tried that feel as good, and look as uniquely futuristic, as these. Oh, and the fact that those wump-wumps do sound amazing, well… that's just good news too.

What struck me most is how unapologetically visual these headphones are. New premium headphones tend to look the same, a smooth clamshell design matched to a bit of chrome or metal finishing. Or they veer in the other direction towards aggressively 'gamer' and garish. Nothing taps into its transparent, retro-futurism design for Headphone (1), and in doing so, carves out a distinct niche; these look transparent, technical and optimistic.

The design of Headphone (1) feels like a nod to the past and the future, or a future as seen by visionaries from the past. These look fragile but functional and contain a cluster of technical lines and inner mechanisms set inside a smooth wedge that recalls Syd Mead and Charles Schridde, as well as looking a little like cassette tapes. There's a hint of late-’70s industrial design about Headphone (1) that recalls a time that never existed, a love letter to a future that never happened.

There's a kind of reverence in how Nothing handles form with Headphones (1); these are made not just for the ears, but for the eyes. Naturally, if you do wear Headphones (1) out and about, you'll need to get used to questions.

In the box

From the moment I unboxed my Nothing Headphone (1) and unzipped the hard case they sit inside, I felt as if I'd stumbled onto a lost prop from Blade Runner or TRON. Brand Nothing is grasping for a future envisioned in the '70s and early '80s, picking from Syd Mead's approach to design, these headphones aren't simply about creating something futuristic, but crafting how that future would feel.

This comes together in the case, simple and coated in felt, it feels good. Inside the headphones sit in a snug pocket, the two included cables – USB-C to USB-C and a standard 3.5mm auxiliary cable – roll and sit inside easily, but also demonstrate that these headphones are for serious listeners who need a wired connection and casual music lovers. There's an elasticated pocket for more storage.

Specs

These don't just look good, but Nothing has backed the design with solid engineering. Fittingly, Nothing has partnered with British audio pioneers KEF to deliver a technical oompf audiophiles will love. KEF was founded in 1961 by Raymond Cooke, a BBC audio engineer with a love of sound. KEF is renowned for its approach to audio fidelity, stylish design, and innovative engineering, and feels perfectly aligned with Nothing's industrial retro-futurism.

The adaptive ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) is impressive for its class, automatically adjusting to surroundings using spatial headtrackinging for continuous surround sound. I've tested Headphones (1) in the office, easily cancelling out the hum and chatter, as well as on the train, where they actively masked the rumble. (Transparency mode is natural and unobtrusive if you still want to stay in the loop.)

Performance

Headphone (1) feel wonderful, a subtle blend of surface texture and soft fabrics offers comfort. I've been wearing these all day, and they never felt heavy, cumbersome, or stifling. They feel weightless and advanced, and rarely tug or weigh down my head while in use.

Functionally, the Headphone (1) holds up well. The sound is crisp and well-balanced, easily more than good enough for day-to-day listening. As mentioned above, active noise cancellation is solid, a clear step up from Nothing Ear (a).

There are a couple of innovations that could get overlooked, particularly how you use them as much as the audio tech inside. For example, the 'Roller' controller to the side of the headphones, which can be rolled left and right to adjust audio volume, while a mix of clicks and presses can toggle ANC. I have to say, 'scrolling' left to right and back feels more intuitive than up and down, while the softly domed button feels distinct and unmissable when searching for control.

So too the slim, angular 'Paddle' that can be pushed left and right to skip tracks, or held down to scrub through to a preferred piece of music. There is an AI 'Button' too, which, when used with the upcoming Nothing Phone (3) and the latest all Nothing Phones, will cycle audio apps. On all phones, including iOS and Android, it launches the AI assistant. Overall, the experience is typically Nothing: clean, intuitive, and minimalist.

Headphone (1) deliver wonderful sound quality, but there's something more joyful here, something more tangible that goes beyond merely offering a good way to listen to music; importantly, design matters. While so much of modern tech feels cold, uniform, and disposable Headphone (1) steps to the side, shrugs the norms, and dares to be memorable.

I often feel that each new tech release, be it headphones or smartphones, can feel like a footnote to next year's update, a disposable stop-gap. Headphone (1) is designed to stand out, to be a one-of-a-kind you'll want to covet. It's that Syd Mead thing again – design needs to make you feel something, and Nothing succeeds with Headphone (1).

So yes, Headphone (1) sound good, rich and bold. But just as importantly, Headphone (1) look good; these say you love design, you care about form and function, about ideas and, oh sure, those wump-wump baselines sound deep and velvety too.

Buy it if

• You love tech that makes a visual statement
• You value deep, rich sound quality
• You want smart tech and design choices

Don't buy it if

• You need smaller or folding headphones
• You don’t like explaining your gear to curious strangers