Nothing Headphone A

Design

• Iconic semi-transparent design
• Tactile physical controls
• IP52 rated

At a glance, you could easily mistake the Headphone (a) for the Headphone (1), at least with the white version that I have for testing.

They appear to be the exact same shape, with the same button layout, but the materials have changed. Rather than aluminium housing on the ear cups, the Headphone (a) is all made from plastic (with the exception of the steel hinges).

The design concept has been flipped, too. Rather than having transparent pill-shaped sections on each ear cup and a solid aluminium surround, the pill shapes are opaque, and the surrounds have a transparent outer, with Nothing’s signature textured and layered elements underneath.

The white model is entirely monochromatic, other than a red accent square on the right earcup. It looks a lot like Nothing’s smartphones, and in my opinion, that’s a very good thing. Of course, if you prefer something understated, these are likely not the headphones for you.

In fairness, there’s a black model, which might not stand out so much. And on the opposite end of the spectrum, pink and yellow versions, which keep the white surround, but replace the pill-shaped dome with bright pops of colour.

The shape of the Headphone (a) reminds me of the AirPods Max, in that the earcups are large and rectangular, but they remain fairly low profile. They don’t stick out from the sides of your head as other headphones might.

They’re relatively weighty, tipping the scales at 310 grams, but that’s almost 20 grams lighter than the previous model. And, despite the heft, they’re incredibly comfortable. I’ve managed to wear them for almost an entire workday, and I only felt a bit of pressure on my scalp. That’s impressive for any headphones, especially a set that hasn’t been broken in yet.

I think this is due to the deep, wide ear cushions that sit around your ears, rather than on them. They’re covered with a leatherette material, with soft memory foam underneath. They clamp tight enough to feel secure, but at the same time, they apply almost no pressure to the arms of my glasses. Nothing reckons they’ll be comfortable for those with lots of ear piercings, too, but I can’t comment on that.

The controls are unchanged for the Headphone (1), but they’re so good that the praise bears repeating. There’s a pill-shaped scroll wheel that controls volume and can be pushed in to play/pause, a little rocker tab that can skip tracks or fast forward, and a customisable button that we’ll talk more about later.

There are no complicated gestures or touch controls; instead, each button has its own distinct feel, so you always intuitively know what you’re controlling. The controls are paired with almost haptic audio cues, too. Like a ratcheting sound that plays as you change the volume, it’s so satisfying.

Another thing that appears unchanged is the headband mechanism. It looks and functions identically to the Headphone (1), although Nothing says this one is stronger, thanks to glass fibre-filled nylon reinforcement. It was more than adjustable enough for my relatively large head, and my girlfriend (with a much smaller head) was able to wear them comfortably, too.

The Headphone (a) is IP52 rated, again matching the Headphone (1). This means they’ll be fine with some light rain or sweat from a workout, but you’ll still need to be careful around water. Pack an umbrella if it’s going to chuck it down.

One area where Nothing has saved some pennies is with the included case. Rather than a hardshell felt-lined affair, there’s now a simple drawstring bag. In fairness, it looks quite nice, with oversized Nothing branding, and it’ll do the job, keeping your headphones free from scratches.

Features

The Nothing Headphone (a) works with the same Nothing X app as the brand’s other accessories. Google Fast Pair support makes it a breeze to get it set up with an Android handset, and if you’re a weirdo like me, who’s constantly juggling two or more phones, you’ll really appreciate how quick it is.

The app is really well designed, it’s speedy, intuitive, and still manages to offer a deep level of customisation that few others can match. It gives you a variety of options for the behaviour of every physical button, including some I’ve never seen before.

My personal favourite is the ability to long-press the skip paddle to fast-forward or rewind. As someone who listens to a lot of podcasts, this is a game-changer for annoying ad reads or going back a bit when you lose track of the conversation. It doesn’t work on every app; it didn’t seem to do anything with Spotify music, for example, but it works great with Pocket Casts (my podcast app of choice).

There’s a really cool feature called Channel Hop, which can be assigned to the programmable button on the side. The idea is that you can switch between media sources, like your music app, YouTube, and your podcast app, without needing to pull out your phone.

I love the concept, but unfortunately, this wasn’t available in the beta software I’m using for testing. Another neat addition is the ability to use this programmable button to trigger your camera. Hey, when your headphones look this cool, who can resist a self-portrait?

Noise-Cancelling

• Adaptive ANC
• Transparency mode

The Headphone (a) features adaptive ANC, just like its pricier sibling. There are three default modes: ANC on, off, and transparency.

The noise cancellation is very effective. I don’t think it quite rivals the likes of Bose and Apple, but honestly, it’s not that far behind. It certainly dulls background sounds enough to make flights and train journeys more pleasant, and a solid passive seal from the ear cushions helps on that front, too.

The transparency mode is also very good. I didn’t feel too unnatural having conversations with the headphones on, even if my own voice sounded a little weird, and most importantly, I didn’t miss the postman knocking on the door, either.

Battery Life

• Long battery life
• 135 hours without ANC
• Fast-charging

If all those features weren’t enough, it might be the battery life that sways you. Nothing claims up to 135 hours of playback with ANC off, or 75 hours with ANC on. That’s potentially over five days of playback without interruption, and it’s ahead of the likes of the Cambridge Audio P100 SE and Edifier ES850NB.

In fact, it beats the Nothing Headphone (1), which claims up to 80 hours with ANC off. It embarrasses the much more expensive Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bose QC Ultra Headphones 2, too.

As for my real-world experience, I’m not sure what to tell you. I charged them fully when they first arrived, and after a week of fairly intensive testing, they still aren’t dead. They’re the kind of headphones you can take on holiday for a week and never think about charging.

Of course, battery life is one thing, but how about charging? Sticking the Headphone (a) on charge for just 5 minutes will give you 8 hours of playback with ANC off, or 5 hours with it on. Meanwhile, a full charge from flat takes 2 hours, but you can charge them while you’re listening.

Sound Quality

• 24-bit 96kHz support
• Highly customisable EQ
• 40 mm titanium-coated diaphragms

Arguably, the biggest difference between the Headphone (a) and Headphone (1) is that the cheaper model doesn’t boast the “Sound by KEF” tuning. Whether that’s a good or a bad thing will all depend on your listening preferences.

KEF is known for its neutral tone, and while I wasn’t able to audition both options side by side, the Headphone (a) is anything but neutral. So, I can imagine they sound pretty different.

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These cans ship with the Extra Bass EQ applied, and oh boy, that low end means business. The sub-bass response is exceptional, and if you’re listening to DnB or dubstep tracks, it sometimes feels like having two subwoofers strapped to your head.

If you’re a real bass freak, you can push it even further, as there’s a three-stage Bass Enhancement slider in the app. Personally, though, I felt the default EQ was bassy enough.

Now, I don’t want to give the impression that these headphones are just bass cannons with no substance, because that’s absolutely not the case. Despite the rumbling low end, the mids remain precise and controlled, and the treble is detailed and clear.

I would describe the default EQ as somewhat V-shaped, but not in a negative way. It’s energetic and engaging, and I’m a huge fan.

One of the best things about Nothing headphones is how customisable the sound is. The Nothing X app has some of the most impressive EQ controls I have ever come across, with both a simple 3-band adjustment and an advanced 8-band EQ with customisable frequencies and Q factor on each.

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If you’re not happy with the four default EQ settings, you can make your own and truly transform the way these headphones sound. Better yet, you can upload and share your own EQ with other Nothing headphone users, or browse a selection of community-curated options.

The only slight oddity I found was that the custom EQ options were all quieter than the default EQ options. But, as mentioned, I’m on Beta software, perhaps that’s a bug.

Despite plenty of tinkering in the custom EQ, I still found I enjoyed the Balanced preset with Bass Enhancement level 1 applied the most. The More Bass preset with Bass Enhancement turned off came in as a close second.

My only real criticism of the sound quality is that the soundstage isn’t particularly wide. There’s good directionality, but it always sounds quite close. You can combat this by using the Spatial Audio mode, but it sounds a little too processed and unnatural for my liking.

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Should you buy it?

You loved the look of the Headphone (1), but the price put you off

With very similar styling and features, but at roughly half the price, the Nothing Headphone (a) is a perfect pick-up for anyone intrigued by the original but deterred by the pricing.

You’re looking for something subtle and understated

There’s no way around it. The Nothing Headphone (a) makes a statement. If you’re looking for a headphone that blends in, this is not the one for you.