Stop lining up for the flagship. Seriously. If you’re waiting to get your hands on the Nothing Headphone (1)—the $299 model you probably assume is the best money can buy—you are making a mistake. The brand dropped a new mid-tier option. It’s called the Nothing Headphone (a). It costs $100 less. It is better.
Sure. There are concessions. The plastic feels a bit more… plastic. The sound lacks a specific polish that money buys. But stripping away those high-end flourishes actually reveals something more usable. A headphone that does the core things right. At $199 it is hard to argue with the flaws when the price is this low. I spent a month with these on my head. Here is the verdict.
The numbers game
First. The specs. Because sometimes numbers lie less than marketing copy does.
Nothing Headphone (a):
– Price: $199
– Drivers: 40mm
– ANC: Adaptive + manual
– Battery: 75 hours (ANC on) / 135 hours (off)
– Bluetooth 5.4 with LDAC
– IP52 rating (dust and splash proof)
The flagship, Headphone (1), sits at $299. The price gap alone feels like charity from Nothing.
Why the ‘a’ wins over the ‘1’
They look identical. Almost. Unless you’re staring at the seams, you can’t tell the (a) from the (1) in a photo. The (a) uses more plastic in the construction, sure, but that means it weighs less. My head liked that. The clamping force is gentler. No one should hate lighter headphones unless they have a grudge against gravity.
The controls are the star show. Nothing nailed the button layout on the (1)—physical toggles for volume and playback directly on the ear cup. They didn’t change a thing for the (a). Good move. Physical buttons beat capacitive touch every single time. Touch surfaces fail in cold weather, get confused by sweat, and tempt you to unlock your phone instead of changing the song.
Why do we let manufacturers treat headphone controls like an afterthought when this is such a simple interface?
The battery life is ridiculous
75 hours with active noise cancellation. 135 without it.
Most flagships are trying to hit 30-50 hours. That is good. That is expected. But Nothing is sitting at 75 hours. The Apple AirPods Max 2 last about 20. The Marshall Monitor III? Around 50. Nothing is just laughing at them.
If you forget to charge things—like, genuinely cannot remember to plug them in for a week—the battery life is the main reason to buy these. You can travel. Go to concerts. Work through a pandemic lockdown. You will run out of time before you run out of battery.
Design highs and comfort lows
Let’s talk about comfort. The Bose QuietComfort line remains the Platonic ideal for my head. Plush. Forgiving. These headphones? Not quite. The ear pads are firm. Like memory foam that has decided it means business. The clamp is noticeable. By hour three, I needed a break. I noticed the headset. I hated that.
But here is the thing: it is way better than the (1). I could barely wear the flagship for an hour. So in relative terms, the (a) is a comfort upgrade. If you prefer squishing to plush, you might be happy. But know what you are buying.
The app experience? Identical. Good UI. Easy navigation. Nothing gets this part right.
Sound quality: Tune it or leave it
Out of the box these are bass monsters. Boomy. Punchy. Fun for gym music. Not great for The Beatles. You want balance? You need the app. There is an 8-band EQ. Use it. There is no KEF engineering pedigree here like in the (1), but once I dialed back the lows, the vocals cleared up. The mid-range isn’t magical. It is not an audiophile’s dream. It is a solid B+.
Spatial audio is present but… why bother. I preferred standard stereo. The “Cinema” and “Concert” modes just made things sound hollow. Save the spatial processing for movies, not music.
There is sound leakage. Not much. But if you turn them up high in a quiet library? Someone will know. Especially the high hats and snare hits. Do not ask me how I know.
The ANC is fine
Do not buy these if you work next to a jet engine or need to sleep through a thunderstorm. The active noise cancellation blocks maybe 40dB. The (1) blocks 42dB. In practice? No difference.
It is adequate. It lowers the hum of the subway. It softens the coffee shop chatter. But in my local cafe during the lunch rush? I still heard the blender. I still heard conversations. I did not get that sudden silence effect when sliding them over my ears. It works. It just doesn’t impress.
So, are they worth it?
They are weirdly specific. The look stands out. The buttons stand out. The battery life stands out. They are not the best at any one thing. Not the best sound. Not the best ANC. Not the most comfortable.
But they are the best combination for $199. And definitely the best combination if you are deciding between them and the (1). Keep the (1). Grab the (a). Your wallet will thank you. Your head will thank you too.
