If you want better Auto on/off reliability
Choose Sony WH-CH720N Wireless Headphones. It scores 4.5 vs 2.0 for Auto on/off reliability, with a 3.8 overall score.
Nothing Headphone (1) Review
Bottom Line
Choose the Nothing Headphone (1) for bold design, tactile controls, long battery life, strong app EQ, and good value. Skip it if you want class-leading sound, ANC, comfort, or a compact travel case.
Best for
Best for listeners who want a bold-looking over-ear headphone with tactile controls, long battery life, strong connectivity, and a powerful EQ app. It also suits people willing to tune the sound rather than rely on the default profile.
Not for
Not for buyers who want the best sound, ANC, or transparency mode straight out of the box. It is also less ideal for travelers who need a compact folding design or users sensitive to weight and headband pressure.
Verdict
The Nothing Headphone (1) lands as a strong first over-ear effort because reviewers repeatedly praised its distinctive build, tactile controls, long battery life, useful wired options, and unusually powerful Nothing X app. The tradeoff is sound: several reviewers liked the balance or improved it dramatically with EQ, but many criticized the default tuning as dark, flat, narrow, or compressed for the price. ANC and transparency are good enough for daily use, yet not consistently at Sony, Bose, or Apple levels. Comfort is also context-dependent, with many finding them wearable for hours and others noticing weight, heat, headband pressure, or pad issues.
Feature Scorecards
Summary
79 reviewed features-
Very positive 4.5-5.011 (14%)
-
Positive 3.5-4.439 (49%)
-
Neutral 2.5-3.423 (29%)
-
Negative 1.5-2.46 (8%)
Pros
-
EQ customization was a standout feature, repeatedly described as powerful, granular, and sometimes essential for fixing the stock tuning.
-
Battery life was one of the clearest strengths, repeatedly praised for 35+ hours with ANC and exceptional longevity without ANC.
-
The app was one of the product’s strongest points, with reviewers praising its layout, speed, settings, and unusually deep EQ tools.
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Design was one of the most discussed strengths, repeatedly praised as distinctive, premium, and eye-catching, though also polarizing.
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Physical controls were a standout strength, widely praised for tactility and usability, although a few reviewers found the layout or paddle/roller behavior finicky.
-
Build quality was broadly praised as solid, premium, and better than expected, though one reviewer worried about long-term headband durability.
Cons
-
Wear detection auto-pause was criticized in long-term Mac use, where the reviewer said over-ear detection was god-awful.
-
Wear detection performance was poor in one long-term Mac test, where it reportedly never worked.
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Auto power/sleep behavior drew criticism in long-term use, especially when connected to a Mac.
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Sustainability materials were a weakness because The Guardian said the headphones were not made with recycled materials.
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Replaceable earpad evidence was weak-to-negative, with uncertainty around replacements and a long-term reviewer noting Nothing still did not sell them.
-
Voice prompts and feedback split reviewers sharply: one loved the mode sounds, while others found cues uncomfortable, awful, loud, or jarring.
Compared With Category Average
Compared with other Over-Ear Headphones, this product is above average in Water/sweat resistance rating, Smart Pause performance, LDAC, near average in Comfort during long use, Button control usability, below average in Sustainability materials, Wear detection auto-pause, Immersive audio quality.
Comparison summary
79 compared features-
Above average 0.4+ pts higher19 (24%)
-
Same as average within 0.3 pts29 (37%)
-
Below average 0.4+ pts lower31 (39%)
Largest category differences
| Attribute | This product | Category average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sustainability materials | 2.0 | 4.2 | -2.2 |
| Water/sweat resistance rating | 4.0 | 2.0 | +2.0 |
| Wear detection auto-pause | 1.5 | 3.4 | -1.9 |
| Immersive audio quality | 2.4 | 4.3 | -1.9 |
| Wear detection performance | 1.5 | 3.3 | -1.8 |
| Auto on/off reliability | 2.0 | 3.6 | -1.6 |
| Replaceable earpads | 2.5 | 3.9 | -1.5 |
| Smart Pause performance | 4.8 | 3.3 | +1.5 |
Consider This Instead
If you want better Weight comfort
Choose Marshall Monitor III A.N.C. Over-Ear Bluetooth Headphones. It scores 4.8 vs 3.3 for Weight comfort, with a 4.2 overall score.
If you want better Sustainability materials
Choose Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 Headphones. It scores 4.6 vs 2.0 for Sustainability materials, with a 4.3 overall score.
If you want better Button control usability
Choose Marshall Milton A.N.C.. It scores 4.9 vs 4.3 for Button control usability, with a 4.3 overall score.
Compared in Reviews
Products reviewers directly compared with this model, grouped into quick takeaways.
- Better: comfort CNET remained slightly more partial to Sony WH-1000XM6 for comfort.
- Better: ANC strength The reviewer says Nothing's ANC is not as powerful as Sony WH-1000XM6.
- Better: sound breadth and detail TechRadar preferred the breadth and detail of Sony WH-1000XM5.
AirPods Max
- Worse: value CNET says Nothing has a case as a better value than AirPods Max.
- Better: ANC strength The reviewer says Nothing's ANC is not as powerful as AirPods Max.
- Better: overall sound, comfort, and ANC Tom's Guide says the Nothing is outclassed by Airpods Max where sound, comfort, and ANC matter.
FAQ
Do the Nothing Headphone (1) sound good out of the box?
Reviewers were split. Some liked the balance, but many said the default sound is dark, flat, narrow, or compressed and benefits heavily from EQ.
How good is the active noise cancellation?
The ANC is generally good for daily noise, commuting, offices, and public transport. Reviewers repeatedly said it trails the strongest Sony, Bose, and AirPods Max options.
Is the Nothing X app useful?
Yes. The app was one of the most praised parts because it offers deep EQ controls, presets, ANC settings, button customization, and later Personal Sound support.
Are the controls better than touch controls?
Most reviewers preferred the tactile roller, paddle, and buttons over touch surfaces. A few found the controls busy, finicky, or prone to accidental volume jumps.
Are they comfortable for long listening sessions?
Often yes, but not for everyone. Several reviewers wore them for hours, while others noticed weight, heat, thin headband padding, clamping pressure, or earpad pressure.
How is battery life?
Battery life was a strong point. Reviewers cited roughly 35 hours with ANC on, longer results in some tests, and useful fast charging.
Sample Expert Reviews We Analyzed
These are a few of the reviews included in our analysis.
Video Reviews
YouTube - Youtube
- Review score
- 4.4
Article Reviews
techradar.com
- Review score
- 3.7
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