Transparent Design Sets Headphone 1 Apart, Offering Competition for Sony and Bose at a Lower Price of $150
London-based tech company, Nothing, has entered the headphone market with its latest offering, the Headphone (1). This new product is set to compete with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra and the Sony WH-1000XM6, two of the most popular wireless headphones on the market.
The Headphone (1) boasts a unique design, with a cassette motif and see-through shells, giving it a distinctive look that resembles AirPods Max with cassettes inside. It offers a battery life of 35 hours with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) on and 80 hours with ANC off, and is controlled with physical controls, including a volume roller, a paddle for skipping tracks and taking calls, and a customizable button.
The sound quality of the Headphone (1) is tuned by KEF and features a 40mm custom driver. However, the specifics of the dynamic spatial audio feature, a key selling point, are yet to be revealed. The Headphone (1) also features AI-powered microphones that adapt to the environment every 600ms, offering excellent call quality.
In terms of sound quality, the Headphone (1) offers a good and well-balanced sound across frequencies, with muscular bass and clear mids and treble. However, the soundstage feels small and compressed compared to rivals, lacking expansiveness and separation. While the sound is good, it may not be as impressive as the Bose QuietComfort Ultra or the Sony WH-1000XM6.
Regarding noise cancellation, the Headphone (1) offers solid ANC but does not match the performance of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra or the Sony WH-1000XM6. The Headphone (1) has a transparency mode that can be activated immediately with a button.
The Headphone (1) is priced at $299/£299, making it around $150 cheaper than the Bose QuietComfort Ultra and the Sony WH-1000XM6. It supports lossless audio when a USB-C cord is plugged in and features dynamic spatial audio and excellent codec support, including LDAC.
The Headphone (1) can be customized using the Nothing X app, which also offers EQ presets. The customizable button on the Headphone (1) can summon ChatGPT or an AI voice assistant, among other things.
In comparison, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra offers audiophile-level sound (post-EQ) but the stock signature can be disappointing. It is known for its unrivaled noise cancelling performance and offers impressive smart features. The Sony WH-1000XM6 offers the best sound output among the three, with better frequency balance, more open and revealing sound, better instrument separation, natural voices, and a more expansive soundstage.
In summary, the Sony WH-1000XM6 leads with the most open, natural, and expansive sound, followed by the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (audiophile level after EQ). The Nothing Headphone (1) offers a decent experience but feels compressed and less immersive for its price. If sound quality and noise cancellation are your top priorities and budget allows, the Sony WH-1000XM6 or Bose QuietComfort Ultra offer superior performance. The Nothing Headphone (1) provides a good experience but may not fully justify its price compared to these higher-end headphones.
[1] Nothing Headphone (1) Specifications: https://nothing.tech/headphones [2] Bose QuietComfort Ultra Specifications: https://www.bose.com/en_us/products/headphones/quietcomfort-ultra.html [3] Sony WH-1000XM6 Specifications: https://www.sony.com/electronics/headphones/wh1000xm6 [4] Sony WH-1000XM6 Review: https://www.theverge.com/21496916/sony-wh-1000xm6-review-headphones [5] Bose QuietComfort Ultra Review: https://www.theverge.com/21460719/bose-quietcomfort-ultra-review-headphones
The Headphone (1) from Nothing, a London-based tech company, is equipped with technology that focuses on a unique design and impressive features, including a cassette motif and see-through shells, physical controls, a customizable button, and KEF-tuned sound quality.
The Headphone (1) is also designed to compete with other popular wireless headphones, such as the Bose QuietComfort Ultra and the Sony WH-1000XM6, in terms of technology and gadget features.
