Nothing’s wireless headphones just got a “Pro” label for the first time, and the company means it. The $399 Nothing Headphone 1 Pro are what the company is calling its “most advanced headphones” to date, a claim that centers mostly on two improvements: the driver architecture and EQ.
Starting with the former, Nothing has a new three-driver architecture, compared to the Headphone 1’s solo driver, with one driver focusing on one part of the frequency range. According to Nothing, one driver focuses on precision bass, giving the Headphone 1 Pro more “punch and sensitivity,” while another zeroes in on vocals and instruments. Lastly, there’s a treble-focused driver from xMems for handling higher frequencies.
Obviously, I can’t say without trying the Headphone 1 Pro for myself (which I will be doing soon), but having dedicated drivers for all of those frequencies should greatly improve the sound from generation to generation.
The second sound-focused improvement is EQ. Nothing is partnering with Metropolis Studios, a professional music studio that has worked with legends like Queen and the Rolling Stones. With that collab, Nothing says it’s introducing a physical “flat EQ” switch, which the company says is meant for “reviewing tracks or comparing mixes.” With that switch, Nothing says the Headphone 1 Pro can remove “colorization and processing” on whatever you’re listening to.
Additionally, Nothing says there’s a new “Studio B” spatial sound mode built in partnership with Metropolis Studios, which is meant to make music sound as though you’re listening in a professional control room. There are also more casual EQ presets developed in collaboration with Metropolis Studios meant for genres like jazz, British rock, U.K. rap, grime, and electronica. If you’re into electronic music, I’m sure those could be useful These features will mostly appeal to those who make music as a hobby or a profession, but I suppose it’ll be intellectually interesting for more casual listeners.
Outside of the sound, the Headphone 1 Pro get an update to the look, with black accents on the outside of the earcups, which are complemented by new, more premium materials. This time around, Nothing added titanium, which makes the arms 45% lighter than the Headphone 1, and the padding on the headband is a bit thicker on the Headphone 1 Pro. Nothing also claims that the cushions are 50% softer than the previous generation. We’ll see how much of a difference all of that makes. On paper, the Headphone 1 Pro are only 2g lighter (327g total) than the Headphone 1.
Active noise cancellation (ANC) is also slightly improved, with 45dB of max noise cancelling compared to the 42dB of cancellation on the Headphone 1.
There is one area where the Headphone 1 Pro are definitely not improved, though, and that’s battery life. Nothing says the Headphone 1 Pro get 30 hours of battery life with ANC on compared to the Headphone 1’s 35 hours. I can’t say I’m surprised given the inclusion of three drivers. The sound quality tradeoff might be worth it.
Given the upgrades, you’ll have to shell out $100 more than the previous generation, of course, but if these wireless headphones sound as good as Nothing suggests, they may be a competitor to headphones from Sony like the WH-1000XM6 and Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen), which cost $450 each. The Headphone 1 Pro are available starting Sept. 29.
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