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I will be sincere, I am no audiophile. I am not a technical one that can let you know the brand new Nothing Headphone (1) will make each wump-wump sound superb, however I can let you know there’s not a pair of headphones I’ve tried that really feel pretty much as good, and look as uniquely futuristic, as these. Oh, and the truth that these wump-wumps do sound superb, effectively… that is simply excellent news too.What struck me most is how unapologetically visible these headphones are. New premium headphones are likely to look the identical, a clean clamshell design matched to a little bit of chrome or steel ending. Or they veer within the different path in direction of aggressively ‘gamer’ and garish. Nothing faucets into its clear, retro-futurism design for Headphone (1), and in doing so, carves out a definite area of interest; these look clear, technical and optimistic.The design of Headphone (1) looks like a nod to the previous and the long run, or a future as seen by visionaries from the previous. These look fragile however practical and include a cluster of technical strains and inside mechanisms set inside a clean wedge that remembers Syd Mead and Charles Schridde, in addition to trying somewhat like cassette tapes. There is a trace of late-’70s industrial design about Headphone (1) that remembers a time that by no means existed, a love letter to a future that by no means occurred.There is a form of reverence in how Nothing handles type with Headphones (1); these are made not only for the ears, however for the eyes. Naturally, should you do put on Headphones (1) out and about, you may have to get used to questions.(Picture credit score: Future / Nothing)Within the boxFrom the second I unboxed my Nothing Headphone (1) and unzipped the exhausting case they sit inside, I felt as if I would stumbled onto a misplaced prop from Blade Runner or TRON. Model Nothing is greedy for a future envisioned within the ’70s and early ’80s, selecting from Syd Mead’s strategy to design, these headphones aren’t merely about creating one thing futuristic, however crafting how that future would really feel.This comes collectively within the case, easy and coated in felt, it feels good. Contained in the headphones sit in a cosy pocket, the 2 included cables – USB-C to USB-C and a typical 3.5mm auxiliary cable – roll and sit inside simply, but additionally reveal that these headphones are for severe listeners who want a wired connection and informal music lovers. There’s an elasticated pocket for extra storage.(Picture credit score: Future / Nothing)SpecsThese do not simply look good, however Nothing has backed the design with stable engineering. Fittingly, Nothing has partnered with British audio pioneers KEF to ship a technical oompf audiophiles will love. KEF was based in 1961 by Raymond Cooke, a BBC audio engineer with a love of sound. KEF is famend for its strategy to audio constancy, fashionable design, and modern engineering, and feels completely aligned with Nothing’s industrial retro-futurism.The adaptive ANC (Lively Noise Cancellation) is spectacular for its class, routinely adjusting to environment utilizing spatial headtrackinging for steady encompass sound. I’ve examined Headphones (1) within the workplace, simply cancelling out the hum and chatter, in addition to on the prepare, the place they actively masked the rumble. (Transparency mode is pure and unobtrusive should you nonetheless need to keep within the loop.)Swipe to scroll horizontallyNothing Headphones (1) specsRow 0 – Cell 0 Row 0 – Cell 1 Drivers40 mm dynamic drivers, 16ΩFrequency Response 20 Hz – 40 kHzDiaphragmPU (polyurethane)TuningKEF collaborationNoise CancellationReal-time adaptive ANC (as much as 42 dB, efficient to 2 kHz)Transparency ModeYesMicrophones6 mics complete with 4-mic ENC for crystal-clear callsConnectionUSB-C, 3.5mm aux cable, Bluetooth 5.3 (10 m vary), dual-deviceBattery Life35 hours with ANC, 80 hours with out, 5-minute fast chargeSupported OSAndroid 5.1 + | iOS 13 + | Nothing OS(Picture credit score: Future / Nothing)PerformanceHeadphone (1) really feel fantastic, a delicate mix of floor texture and smooth materials presents consolation. I have been carrying these all day, they usually by no means felt heavy, cumbersome, or stifling. They really feel weightless and superior, and infrequently tug or overwhelm my head whereas in use.Functionally, the Headphone (1) holds up effectively. The sound is crisp and well-balanced, simply greater than adequate for day-to-day listening. As talked about above, lively noise cancellation is stable, a transparent step up from Nothing Ear (a).There are a few improvements that might get neglected, significantly how you employ them as a lot because the audio tech inside. For instance, the ‘Curler’ controller to the aspect of the headphones, which might be rolled left and proper to regulate audio quantity, whereas a mixture of clicks and presses can toggle ANC. I’ve to say, ‘scrolling’ left to proper and again feels extra intuitive than up and down, whereas the softly domed button feels distinct and unmissable when trying to find management.(Picture credit score: Future / Nothing)So too the slim, angular ‘Paddle’ that may be pushed left and proper to skip tracks, or held down to clean by to a most well-liked piece of music. There’s an AI ‘Button’ too, which, when used with the upcoming Nothing Cellphone (3) and the newest all Nothing Telephones, will cycle audio apps. On all telephones, together with iOS and Android, it launches the AI assistant. General, the expertise is usually Nothing: clear, intuitive, and minimalist.Headphone (1) ship fantastic sound high quality, however there’s one thing extra joyful right here, one thing extra tangible that goes past merely providing a great way to hearken to music; importantly, design issues. Whereas a lot of contemporary tech feels chilly, uniform, and disposable Headphone (1) steps to the aspect, shrugs the norms, and dares to be memorable.I typically really feel that every new tech launch, be it headphones or smartphones, can really feel like a footnote to subsequent yr’s replace, a disposable stop-gap. Headphone (1) is designed to face out, to be a one-of-a-kind you may need to covet. It is that Syd Mead factor once more – design must make you’re feeling one thing, and Nothing succeeds with Headphone (1).So sure, Headphone (1) sound good, wealthy and daring. However simply as importantly, Headphone (1) look good; these say you like design, you care about type and performance, about concepts and, oh positive, these wump-wump baselines sound deep and velvety too.(Picture credit score: Future / Nothing)Purchase it ifYou love tech that makes a visible statementYou worth deep, wealthy sound qualityYou need good tech and design choicesDon’t purchase it ifYou want smaller or folding headphonesYou don’t like explaining your gear to curious strangers(Picture credit score: Future / Nothing)
