The best Nothing Headphone (1) alternatives

The Nothing Headphone (1) launched just weeks ago and have made a quick impression on all of us at the office. With an eye-catching aesthetic, a rare IP52 rating, and innovative controls, they are some of the best all-round headphones money can buy. Nevertheless, some rather unorthodox quirks make them a questionable purchase for some. Indeed, listeners with specific needs deserve industry-leading features when shelling out hundreds of dollars. To make life easier, we’ve compiled a list of the best Nothing Headphone (1) alternatives for you to browse before spending a dime.

Best overall: Sennheiser ACCENTUM Wireless

The Sennheiser ACCENTUM Wireless have remained one of our strongest recommendations for years thanks to their affordable price tag, comfortable fit, and abundant features. For example, the headphones cost just $149.95 and last nearly 47 hours on a single charge. That’s four hours longer than the more expensive Nothing Headphone (1), which have a total battery life of 42 hours and 53 minutes with ANC on. Sure, Sennheiser doesn’t specify exactly how long it takes to yield a significant charge. However, the ACCENTUM Wireless’s 800 mAh battery size should provide a reasonable amount of listening time from a standard top-up. Nothing also states that the Headphone (1) deliver five hours of listening time from a 5-minute boost, which is impressive.

It isn’t just battery capacity where the Sennheiser ACCENTUM Wireless pull ahead, though. If you have a recent Android smartphone, you can connect to Sennheiser’s headphones wirelessly with a string of Bluetooth codecs. For example, the cans run Bluetooth 5.2 and support the SBC, mSBC (for voice), AAC, aptX, and aptX HD codecs. The last provides high-quality listening with 576kbps, 24-bit/48kHz LPCM audio sampling. If you prefer true lossless streaming, you can also listen to music over USB-C. Just be mindful that the ACCENTUM Wireless do not have a 3.5mm jack.

In fairness, the Nothing Headphone (1) do have a 3.5mm jack. However, the cans only support the SBC, AAC, and LDAC Bluetooth codecs. While the latter provides high-resolution wireless audio up to 24-bit/96kHz, only specific smartphones are properly optimized for LDAC. Otherwise, aptX and SBC outperform LDAC when streaming at 330kbps, the default bitrate most smartphones choose.

Comfort comes first for most consumers, and the Sennheiser ACCENTUM Wireless deliver in spades. First, they weigh just 222g, 107g less than the Nothing Headphone (1). However, they also feature plush padding, and the ear cup sizes are sufficient for most ear shapes. While the leatherette-coated cups can get hot with prolonged use, they shouldn’t cause ear fatigue. By comparison, the Nothing Headphone (1) is not well-suited for those with larger heads or longer hair. In particular, I found they do a poor job of evenly distributing their weight, resulting in pain where the headband meets the scalp.

Read our full Sennheiser ACCENTUM Wireless review

Best budget option: JLab JBuds Lux ANC

If you’re in the business of saving money, then the JLab JBuds Lux ANC are a compelling option. Priced at just $79.99, they cost $220 less than the Nothing Headphone (1) and represent one of the best price-to-feature headphones on the market. For example, the cans support wired listening over USB-C and have excellent sound quality. This is showcased by the JLab JBuds Lux ANC receiving an overall score of 4.5 out of 5 by our panel of virtual listeners in our Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Score (MDAQS) tests. By comparison, the Nothing Headphone (1) have an overall MDAQS score of 4.1 out of 5.

Despite their cheaper price tag, the JLab JBuds Lux ANC also have longer battery life than the Nothing Headphone (1). This lasts 44 hours and 22 minutes with constant playback peaking at 75dBSPL. In real terms, this should provide more than enough for a week’s worth of work, plus most of your commutes. Those in a bind can fast charge the cans for 10 minutes to receive four hours of listening. While shorter than Nothing’s debut over-ears, it’s a commendable effort for the price.

Most importantly, the JLab JBuds Lux ANC are comfortable. With a wider opening at the top of each cup, they accommodate real ear shapes better than the competition. They also feature plush soft foam plastic leather padding and a breathable fabric headband that softens the contact area between the headphones and scalp. Glasses wearers will appreciate the deep padding, allowing those with a full day of work ahead to achieve comfort during long listening sessions. Additionally, unlike Nothing’s headphones, the JLab JBuds Lux ANC utilize foldable hinges. This makes them easier to stow away in a backpack or small bag when out and about.

Nothing upped its game with the latest version of the Nothing X app. Nevertheless, the JLab app is home to a string of handy features. For example, the app houses a 10-band custom EQ and a list of easy-to-use presets to help hone the sound profile to your liking. The JLab app also provides adjustable ANC modes, a volume limiter, and automatic firmware updates. The last is vital for ensuring the headphones remain up-to-date and receive the latest bug fixes. All in all, the JLab JBuds Lux ANC are a formidable pair of headphones for the price.

Read our full JLab JBuds Lux ANC review

Best for noise canceling: JBL Tour One M3

Noise cancellation technology has seen huge improvements in recent years. As such, the JBL Tour One M3 have some of the strongest ANC capabilities on the market to date. With an ideal fit, listeners can expect environmental noise to be quelled by as much as 51dB. This reduces the perceived loudness of real-world sounds by approximately 97%. The JBL Tour One M3’s ANC is particularly effective at consistently dampening sounds below 1kHz by over 30dB. This outperforms previous industry leaders, such as the Sony WH-1000XM5, Apple AirPods Max, and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones.

In addition to powerful noise canceling, the JBL Tour One M3 have exceptional in-call noise rejection. Using their 8-microphone array, the headphones effectively cancel out wind noise, echoes, and office chatter. This is superior to the Nothing Headphone (1), which struggles significantly with echo and reverberation. For example, taking calls in a room with hard surfaces makes conversations sound less natural. This is because the microphone picks up reflections that create a hollow and distant sound quality. For context, 22% of people consider the JBL Tour One M3’s microphone quality perfect in our review poll. This compares to Nothing’s score of 8%.

Like the Nothing Headphone (1), the JBL Tour One M3 have a somewhat boring default sound. Thankfully, this can be easily remedied using the JBL app’s 12-band custom EQ. Those seeking a more tailored sound profile can also use the company’s Personi-Fi 3.0 feature. With subtle boosting in the 4-8kHz frequency range, the JBL Tour One M3 sound as good as any of the best wireless headphones. In fact, applying the Jazz EQ preset yields an overall MDAQS score of 4.6 out of 5, which is superior to the Nothing Headphone (1)’s aforementioned score of 4.1.

Those giddy for the latest Bluetooth headphone technology will enjoy the JBL Tour One M3’s SMART Tx accessory. This lets you control the headphones’ playback, stream music over the LC3 codec, and transmit audio to any Auracast-compatible headphone. It also lets you transform old analog audio players into wireless music players. You can sidestep any playback issues related to compatibility or interoperability with the SMART Tx accessory when necessary. JBL also implemented a personal sound amplification (PSAP) feature. This allows you to use the headphones as a hearing assistant when transparency mode is activated.

Read our full JBL Tour One M3 review

But what do you think? Is the Nothing Headphone (1) the cream of the crop, or are the headphones listed above (or others) better for those with specific needs? Let us know in the poll and comments section below!