Nothing Headphone (1) vs Beats Studio Pro: Best $300 headphones?

Both the Nothing Headphone (1) and Beats Studio Pro aim to deliver excellent ANC headphones for less than the cost of flagship alternatives — but they go about it differently. Nothing leans into deep customization, while Beats rides on great default sound and Apple ecosystem synergy. After spending time with both, I found strengths and flaws that make each appealing to specific users. Here’s how they stack up.

What’s it like to use the Nothing Headphone (1) compared to the Beats Studio Pro?

The Nothing Headphone (1) blends futuristic flair with nostalgic tech vibes — think Nintendo meets Walkman. I got plenty of curious looks while wearing them, but the design isn’t just for show. The build quality feels rock-solid, and the padding is thick enough to stay comfortable for hours. Despite weighing more than the Beats (329g vs 270g), the Headphone (1) spreads weight evenly across the headband, avoiding hot spots or ear fatigue.

In contrast, the Beats Studio Pro offers a lighter, more travel-friendly design with folding hinges, but the smaller ear cups and minimal padding seriously hurt comfort. During testing, the clamping pressure and shallow fit caused soreness in under an hour. If you have a larger head, wear glasses, or just want all-day comfort, Beats could be a tough sell — while Nothing felt great even during long listening sessions.

The Nothing Headphone (1) and Beats Studio Pro both use physical buttons for onboard controls. I prefer the controls of the Nothing headphones, as they are more intuitive and don’t create a loud “click” sound that disrupts the music in the way the controls on the Beats Studio Pro do.

Do the Nothing Headphone (1) or Beats Studio Pro have more features?

The Nothing Headphone (1) takes a big swing with features — and connects on nearly every front. You get IP52 water resistance, dual-device pairing, and a companion app that offers one of the most detailed EQ systems I’ve used. Nothing even includes head-tracked spatial audio, a rare bonus for Android users.

Beats Studio Pro counters with it’s own spatial audio and some iOS conveniences like “Find My.” Android users can download the Beats app to get some customization over the controls, but there’s no custom EQ interface. Instead, the Beats Studio Pro only has different EQ modes over a wired connection, which you can access using the onboard controls. It’s a strange omission.

How do the Nothing Headphone (1) and Beats Studio Pro connect?

Both headphones support USB-C DAC playback and analog 3.5mm audio — a rarity in premium wireless models today. Nothing includes Bluetooth 5.3 with LDAC, AAC, and SBC codec support, while Beats sticks to SBC and AAC. For wireless listening, Nothing gives you more flexibility and better quality on Android.

Is battery life better on the Nothing Headphone (1) or Beats Studio Pro?

Battery life is one of Nothing’s standout victories. With ANC on, the Headphone (1) lasts an impressive 42 hours and 53 minutes in our tests — crushing Beats’ 31 hours and 25 minutes. Turn ANC off, and you’ll get up to 80 hours on Nothing, making them some of the longest-lasting ANC headphones we’ve tested. A five-minute charge gives five hours of playback, which is incredibly convenient.

Beats isn’t bad in this department. You still get over 30 hours with ANC, and fast charging gives you four hours of playback after 10 minutes. That’s solid, but next to Nothing’s performance, it feels less impressive. If battery longevity is a deciding factor, Nothing easily wins this round.

Do the Nothing Headphone (1) or Beats Studio Pro block noise better?

If you can get a good seal, both headphones deliver solid ANC. Our measurements show that the Nothing Headphone (1) reduces the loudness of external noise by an average of 85%. This is slightly better than the 79% reduction in loudness provided by the Beats Studio Pro. That said, your experience will vary depending on how well the headphones fit your ears.

Do the Nothing Headphone (1) sound better than the Beats Studio Pro?

Out of the box, the Beats Studio Pro have a default sound that more people will prefer. Beats doesn’t allow EQ customization in its app, so what you hear is what you get — but most users will like what they hear.

The Nothing Headphone (1), by contrast, have a dark sound by default. Mids feel scooped out, treble is muted, and vocals often get buried in the mix. However, I used the 8-band EQ to restore midrange and treble clarity, and after some tweaking, Nothing actually sounded more immersive than Beats — with better spatial separation and depth.

Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores (MDAQS)

Beats Studio Pro leads here with an overall score of 4.8. Its Timbre score of 4.9, Immersiveness at 3.9, and Distortion at 3.2 show it delivers pleasing, balanced audio with clean detail. Nothing Headphone (1) scored a respectable 4.1 overall, with 4.4 in Timbre, 3.9 in Immersiveness, and 3.5 in Distortion. So while Nothing holds its own, Beats still edges it out in terms of the sound most people prefer.

Objective Measurements

Beats more closely follows our house curve, especially in the mids and highs. Nothing falls behind here, with underemphasis in both the midrange and treble out of the box. With EQ, you can compensate — and I did — but the need for customization might turn off casual users looking for plug-and-play excellence.

Do the Nothing Headphone (1) or Beats Studio Pro have a better microphone?

Nothing’s mic setup performs better in real-world conditions. Its four-mic array with Clear Voice Technology suppresses background noise well, letting your voice come through cleanly even in windy or noisy settings. Conversations remained clear in the office and outside.

Beats’ mic, while functional, is held back by low sensitivity and poor noise suppression. In our tests, recordings came in quiet and picked up too much ambient sound. It’s fine for quiet rooms but falters in busy environments. If you take a lot of calls, Nothing offers a more reliable microphone experience.

Nothing Headphone (1) microphone demo (Ideal conditions):

Beats Studio Pro microphone demo (Ideal conditions):

Nothing Headphone (1) microphone demo (Street conditions):

Beats Studio Pro microphone demo (Street conditions):

Nothing Headphone (1) vs Beats Studio Pro: Price and availability

The Nothing Headphone (1) launched in 2025 at $299.99, while the Beats Studio Pro hit shelves in 2023 at $349. That said, you can often find the Beats Studio Pro on sale for less than $200 these days. Both are widely available.

Should you get the Nothing Headphone (1) or Beats Studio Pro?

If you want the best out-of-the-box sound, and are in the Apple ecosystem, the Beats Studio Pro are a good choice. The combination of great default sound and seamless integration into iOS and macOS devices means you can get up and running fast without needing to tinker. On the other hand, if you don’t use Apple devices, or have a larger head, you might find the Beats Studio Pro are not optimal for you.

The Nothing Headphone (1) offers much more in terms of features, battery, and usability. Once EQ’d, they sound great — and the comfort, app support, tactile controls, and water resistance make them ideal for everyday life. You’ll need to tweak the sound, but if you’re willing to do that, Nothing offers the more complete package. For most users, I’d say go Nothing — it’s the more versatile headphone.