Every editorial hub, scoped to earbuds.
Every editorial hub, scoped to headphones.
All products featured are independently chosen by us. However, SoundGuys may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links. See our ethics statement.
@warm_osprey_76 · Owner-reported
Owned under a month · Still using it: yes, daily · Posted
Genuinely really comfortable and the sound sounds fantastic for the price, still need to eq it a bit.
Own it? Your review joins these
Three answers, four quick reads, one sentence nobody tells you before buying · Sign-in needed to publish · Photo optional
At 8.3, its noise cancelling beats 52% of over-ear headphones we've measured.
Measured on 64 of the 243 we've cataloged.
MDAQS Overall — measured in the SoundGuys lab.
Would buy it again and still uses it daily.
Owned under a month.
above average for over-ear headphones — based on 160 of 243 we've cataloged.
5.4 appears on 10% of the 153 over-ear headphones we've cataloged (of 243).
Bluetooth is the most common — on 44% of the 252 over-ear headphones we've cataloged (of 243).
above average for over-ear headphones — based on 201 of 243 we've cataloged.
Objective measurements from the SoundGuys test lab — overlay other models to see how this one compares.
Nothing Headphone (a) Frequency Response (measured on a B&K 5128)
Click a line or a legend entry to highlight it. Click again to clear.Tap a legend entry to highlight its line. Tap again to clear.
Measured frequency response (dB relative) against the SoundGuys Headphone Preference Curve. When the measurement goes above the dashed line, that frequency is louder than our preference curve, and when it goes below: it's quieter. Use the curve for comparison purposes only, as your taste may vary.
| Frequency (Hz) | Response (dB) |
|---|---|
| 20 | 5.3 |
| 25 | 5.3 |
| 32 | 6.1 |
| 40 | 6.6 |
| 50 | 6.6 |
| 63 | 6.2 |
| 80 | 5.8 |
| 100 | 5.3 |
| 125 | 4.0 |
| 160 | 0.8 |
| 200 | -3.4 |
| 250 | -5.9 |
| 315 | -4.6 |
| 400 | -3.4 |
| 500 | -3.2 |
| 630 | -2.3 |
| 800 | -0.8 |
| 1000 | 1.5 |
| 1250 | 2.6 |
| 1600 | 4.5 |
| 2000 | 6.2 |
| 2500 | 7.6 |
| 3150 | 8.4 |
| 4000 | 2.2 |
| 5000 | 5.5 |
| 6300 | 6.5 |
| 8000 | 4.5 |
| 10000 | 3.1 |
| 12500 | -0.2 |
| 16000 | -4.9 |
| 20000 | -19.3 |
Nothing Headphone (a) Attenuation (measured on a B&K 5128)
Click a line or a legend entry to highlight it. Click again to clear.Tap a legend entry to highlight its line. Tap again to clear.
Solid lines: passive isolation (dB) with ANC off — how much ambient noise the fit blocks on its own. Dashed lines: total attenuation (dB) with ANC on — passive isolation plus active noise cancelling. Higher on the chart means more attenuation.
| Frequency (Hz) | Attenuation (dB) |
|---|---|
| 21 | 2.1 |
| 26 | 1.9 |
| 33 | 1.3 |
| 41 | 2.6 |
| 52 | 1.1 |
| 65 | 1.2 |
| 82 | -0.2 |
| 103 | 0.8 |
| 130 | 3.9 |
| 163 | 7.5 |
| 205 | 9.9 |
| 259 | 12.7 |
| 325 | 13.9 |
| 410 | 13.2 |
| 516 | 13.8 |
| 613 | 15.1 |
| 772 | 17.6 |
| 972 | 20.1 |
| 1220 | 22.5 |
| 1540 | 24.4 |
| 1940 | 31.7 |
| 2440 | 38.1 |
| 3070 | 39.2 |
| 3870 | 37.2 |
| 4870 | 40.2 |
| 6130 | 49.6 |
| 7720 | 42.3 |
| 9720 | 44.4 |
| 12200 | 45.1 |
| 15400 | 44.4 |
| 19400 | 44.3 |
| Frequency (Hz) | Total attenuation (dB) |
|---|---|
| 21 | 6.2 |
| 26 | 9.7 |
| 33 | 14.0 |
| 41 | 17.6 |
| 52 | 24.0 |
| 65 | 19.7 |
| 82 | 30.6 |
| 103 | 24.6 |
| 130 | 22.1 |
| 163 | 16.9 |
| 205 | 14.6 |
| 259 | 12.6 |
| 325 | 20.5 |
| 410 | 17.1 |
| 516 | 17.5 |
| 613 | 19.4 |
| 772 | 24.4 |
| 972 | 22.6 |
| 1220 | 26.9 |
| 1540 | 32.4 |
| 1940 | 28.6 |
| 2440 | 32.5 |
| 3070 | 24.8 |
| 3870 | 31.0 |
| 4870 | 32.8 |
| 6130 | 28.6 |
| 7720 | 44.0 |
| 9720 | 39.9 |
| 12200 | 44.6 |
| 15400 | 44.3 |
| 19400 | 44.4 |
Nothing Headphone (a) MDAQS
Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores, Scale 1 - 5
Virtual mean opinion scores (MOS) on a 1–5 scale, modeled from the measured response by HEAD acoustics’ MDAQS (Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Score) model. Higher is better across timbre, distortion, and immersiveness — add other models to see where this one lands.
The verdict
There aren't many ANC headphones under $200 that perform very well, but the Nothing Headphone (a) is worth a look if you're hoping for headphones that have all the modern features you want — and insane battery life — at a lower price, these could be for you.
✓Liked: Price, ANC, Features, Comfort
✕Could be better: Odd stock sound, Difficult to EQ
What a reader who owns the Nothing Headphone (a) reports after living with it. Owner-reported, checked before publishing; ordered photo-verified first, then newest.
Owner reviews are not paid for, not solicited from specific owners, and not rewritten by us: at most we proofread typos, which is shown on the review’s own page and which the author can undo. The commission SoundGuys may earn on this page comes from retail links, never from owner reviews.
1 owner review
WOEvery author writes under a generated pseudonym; a member can choose to show their name and photo beside it. A signed-in author’s email is never shown. Read more · The reader says they own it. We have not seen proof, and we say so — no label here is proof of a purchase. Read more · Owned under a month · Still using it: yes, daily · Posted
Would buy againGenuinely really comfortable and the sound sounds fantastic for the price, still need to eq it a bit.
Sign-in needed to publish.
What readers ask about the Nothing Headphone (a), answered by the people who own it.
Nobody has asked the owners yet.
Ask the first question →See how the Nothing Headphone (a) stacks up against the competition.
Commentary and deep dives from the SoundGuys editorial team.
Dave CarrVideo Producer/WriterPersonal Sound is my favorite feature on the Nothing Headphone (1)Tailor your listening with this easy-to-miss Nothing Headphone (1) feature.
Tom TriggsContributorPhone-specific features suck. Here's whyHeadphone manufacturers are marching to the same somber beat.Tom TriggsContributorThe best Nothing Headphone (1) alternativesIs the hype for nothing?Tom TriggsContributorI uncovered a major issue with the Nothing Headphone (1)Nothing's worse than headphones that don't fit.Tom TriggsContributorWhat do all the Nothing Headphone (1)'s EQ presets sound like?Let's explore what's in store for you.
Christian ThomasEditor-at-largeI've reviewed headphones for over a decade: Here are 5 things I wish they did differentlyHeadphone companies: help me help youChristian ThomasEditor-at-large5 ways headphones are going to change in 2027Here's where things are headed.Christian ThomasEditor-at-largeWired vs wireless headphones: Which should you buy?Wired headphones do not automatically sound better.Tom TriggsContributor
3 of 5 would buy again
5 owners · owners report ~40 h per charge vs 40 h claimed
Comfort beat their expectations
Expected more from the fit and build
The battery beat their expectations
1 of 1 would buy again
1 owner
Nothing surprising about comfort
0 of 1 would buy again
1 owner
The noise cancelling beat their expectations
0 of 1 would buy again
1 owner · 1 photo-verified
Expected more from comfort
0 of 1 would buy again
1 owner
Comfort beat their expectations
1 of 1 would buy again
1 owner · owners report ~55 h per charge vs 53.77 h claimed
The battery beat their expectations
