Nothing launches $399 Headphone (1) Pro with triple drivers and Metropolis tuning

The launch moves Nothing further into the premium over-ear market. The company entered the category in summer 2025 with the $299 Nothing Headphone 1. Android Authority reported that the Pro costs $100 more and competes with headphones including the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) and Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless.

Nothing’s main hardware change is the triple-driver setup. Instead of a single 40mm dynamic driver, the Headphone (1) Pro uses a dynamic bass driver, a precision/mids dynamic driver and an xMEMS driver for treble, according to Android Authority. The company says the bass driver improves distortion-free performance at high volume, the precision driver reduces unwanted resonances and the xMEMS driver makes instruments sound more detailed. TechRadar reported that the drivers and features were tuned with Metropolis Studios, which also contributed a pro-level Flat EQ switch on the left ear cup, a Dynamic Spatial Audio mode with five profiles and head tracking, and custom EQs, including one designed to mimic Studio B at the recording facility.

Nothing claims the 10-mic ANC system, up from six microphones on the predecessor, delivers 5dB stronger average noise reduction than the Headphone 1 and 40% broader noise cancellation coverage across the frequency range, Android Authority reported. The company also changed microphone placement and redesigned the ear cushions for a stronger seal. TechRadar’s review said the ANC and comfort were vastly improved and that transparency mode was particularly good, including in windy conditions.

The headphones use a 1,060mAh battery. Nothing rates them for up to 30 hours of listening with ANC on and 68 hours with ANC off, Android Authority reported. TechRadar said the estimate drops to 28 hours when LDAC and ANC are both used. A five-minute charge provides up to four hours of playback with ANC off or two hours with ANC on, according to Nothing. Android Authority noted that the Pro’s battery claims are lower than the predecessor’s tested runtime at SoundGuys, where the Headphone 1 lasted 42 hours 53 minutes with ANC on and 80 hours with ANC off.

Connectivity includes Bluetooth 6.1, Auracast, dual-device pairing, Google Fast Pair, LDAC and Hi-Res Audio over wired and wireless connections, Android Authority reported. TechRadar said USB-C delivers lossless audio at up to 24-bit/192kHz.

The design uses an aluminum frame, titanium arms and scratch-resistant 9H Panda Glass on the transparent windows of the ear cups. Nothing says the titanium arms help make the arm 45% lighter than the Headphone (a), the padding is 12% thicker and the headband 10% wider than the Headphone 1, and the foam lining is 50% softer. The earcups also use a dual-layer system with a silicone baffle wall. The headphones come in black and white.

TechRadar’s four-star review said the Headphone (1) Pro are “sonically gifted” and praised the improved comfort, ANC, spatial audio profiles and EQ implementation. Reviewer Becky Scarrott also criticized the carrying case as cumbersome, heavy and “silly,” saying it more than doubles the product’s weight in a bag. She said the Flat audio switch is hard to locate and is not available in the app, and that the Pro are expensive compared with Nothing’s cheaper headphones, which she said are also gifted.

Scarrott wrote that the headphones are difficult to recommend as a complete package despite their acoustic strengths, because buyers who pay a premium must carry the case to protect the glass ear cups. She noted that the Apple AirPods Max case is small and lightweight by comparison, and that the Nothing case does not hold the bundled USB-C-to-USB-C and 3.5mm-to-3.5mm cables or a replacement battery. The review concluded that much of the added expense appears to go toward the case.

The Headphone (1) Pro is available now. Nothing positions it as a replacement for two pairs of headphones: one for travel and one for serious music listening or production, TechRadar reported.

Editor's Summary

Nothing has launched the $399 Headphone (1) Pro, its most premium over-ear headphones, with a triple-driver system, 10-microphone ANC and Metropolis Studios tuning. Reviews praise the sound, ANC, comfort and spatial audio, but criticize the heavy carrying case, hard-to-find Flat EQ switch and high price relative to Nothing’s cheaper models. The launch pushes Nothing deeper into the premium headphone market and puts it against Bose and Sennheiser.