Nothing Unveils $399 Headphone 1 Pro With Studio-Grade Flat EQ Switch
Nothing has launched the $399 Headphone 1 Pro, its first headphone with a physical switch that bypasses EQ and spatial audio for studio mixing, alongside LDAC, 24-bit audio and up to 68 hours of playback.
The feature Nothing is emphasizing is a small physical switch that cuts off equalizer and spatial audio processing so that studio professionals hear a flat response while mixing. Engadget reported it believes this is the first time headphones have carried such a switch, and that it runs against the industry trend of adding equalizer options, which Apple did with the AirPods Pro in iOS 27. The flat setting was developed with Metropolis Studios, a London mastering studio. Engadget said it had not yet listened to a pair and questioned whether a flat equalizer would appeal beyond a niche group of listeners, since most people have their own audio preferences.
The Headphone 1 Pro also supports LDAC, 24-bit high-resolution audio and wireless lossless connections. It carries three drivers aimed at bass, vocal and instrumental ranges, and it supports Auracast as both a transmitter and a receiver when connected to the companion app.
Nothing rates the headphones IP52 and promises up to 32 hours of playback with active noise cancellation on and 68 hours with it off. The company says this is its best ANC yet, with ten microphones picking up environmental noise and a new silicone baffle wall intended to create a better physical sound barrier.
Nothing says the ear cushions are 50 percent softer than those on the Headphone 1 and adapt better to glasses, while the headband is 10 percent wider.
The headphones come in white and black, without the yellow option offered elsewhere in the range, and ship with a hard case that surrounds the ear cups and can be carried by the headband. Engadget described the case as glossy plastic in a late-1990s and early-2000s tech style that Nothing's design team draws on. The launch follows the $199 Headphone A series and raises both specifications and price.
The announcement comes as Nothing works out what to do next with its phone series, according to Engadget. The company also named V from BTS as a new global brand ambassador to mark the launch; Engadget noted that previous ambassador Charli XCX had not been mentioned and asked whether she remains in the role.