Nothing Headphone (1): Great first iteration, but is it priced right?

I like my oasis of peace on the Fridays that I travel back home after a hectic work week. Sadly, all that I generally get on the train journey is a mix of the din of vendors, bawling babies, gossiping women, and a bunch of uncles who keep me entertained with a sneeze here, a snore there, and a mish-mash of their favourite bhajans at full volume! Till I plug in my trusted and basic wired headphones to my phone and listen to my favourite and rather repetitive playlist at full volume.

Did I ever consider wireless earphones? I've tried, but I usually don't use them regularly because I forget to keep them charged. But this time, it was different. I was carrying a hefty black box holding a silver white pair of over-ear headphones, the first ones brought out by Carl Pei-led Nothing. The 'squircle' earcups, sculptural metallic accents, and Nothing’s signature transparent design instantly caught the attention of a few curious co-passengers the moment I put them on.

Since my regular phone is a Nothing Phone (3a), connecting the Nothing Headphone (1) was a cakewalk. I powered up my music player and was blown away by Ed Sheeran’s Don’t, which is aided by the adaptive bass enhancement. Plus, the 8-band equaliser, via the app, offers good customisation. And its support for a wide range of codecs suggests that you won't have any connectivity issues, irrespective of the make of your phone.

I wanted some solitude, and so I wanted to experience its active noise cancellation (ANC) chops. I switched it on and was transported to my tranquil paradise. Did it sport the best noise cancellation I have ever experienced? Not really, but then whatever better I have heard is from products manufactured by legacy audio brands. As a first iteration of a pair of cans, the ANC is impressive. But hang on. Those gesticulating aunties seem to be on to something interesting. Let me eavesdrop... but it is for nothing. Turns out they're discussing the new bride in their neighbourhood.

I get back to my music. Nothing has collaborated with British high-end audio brand KEF, and this shows in the headphones' high-fidelity, immersive, and natural sound. The volume is plenty loud, and head tracking is decent.

Speaking of heads, this isn't for headbanging, I discover to my chagrin. On the train, I try to headbang a bit to Drive, another one of Sheeran’s hits. Oops, I nearly dropped the headphones. The cushions inside the earcups, made of PU memory foam that the company claims add “softness that moulds to your head” for extra comfort, are a snug fit, but the headband doesn’t inspire confidence, even after adjusting them. And I didn’t feel comfortable wearing them for long periods.

Back home, I connect the headphones to my laptop and find a considerable degradation in features since I didn’t download the additional codecs. Also, while I feel that Nothing has cracked the design game in consumer electronics, I would have preferred a pair where the entire body is transparent, not just a small, rounded rectangle in the centre. And maybe I am a klutz, but I struggled to use the buttons on the right earcup. While volume control and skipping tracks are basic must-haves, I wish there were more functional features. The voice AI button puts me at unease because of its integration with ChatGPT.

That said, for calling, the headphones were quite handy, with the hidden tiny microphone capable of capturing the voice clearly. Battery life is also better than regular headphones; plus, it charges within 10 minutes and is good to go for the entire day.

But is this pair of headphones for me? The Nothing Headphone (1), at ₹21,999 fails to convince me even if it might have impressed me. As someone who likes to travel light and won't use it for gaming all the time, I probably won't shell out that kind of money for the headphones, especially if I look at the vast portfolio available at a cheaper price point from other manufacturers. But if you're deep into the Nothing universe, use headphones while gaming, aren't bothered too much about portability, and are in love with Nothing's design mantra, go ahead and put down your money.