Nothing Headphone Firmware update v1.0.1.81 fixes bass issues

Update without fear, v 1.0.1.81 fixes user-reported bass issues.

Nothing Headphone (1) owners take note: a new firmware update is here, and it appears to fix the sound quality issues reported by some users. As our unit was affected by this change, we reported on it this past September with measurements. After receiving Nothing’s latest firmware update, the user-reported bass issues seem to have been resolved.

The update, v 1.0.1.81, began rolling out to users worldwide about a week and a half ago. Nothing noted that the update is meant to offer users “Refined bass tuning for clearer low-frequency performance while maintaining overall balance” — so we took it into the lab to see what was up.

We lab test every product that comes through our lab in controlled conditions, with top-of-the-line equipment.

As a quick note, we had to use a new seating on the Bruel & Kjaer 5128 anthropomorphic test head (it had been several months, after all), so while the results look slightly different from our original measurements: we’re confident that the update has fixed our unit’s issue.

After we updated to the latest version, we performed a factory data reset to ensure that no lingering settings could affect our test results. At first listen, the Headphone (1) update performed as advertised — the bass is back, even without the bass enhancement option enabled. Like usual, we positioned the headphones with ANC off before turning the feature on, and ensured a proper seal.

We looked at frequency response, distortion, channel matching, perceptual rub and buzz, among other metrics. All measurements tell the same story: that the headphones seem to be emphasizing bass properly with the newest firmware — and no rattling or buzzing, either. But the main story is the frequency response.

And compared to the original measurement we recorded at launch:

Sure, there’s some weirdness in the uppermost octaves, but again: that could be due to small differences in positioning or materials fatigue between last September and now. You may experience this with pad wear, an exceptionally cold day, the headphones slipping a bit, changing fit due to hair growth… the list goes on. These headphones are very finicky when it comes to dialing in the ideal fit, so it’s not uncommon for different measurements to vary when that’s the case. If you update your Headphone (1) and still have issues with bass, it’s very likely that there’s something breaking the seal of the headphones that’s causing your low-end issue, and not the headphones’ firmware.

I caution readers that while this update worked with our unit, one data point is not a trend — but the fact that it worked for us is a positive sign. If you were waiting to install the latest firmware update, we recommend taking the plunge.