Budget big-battery bass cannons: Nothing Headphone (a) review

After last year’s debut of over-ear headphones, Nothing is following up the Headphone (1) with a sequel: the Nothing Headphone (a). Launched in March 2026, these headphones look to offer users a decent amount of what the older cans do, but at a lower price. Is it worth it though? We took them for a spin to find out.

What’s it like to use the Nothing Headphone (a)?

The Nothing Headphone (a) is a mainly-plastic build, with a plastic friction band, clear plastic accoutrements, and mainly plastic chassis. Though that might sound like a dig, it’s not: going with plastic means that you shed a lot of weight, and that’s important for comfort. It also means that the headphones are less likely to outright break from a drop, and are more likely to scratch instead of knocking something out of alignment. Not a bad choice here.

I figure that many people will gravitate to the Nothing Headphone (a) because the aesthetics are so similar to those of the Nothing Headphone (1) but at a lower cost. There’s a definite appeal to the headphones as they look so different from what we’re all used to, and that can be a breath of fresh air to someone looking for a certain oeuvre.

Just like the Nothing Headphone (1), I found that fitting the Nothing Headphone (a) was a little finicky, and that can impact the sound a bit. Consequently, I often removed my glasses to avoid any bass leak. However, it is notably comfortable if you get the sizing right and avoid torquing the band down so that it clamps your head too hard. This sounds like a no-brainer, but because the band itself doesn’t move very smoothly all the time, it’s easy to do if you don’t slow down every once and a while. You’ll know if you get a good seal, as that leads to much bassier sound, and a lot of trapped heat over time.

Controlling the Nothing Headphone (a) is pretty straightforward and should appeal to those who like physical controls over touch gestures. The same scheme from the Nothing Headphone (1) makes its return: a paddle to change tracks, a soft silicone wheel to govern volume and interaction, a slider to turn the headphones on and off, a button on the front of the right earcup for multifunction, and a hidden Bluetooth button on the top-inside of the right ear cup lives in a place where it won’t get accidentally whacked.

The Nothing Headphone (a) is rated IP52 against dust and moisture ingress, but that basically translates to “dustproof” and “can handle a couple drips.” Though much hay has been made about the rating, it’s notable inasmuch as most other ANC headphones don’t get rated this way — but it’s highly likely that they would meet the requirements to earn this.

What are the best features of the Nothing Headphone (a)?

The Nothing Headphone (a)’s appeal is centered around its similarity to the older Nothing Headphone (1), but at a lower cost. And as far as features are concerned: there’s a lot that carry over. Users of the Nothing Headphone (a) will appreciate the in-app equalizer with the ability to use parametric filters and share presets through Nothing’s community. It’s very handy. Additionally, you can also use the app to find your headphones should you forget where you threw ’em.

Additionally, the headphones also borrow the Headphone (1)’s Channel Hop feature, which makes the hardware button on the outside of the headphones able to swap between common functions. It also doubles as a camera shutter button when your camera app is open, which is pretty cool.

Spatial audio fans will appreciate the simulated room modes, of which there are two: cinema and concert. Each alleges to simulate the effect of the audio playing in the appropriate venue for each, though I found the results hit or miss.

How does the Nothing Headphone (a) connect?

The Nothing Headphone (a) connects to devices over Bluetooth 5.4 with SBC, AAC, and LDAC. Though there is no true Multipoint, you can store two devices in the connections list to swap between in the app. The connection is simultaneous, so you can play on one device to swap audio streams, and that kind of dual-connection is mercifully easy to navigate. Sometimes products require you to disconnect from one device in order to connect to another, so thankfully, that’s not the case here.

For wired connections, you can use the included 3.5mm cable for analog sources, or over USB-C for digital ones. This has the distinct benefit of allowing your computer to simply let the headphones handle their own DSP, which side-steps potential issues with analog or wireless connections. You shouldn’t notice much of a difference, however. The upside here is that you could theoretically use a computer-based EQ instead of the app, which will make purists a lot happier.

How long do the Nothing Headphone (a)’s battery last?

This section will not be finished before publish because Nothing gave the Nothing Headphone (a) an enormous 1,050mAh battery billed to give users 135 hours of listening time. Given that competing headsets tend to fall within 400-700mAh, I have a strong suspicion these things are going to last on our battery testing setup for just short of a week. Consequently, I don’t really have any compunction with giving this a score of 9.9 because… well… even if this runs for only half the time, it would earn that anyway. We’re still gonna test it, but “true” results will take a while.

How well do the Nothing Headphone (a) cancel noise?

Though the total attenuation is pretty decent, a lot of the Nothing Headphone (a)’s noise reduction comes off of the back of high isolation with a good seal. While that’s usually a good thing, in this case, it’s a little difficult to square with the fact that achieving this fit is going to be difficult for many. Consequently, if you wear glasses, are exceptionally hairy, or often have difficulty wearing headphones: the total noise attenuation with the Nothing Headphone (a) may seem a little weak, even though it’s decent.

That said, when everything’s working as intended: the Nothing Headphone (a) is able to delete about 83% of outside noise on average. Just note that the actual ANC effect is a bit weaker on this model, meaning that while they’re okay, the Nothing Headphone (a) is not one of the best noise canceling headphones out there.

How do the Nothing Headphone (a) sound?

The Nothing Headphone (a) sounds decent, but fit issues and somewhat wonky tuning may not appeal to all users.

Reviewer’s notes

Editor’s note: this review uses a hover-enabled glossary to describe sound quality based on a consensus vocabulary. You can read about it here.

Can you use the Nothing Headphone (a) for phone calls?

As the Nothing Headphone (a) is a set of wireless headphones not made 20 years ago, they have a mic array tucked inside for ANC and phone calls. But how the headphones perform at this task is something we prefer to show rather than tell. Below are some samples we’ve collected in controlled conditions so you can decide for yourself how you like them.

Nothing Headphone (a) microphone demo (Ideal conditions):

Should you buy the Nothing Headphone (a)?

At the end of the day, the Nothing Headphone (a) is a set of $199 ANC headphones that stack up well against the other options in its limited field. Though it’s tempting to compare it against the top-tier ANC headphones on the market, the Nothing Headphone (a) is less than half the cost of the category leaders, but offers good-enough ANC, passable audio quality, and insane battery life. That’s significant, and worth considering when you’re looking to maximize your dollar spent. If you’re not the pickiest customer when it comes to sound quality, then these are an easy win.

Though I personally wouldn’t buy these because of the tuning, for someone who either likes Nothing’s aesthetic or just wants to get something that works well for under $200, it’s hard to argue against the Nothing Headphone (a). That said, ANC headphones as a category generally skew to either cost extreme and don’t have a lot of options in the price bracket the Nothing Headphone (a) occupies. But if such a headphone existed that was befitting $200, the Nothing Headphone (a) would be it.

What should you get instead of the Nothing Headphone (a)?

Because there are so few options for ANC headphones under $200, there aren’t going to be many direct competitors. But there are some. For example, the Sony ULT WEAR () performs fairly well, though it requires a little bit of tinkering much like the Nothing Headphone (a). With comparable ANC performance and features, this is as close to a direct alternative as you’re going to find.

If you want to go cheaper, you may have to look to the Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus (), though you’re really not saving much money here. You’d also get poorer ANC performance at the tradeoff of better sound, though you do lose app features with the Sennheiser.

The main question seems to be whether or not you’d rather grab the Nothing Headphone (1) () than get the Nothing Headphone (a). I’d say that neither really stand out as world-beaters. However, both sets of headphones are similar enough in performance that you’re sure to identify a feature or aesthetic that you like better with one option or the other. Be sure to read the review in order to see what you’re getting into.

Nothing Headphone (a) review: FAQs