Nothing Headphone (1) Pro launches with three drivers per ear and 68-hour battery life

Just over a year after the launch of the Nothing Headphone (1), Nothing officially unveiled the Pro model on September 29 during a press event in New York City. Shortly beforehand, leaked information about the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro had already surfaced, and those details have now been confirmed, aside from the battery life.

Nothing continues to use aluminum and transparent design elements for the chassis, but the Pro model adds a headband made from a titanium alloy and glass. At 327 grams, the new headphones are slightly lighter than the 329-gram Headphone (1), though they are still fairly heavy compared to the competition. For comparison, the Sony WH-1000XM6 (currently $460 on Amazon) weighs just 254 grams, although it is also made largely of plastic.

Triple drivers and improved ANC

The biggest difference compared to the predecessor, which uses a single 40 mm dynamic driver per ear, is the triple-driver system. In each earcup, Nothing uses a 40 mm dynamic driver for bass, a 13 × 8 mm precision driver for vocals and midrange frequencies and a separate xMEMS solid-state tweeter. The latter uses a silicon diaphragm that, according to Nothing, is 95 times stiffer than plastic, allowing it to respond more quickly to transients. This is intended to provide clearer instrument separation and more detailed reproduction. Triple-driver headphones aren't fundamentally new, but combining them with an xMEMS tweeter is certainly unusual for over-ear headphones.

For sound tuning, Nothing is working with Metropolis Studios. In addition to several EQ profiles, the headphones include a Flat EQ for the most neutral reproduction possible, which can be activated directly using a switch on the headphones. The ANC has also been upgraded. A total of ten microphones are designed to pick up ambient and wind noise, while the adaptive noise cancellation reaches up to 46 dB under laboratory conditions, according to Nothing. A transparency mode is also included.

Up to 68 hours of battery life and Hi-Res audio

The final specifications exceed the previously rumored battery life: With AAC and ANC switched off, the Headphone (1) Pro is rated for up to 68 hours of playback, or up to 30 hours with active noise cancellation enabled. With LDAC, Nothing claims 53 and 28 hours, respectively. Five minutes of charging should provide up to four additional hours of music playback. According to the manufacturer, the 1,060 mAh battery takes around two hours to fully charge.

Other features include Bluetooth 6.1, LDAC, AAC and LC3, as well as multipoint connectivity for connecting to two devices simultaneously. Auracast, Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair are also supported. Music can also be played over a wired connection: USB-C supports up to 24-bit/192 kHz, while the 3.5 mm jack supports up to 24-bit/96 kHz. Spatial Audio with head tracking is also included, along with wear detection that automatically pauses playback when the headphones are removed.

The headphones are controlled largely through physical controls. A roller handles functions including volume, playback and ANC, while a toggle switch is used for skipping tracks and managing calls. With an IP52 rating, the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro offers only basic protection against dust and dripping water. According to the manufacturer, the headphones should not be exposed to rain or heavier splashes. In addition to a hard-shell case, the package includes a USB-C cable and a 3.5 mm audio cable. The Headphone (1) Pro is available in black or white and is priced at $399 on Nothing's official website.