Nothing takes on Sony, Bose with new $399 'Pro' headphones
What's the story
Nothing has launched its first-ever "Pro" wireless headphones, the Headphone 1 Pro. Priced at $399, these are touted as the company's "most advanced headphones" yet. The new model comes with a three-driver architecture, an upgrade from the single driver in the previous Headphone 1 model. Each driver is dedicated to a specific part of the frequency range for improved sound quality.
Driver details
The headphones also come with an EQ feature
The new three-driver architecture in the Headphone 1 Pro consists of a bass-focused driver for "punch and sensitivity," one for vocals and instruments, and a treble-focused driver from xMems.
This dedicated approach to handling different frequencies is expected to significantly enhance sound quality from generation to generation.
The Headphone 1 Pro also comes with a physical "Flat EQ" switch for "reviewing tracks or comparing mixes." This feature is designed to eliminate "colorization and processing" from whatever you're listening to.
Design upgrades
New materials and design updates
The Headphone 1 Pro gets a design update with black accents on the outside of the earcups and new, more premium materials.
The company has added titanium to make the arms 45% lighter than those of the previous generation.
The headband padding is also thicker on this new model, and Nothing claims that its cushions are 50% softer than those of its predecessor.
Performance specs
Improved ANC and spatial sound mode
The Headphone 1 Pro also boasts an improved active noise cancelation (ANC) with a maximum noise canceling of 45dB, up from the previous model's 42dB.
However, its battery life is slightly lower than that of its predecessor, offering 30 hours with ANC on as opposed to the latter's 35 hours.
Despite this trade-off in sound quality for battery life, these wireless headphones could give tough competition to Sony and Bose models.