Nothing Unveils $399 Glass And Metal Headphone (1) Pro To Rival AirPods Max

by Aaron Leong — Tuesday, September 29, 2026, 11:07 AM EDT

Nothing is hitting up the premium audio space with the new Headphone (1) Pro - Image: Nothing

Nothing is attempting to disrupt the premium headphone space with the Headphone (1) Pro, which is aimed at music producers, audio engineers, and discerning audiophiles. By pairing the brand's retro-futuristic design with precision acoustic tuning, Nothing is taking the fight to the likes of Apple, Bose, Sennheiser, and Sony.

Looking menacing in black - Image: Nothing

Instead of the mostly plastic build of the Headphone (1), the Headphone (1) Pro plays the high-end card with an aluminum and matte-finish chassis, alongside matched memory foam ear cushions lined with breathable micro-fiber that should help users and professionals use the headphone for extended hours. Of course, this wouldn't be a Nothing product without a transparent element—the earcups sport a transparent glass cover that looks good but also doesn't really show all that much of the headphone's innards.

Silver shows off the aluminum build the best - Image: Nothing

The Headphone (1) Pro has custom-tuned 45mm dynamic drivers and the company has tuned the device to prioritize a flat, analytical frequency response. For modern hybrid workflows, Nothing also integrates a custom DSP (accessible via the Nothing X app), allowing users to switch between the neutral studio audio profile and personalized target curves quickly and conveniently.

Connectivity is another area where the Headphone (1) Pro mashes up traditional studio gear with consumer-style wireless portables. While Bluetooth 5.4 with high-resolution LDAC support is built-in for everyday listening, the package includes a 2.4GHz USB-C transmitter. Plugging the dongle into, say, a digital audio workstation reduces latency down to single-digit millisecond threshold. For those who prefer wired solutions, a gold-plated 3.5mm and 6.35mm coiled cable ensures plug-and-play reliability with your existing audio interfaces, mixing consoles, and headphone amplifiers.

Battery performance looks to be pretty solid as well, with the factory claiming up to 40 hours of continuous wireless playback, or roughly 28 hours when utilizing the 2.4GHz transmitter. Fast-charging via USB-C provide around six hours of listening time from a brief fifteen-minute charge, plus active noise cancellation (ANC) is on-board (Nothing says it's the best system it's every made). Let's not forget to mention the storage case for the headphone—of all things that Nothing could've copied from, why the AirPods Max's bra?