Holler within the feedback if I am lacking one thing: I can not discover a single pair of wi-fi over-ear headphones from a legit model that boasts as a lot battery life as the brand new Headphone (a) from Nothing. This pair claims a whopping 135 hours – that is a complete 5 days uninterrupted, after which some.
That is not all of the Headphone (a) has going for it. It is the mid-range successor to the polarizing Headphone (1) that got here out final 12 months, and it brings a equally putting minimalist design, albeit with a pop of shade that units it aside. For US$100 lower than the flagship mannequin, these headphones may very well be value contemplating for individuals who need one thing with a excessive fashion quotient that will not break the financial institution.
The clear rectangular ear cups function coloured plastic caps and reminiscence foam cushions, and are related by a slim slim headband with liquid-silicone padding, metal arms, and injection molded hinges. As with the extra metallic Headphone (1), these do a great job of speaking a particular retro-futuristic design language.
Fanatics, that includes Headphone (a)
What’s particularly good in regards to the Headphone (a) is that it will get the identical unbelievable bodily controls because the Headphone (1): a clickable curler for tuning quantity and toggling playback, and a paddle for skipping tracks and scrubbing via audio. These provide significantly better suggestions than capacitive and gesture-based controls which might be all too frequent on this section.
Nothing
Audio efficiency comes from 40-mm titanium-coated diaphragms, which Nothing says are engineered to “ship expressive highs and deep bass” as much as a loud 110 dB. I have never tried or in contrast these, however I think about they will doubtless be a step down in finesse after they go up in opposition to the Headphone (1), which was tuned by British hi-fi audio model KEF.
The function set is unsurprising, however strong: you may join through Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C, or a 3.5-mm jack; lively noise cancelation (ANC) cuts as much as a modest 40 dB throughout three ranges; transparency mode permits you to hear the world round you with out taking your cans off. This pair helps Hello-Res and LDAC audio for improved constancy when your streaming service or music information enable, at the price of a couple of hours of playtime.
Nothing
Talking of which, the 1,060-mAh battery is alleged to handle 135 hours with out ANC, and that goes all the way down to 75 hours with the function turned on. It costs absolutely in two hours, and can get you a couple of hours of listening time after being plugged in for simply 5 minutes. That is much more than the Headphone (1)’s most of 80 hours, and even the funds Headphone Pro from Nothing’s subsidiary brand CMF which guarantees 100 hours.
This beats out OneOdio’s Studio Max 1 too, which our personal Joe Salas favored rather a lot again in November 2025. That pair makes good use of its bigger construct to supply 120 hours.
The Headphone (a)’s 135 hours appears wholly pointless. However what you will discover is that with the ability to decide up your machine anytime and have juice within the tank to get some use out of it – even in case you did not bear in mind to cost it just lately – is an easy and pure luxurious.
Nothing
Past that, these 11-oz (310-g) headphones provide extra controls in a companion cell app, and dual-device connectivity for tuning into your telephone and laptop computer with out manually switching between them. At $199, it definitely packs all of the performance you’d anticipate at this worth level. Nevertheless it additionally beats out competitors like Sennheiser’s Momentum 4 and the Soundcore Space One Pro with differentiated styling, and leaves them within the mud in relation to claimed battery life.
Nothing
Discover the Headphone (a) on Nothing’s site, the place you may pre-order a pair in any of 4 colorways now, and anticipate it to ship March 13 onwards.
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