If you’re looking for an excellent pair of over-ear headphones that stand out in both their sound quality and looks, the Nothing Headphone (1) are currently marked down to just $239 on Amazon, a 20% discount from their usual price. They’re one of our favorite wireless headsets, earning the title “best looking” while still sounding almost as good as some headsets at twice the price.
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Photograph: Parker Hall
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Photograph: Parker Hall
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Photograph: Parker Hall
The Nothing Headphone (1) have basically every feature you’d expect from a much higher-end offering, including high-resolution audio, the ability to connect to and remember multiple devices, and even object-based surround for watching a movie on a long flight. They’re all controlled through the Nothing app, which is available for both iOS and Android.
Sound quality is excellent, partially thanks to a collaboration with British speaker maker KEF, and these 40mm drivers have excellent low-mid performance that gives them a unique pop. The soundstage isn’t quite as expansive as some of the very best, but it gets most of the way there without costing nearly as much. Similarly, the active noise-canceling doesn’t match the performance on the big hitters like Sony or Bose, but excellent fit and passive isolation pick up the slack.
They have quite a few thoughtful design touches that make them easy to love. A small red dot on the right earcup makes sure they always go on your head the right way, rather than trying to read a little letter on the inside of a band. The physical controls, a clicky wheel and a flicky knob, combine to open up a surprising amount of interaction, which our reviewer Parker Hall called “some of the best and most intuitive controls ever designed.”
I spotted the deal on Amazon in both the black and white, and while looks are subjective, I think the white pair look pretty dang sweet. If you’re still not sure, pop over to our round-up of the best noise-canceling headphones to help you tune out the sounds of your holiday travel. Just know that you’re unlikely to find a pair that will draw as many jealous looks as you will with these.
