Nothing has expanded its over-ear headphone line with the new Headphone (1) Pro, positioning the model as a more premium alternative to the company’s existing Headphone (1). Priced at $399 in the United States, the new wireless headphone costs $100 more than the standard model and introduces a significantly different audio setup.
The Nothing Headphone (1) Pro went on sale in the US on September 29, 2026, through Nothing's website, Amazon and Best Buy stores across North America. The headphones are available in black and white colour options and retain Nothing's transparent design language. However, it has made several hardware and audio adjustments to give listeners greater control over sound.
Unlike the original Headphone (1), which has one 40mm dynamic driver in each earcup, the Pro has three drivers on each side. Nothing has also added a physical Flat EQ switch that allows users to quickly move towards a neutral sound profile without relying entirely on software settings.
Nothing Headphone (1) Pro Price And Design
The Headphone (1) Pro is priced at $399, $100 more expensive than the $299 Headphone (1). There is no official price for the new model in India yet. For reference, the original Headphone (1) launched in India at Rs 21,999 in July 2025.
The higher price is reflected in the audio hardware but also the construction. The Pro weighs 327 grams and has an IP52 rating for limited protection against dust and dripping water. The structure is titanium and aluminium, and 9H glass is used over the external driver displays.
The headphones continue Nothing’s transparent aesthetic, one of the company’s most recognisable design elements. But the controls remain physical rather than based solely on touch-sensitive surfaces.
The customisable button on the headphones can be used for things like turning a voice assistant on, triggering a camera shutter or accessing ChatGPT. Users can assign actions that are commonly used without using a smartphone.
Triple Drivers Aim To Deliver More Detailed Audio
One of the biggest changes on the Headphone (1) Pro is the move to a three-driver architecture. Each earcup is home to a 40mm dynamic driver, a 13x8mm precision driver and an xMEMS treble driver.
The 40mm dynamic driver is designed to cover the lower and middle frequency range, with Nothing specifying 20Hz to 10kHz. The smaller precision driver is designed to cover higher frequencies from 5kHz to 15kHz.
The xMEMS treble driver takes the system much further into the high-frequency range. This multi-driver approach allows the Pro to split different parts of the audio spectrum between specialised drivers rather than asking a single driver to reproduce the entire range.
Nothing has also introduced a physical Flat EQ switch. The control is aimed at users who want a more neutral presentation and can bypass additional equaliser or spatial sound effects with a physical control. This could be particularly relevant to listeners who prefer a less processed sound profile while working with music.
46dB Noise Cancellation And Shorter Battery Life
Active noise cancellation has also been improved on the Pro. The headphones offer up to 46dB of noise cancellation, compared with up to 42dB on the original Headphone (1).
However, the larger audio system and other hardware changes come with a reduced rated battery life. With noise cancellation turned on, the Headphone (1) Pro is rated for up to 30 hours of playback. With ANC turned off, battery life is up to 68 hours.
For comparison, the original Headphone (1) offered up to 35 hours with noise cancellation enabled and up to 80 hours without ANC switched on. For this reason, the Pro prioritises its expanded audio hardware and stronger noise cancellation over maximum battery endurance.
Bluetooth 6.1 And High-Resolution Wired Audio
Connectivity has also been improved. The Nothing Headphone (1) Pro supports Bluetooth 6.1, compared to Bluetooth 5.3 on the original Headphone (1).
For wired listening, the Pro supports lossless audio via USB-C, up to 24-bit/192kHz. Users may use the headphones with a wired source when they want to gain better resolution audio.
The company has also changed its tuning partnership. While the original Headphone (1) carried the KEF name as part of its sound development, the Pro has been tuned by Nothing in conjunction with London’s Metropolis Studios.
Nothing Headphone (1) Pro: What To Expect In India
There has been no news of an Indian launch date or price for the Headphone (1) Pro. This means the $399 US price is the only confirmed one, and an Indian equivalent based only on currency conversion is not, at this time, the official local price.
The Headphone (1) Pro is a departure from Nothing’s approach to premium headphones. Rather than just offering a cosmetic upgrade over the existing model, the company has added a three-driver system, stronger noise cancellation, a physical Flat EQ control, newer Bluetooth connectivity and a more premium construction.
At $399, the Pro falls into a much more competitive premium headphone category than the original Headphone (1). The success of the Pro is ultimately going to be dependent on how the triple-driver tuning, noise cancellation and neutral sound mode perform in independent tests and how listeners decide if the additional $100 really does make a difference over the standard model.
