Nothing Headphone 1 Pro adds a Flat EQ switch to its flagship headphones

Nothing’s new $399 Headphone 1 Pro combines active noise cancellation (ANC), a triple-driver design and Auracast support. Its standout feature is a Flat EQ switch that disables equalization and spatial audio settings in the Nothing X app, aiming to let studio professionals hear mixes without the headphones’ sound coloration.

The feature came from a partnership with Metropolis Studios, a recording and mastering studio in London. The Verge reviewer found that Flat EQ brought the mid and high frequencies closer to the bass, but reduced some of the music’s airiness. For everyday listening, the reviewer preferred adjusting the sound with the app’s parametric EQ.

Each ear cup has a 40mm dynamic driver for bass, a separate midrange driver and an xMEMS driver for upper frequencies. The headphones support LDAC and wired or wireless high-resolution audio up to 24-bit/96kHz. Wired lossless audio over USB-C reaches 24-bit/192kHz. They can also transmit or receive Auracast through the Nothing X app.

The reviewer said ANC handled low rumble well and street traffic fairly well, though it did not match the performance of the Sony XM6, Bose Ultra Headphones Gen 2 or Apple AirPods Max 2. Nothing rates the headphones IP52 and claims up to 30 hours of battery with ANC on, or 68 hours with it off. The reviewer had not yet completed a full assessment and said the review would be updated.