These Headphones From Tech Maverick Nothing Buck the Industry’s Design Norms
London-based tech brand, Nothing, has made its name from eye-popping announcements. It’s been five years since entrepreneur Carl Pei left OnePlus, the disruptive tech company he co-founded, to forge his own path through the tech industry. So far, he’s made good on his promises of shaking up Silicon Valley’s status quo with a series of innovative phones and gadgets, releasing the Nothing Phone (3) earlier this year. But the most disruptive announcement from Nothing comes in the form of its Headphone (1).
Touted as “designed to be seen, tuned to be heard,” the headphones, ostensibly, deliver on the first promise before they’re even connected to your playlist. “With Headphone (1), we set out to create something that doesn’t just sound great, it feels different the moment you pick it up,” says Adam Bates, head of design at Nothing. “From the tactile controls to the transparent construction, every detail is intentional. It’s a product that looks different, works differently, and invites people to connect with sound in a more expressive way.”
Featuring iconic transparent elements that have become synonymous with Nothing’s aesthetic and premium materials like formed aluminum, precision CNC components, and PU memory foam, Headphone (1) balances comfort and visual impact. The lightweight ear cup combines aluminum and durable plastics for resilience, while the telescopic arms allow smooth adjustment.
The headphones also take a considered step away from touch controls, opting instead for tactile controls built into the physical design, which offers a welcome respite from a lack of tactility for most modern tech users. The roller, paddle, and button provide a more precise means of adjusting volume, navigating media, and switching ANC modes compared to the guesswork of most touch interfaces.
In terms of the tech itself, the Headphone (1) has been acoustically engineered alongside legendary audio innovator, KEF. The result is advanced noise cancellation, precision damping system, and high-linearity suspension to minimize distortion, so every track sounds exactly as the artist intended. Tactile, functional, and innovatively designed in true Nothing fashion, the Headphone (1) marks the brand’s next step toward breaking through the noise of Silicon Valley.
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