Nothing just parked a true flagship in the same $399 over-ear lane as Sennheiser's Momentum 5 and under Sony and Apple's top sticks. The Headphone (1) Pro went on sale September 29 in black and white at us.nothing.tech, Amazon, and Best Buy in North America, with UK pricing listed around £349. Early hands-ons from The Verge and TechRadar agree it is the best Nothing has sounded, even if ANC still trails the current top three.
We checked those reviews against Nothing's own product page and Popular Science's launch walkthrough of the 26-page feature dump, then built a shopper table you will not get from any single outlet's structure.
What $399 actually buys
The pitch is "replace your commute cans and your studio monitors with one pair." Hardware-wise that means a triple-driver stack instead of the usual single dynamic driver: a 40 mm bass driver, a 13×8 mm precision mid driver, and a solid-state xMEMS treble driver. Nothing rates the set for Hi-Res wireless up to 24-bit/96 kHz over LDAC and lossless USB-C up to 24-bit/192 kHz. Bluetooth is 6.1 with Auracast transmit and receive. The pair weighs 327 g and carries an IP52 dust and splash rating.
Battery life on the official sheet is up to 68 hours with ANC off (AAC) and up to 30 hours with ANC on. LDAC trims that to about 53 / 28 hours. A five-minute charge is rated for four hours of playback with ANC off, or two hours with ANC on. Full charge takes about two hours on a 1060 mAh cell.
ANC uses 10 mics and claims up to 46 dB of cancellation with a new silicone baffle in the ear cushions. Nothing says that is 5 dB stronger on average than Headphone (1) and about 40 percent broader across the frequency range. The Verge's John Higgins found low-end rumble and airplane noise well handled, street traffic good, and the overall stack still a step behind Sony WH-1000XM6, Bose Ultra Headphones Gen 2, and AirPods Max 2 when you are hunting for absolute silence.
The Flat EQ switch is the real differentiator
Most 2026 flagships add more EQ in the app. Nothing added a physical Flat EQ switch, tuned with London's Metropolis Studios, that kills spatial modes and coloration so mixers hear a neutral profile. Higgins liked the idea for studio work but preferred shaving highs in the parametric EQ for casual listening, noting Harman-curve research that most ears want some bass lift. TechRadar's Becky Scarrott called the headphones "sonically gifted," praised transparency mode and wind handling, and still warned that the hardshell case is chunky and heavy for the money.
Controls stay tactile: roller for volume and ANC toggle, paddle for tracks and calls, a customizable button, plus the new Flat EQ switch tucked on the left cup so you do not fat-finger it. Cup faces use 9H Panda Glass. Headband padding is wider and thicker than Headphone (1); ear cushions are dual-layer and claimed 50 percent softer, which matters if you wear glasses.
| Spec | Nothing Headphone (1) Pro | Sennheiser Momentum 5 |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. list price | $399 | $399.99 / $399.95 store |
| Drivers | Triple (40 mm + mid + xMEMS) | Single dynamic (Momentum series) |
| Battery ANC on / off | Up to 30 h / 68 h (AAC) | Up to 57 h with ANC on |
| ANC mics | 10 | 8 digital |
| Bluetooth | 6.1, LDAC, Auracast | 5.4 (6.0 via firmware per launch notes) |
| Studio-leaning feature | Hardware Flat EQ switch | 8-band EQ + Dolby Atmos |
| Weight | 327 g | Not the headline; replaceable battery cell |
| IP rating | IP52 | Not marketed as IP52 |
Endurance math favors Momentum 5 if you live in ANC mode: 57 hours rated versus Nothing's 30. That is nearly a 1.9× gap on paper. Nothing fights back with the triple-driver detail story, USB-C lossless, Auracast, and that Flat EQ hardware switch. Same sticker price, different bet on what you value day to day.
Who this is for
Buy Headphone (1) Pro if you want Nothing's look, care about high-frequency detail, and might actually flip Flat EQ for editing or critical listening. Wait, or stick with Momentum 5, if week-long ANC battery life and a swappable cell matter more than a studio switch. Geeknewz's view after the reviews and the official sheet: this is a real flagship entry, not a fashion upcharge on Headphone A, but ANC crown and battery crown still live elsewhere at this price.
Source: The Verge; also TechRadar, Nothing product page, and Popular Science.