Nothing Headphone (a) Adaptive Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Over-Ear Headphones

Nothing Headphone (a) Adaptive Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Over-Ear Headphones

By Nothing · Noise-Cancelling Headphones · Audio & Electronics

  • 40 mm titanium-coated diaphragm driver, output up to 110 dB
  • Battery: up to 135 h playback with ANC off / up to 75 h with ANC on (AAC)
  • Hybrid ANC up to 40 dB with Low/Mid/High plus Adaptive modes, 4 microphones

Lowest price seen
~$199.00 (approx.)
from $199.00 at Amazon

Prices are snapshots. Check the current price with the store.

Problems, parts and running costs

Summary

A closed-back over-ear noise-cancelling headphone from Nothing with very long claimed battery life, LDAC, wired USB-C and 3.5 mm audio, and a deep app equalizer. Check the fit before you buy: there is no wear detection, so playback never pauses when you take them off, and the 310 g frame needs firm clamping to stay put.

Strengths

  • Independent tests back the battery claim: RTINGS measured 79.25 hours, and Tom’s Guide still had about 85% left after 24 hours.
  • The physical controls draw consistent praise; TechRadar calls them among the best in the category.
  • Connectivity is complete for the price: LDAC, USB-C audio that carries microphone audio, and a 3.5 mm jack.
  • The Nothing X app handles ANC, multipoint, EQ and control remapping rather than being an afterthought.
  • Build uses steel arms, reinforced nylon and metal-injection-molded hinges, and Nothing says the model passed more than 50 durability tests.
  • Reviewers mostly like the stock sound; RTINGS calls it warm and accurate with very low distortion.

Weaknesses

  • No wear detection and no automatic play or pause, so audio keeps running when you lift the headphones off.
  • ANC is good but not class-leading; SoundGuys measured roughly 83% average outside-noise reduction, and Tom’s Guide calls it mediocre against Bose-class products.
  • The stock tuning divides reviewers: Tom’s Guide calls the soundstage flat and the bass confused, and SoundGuys says it is hard to equalize.
  • Call quality is average; RTINGS says the microphone lacks body and degrades in loud surroundings.
  • Several owners report a faint squeak in Transparency mode and a tonal shift when ANC is fully off.
  • Heavy at 310 g, with shallow ear cups that warm up, and a soft pouch in the box instead of a hard case.

Verified specifications

Form factorclosed-back, over-ear wireless with active noise cancellation.
Release dateMarch 5, 2026.
Drivers40 mm dynamic drivers.
Frequency response20 Hz–40 kHz.
Weight310 g.
Bluetoothversion 5.4, with LDAC, AAC and SBC.
Wired audioUSB-C and 3.5 mm aux-in.
Noise cancellationhybrid adaptive ANC with High, Mid, Low and Adaptive modes plus Transparency; Nothing claims up to 40 dB maximum reduction.
Battery over AACup to 135 hours with ANC off, up to 75 hours with ANC on.
Battery over LDACup to 90 hours with ANC off, up to 62 hours with ANC on.
Talk time over AACup to 75 hours with ANC off, up to 50 hours with ANC on.
Fast charge5 minutes adds up to 8 hours with ANC off or 5 hours with ANC on.
Full charge0 to 100% in about two hours.
Charging inputa maximum of 5 W over USB-C.
EQBalanced, More Bass, More Treble and Voice presets plus an 8-band advanced EQ in the Nothing X app.
Weather ratingNothing’s support article states IPX2; the product page and several reviewers state IP52.
Wear detectionnot supported, so there is no automatic play or pause.
Power offno automatic power off; Sleep mode starts after 30 minutes idle and unworn.
Dual connectionsupported, off by default, switched on in the Nothing X app.
Low Latency Modeonly with a Nothing Phone in Game Mode, where latency drops below 120 ms.
Casingtransparent polycarbonate with stainless steel support arms.
Ear cushionsPU leather over high-resilience memory foam.
Battery capacityabout 1,060 mAh, listed by iFixit as not user-replaceable.
CompatibilityAndroid 8.0 and above, iOS 13.0 and above.
ColorwaysWhite, Black, Pink and Yellow.
Warranty12 months in the U.S. through eligible channels.
Full research notes and sources

Battery life and charging

Nothing publishes a full matrix: 135 hours of playback with ANC off and 75 with ANC on over AAC, 90 and 62 hours over LDAC, and 75 hours of talk time with ANC off over AAC. A five-minute charge is said to add up to 8 hours with ANC off or 5 with ANC on, and a full charge takes about two hours. Every figure was taken by Nothing at 50% volume in a 25 °C laboratory, and Nothing prints that caveat on the same pages. Real runtime will be lower, but endurance is the most competitive thing about this headphone, and it is the one claim independent testing supports: RTINGS measured 79.25 hours, while Tom’s Guide used them for 24 hours and still had about 85% left.

Charging is capped at a maximum of 5 W over USB-C. That is a USB-C power ceiling, not an audio or Bluetooth limit, but the fast-charge claim only lands with a cable and charger that can supply it. If you leave the headphones unused for a long stretch, Nothing says to store them above 50%.

Noise cancellation and sound

Nothing claims up to 40 dB maximum noise reduction, with High, Mid, Low and Adaptive modes plus Transparency; Adaptive adjusts the cancellation level in real time to the surroundings. SoundGuys measured roughly 83% average outside-noise reduction, RTINGS found midrange and treble isolation strong but deep engine rumble weaker, and Tom’s Guide called the ANC mediocre next to Bose-class products. Nobody has published a failure rate for the ANC electronics, so treat the gap as a known limitation rather than a defect.

The sound splits reviewers. RTINGS describes the stock tuning as warm and broadly accurate with very low distortion, TechRadar calls it expansive and well-balanced, and Tom’s Guide calls the soundstage flat and the bass confused on heavier music. SoundGuys also criticizes the stock tuning and says it is difficult to equalize cleanly. The Nothing X app is where you fix it, with presets plus an 8-band advanced EQ.

Parts, repairs and running costs

There are no scheduled consumables, filters or subscriptions. The battery is about 1,060 mAh and iFixit lists it as non-user-replaceable, with no official user battery part found.

Ear cushions are the part most likely to wear, and Nothing’s U.S. store carries no exact replacement cushion listing for this model. A Nothing Community thread from July 2026 reports owners could not find official pads, and support only says accessories may be available by contacting customer service. No price or part number was found, so no annualized parts cost can be calculated.

A standard USB-C cable covers charging and audio, a standard 3.5 mm cable covers analog listening, and neither is proprietary. Charging electricity is negligible at a 5 W ceiling.

U.S. Terms of Sale give a 12-month limited warranty for audio products bought through eligible channels, covering defects in workmanship or materials. Claims need proof of purchase and model or serial information, and service is limited to the original purchase country. The warranty excludes ordinary wear, cosmetic damage, unauthorized repair and liquid or moisture damage. Nothing also warns that purchases from unauthorized Walmart marketplace sellers may not qualify for its voluntary warranty.

Is it worth it?

In October 2026 Nothing’s Fall Sale listed the headphone at $129, down from $199 direct. Target listed the Black color at $159.99, and Best Buy and Walmart listed it at $199. Nothing’s own Headphone (1) was also $199 in the same sale, and the CMF Headphone Pro was $59.

At $129 or less the package is strong: independently measured near-80-hour battery life, LDAC, USB-C audio and ANC at a budget price. From $131 to $160 it still holds up for buyers who value battery life and the controls. From $161 to $180 it is fair, and stronger-ANC models such as the Anker Soundcore Space Q45 or JBL Live 780NC deserve a look. Above $181 it gets hard to justify, because Nothing’s own Headphone (1) adds better ANC, aluminum construction, a hard case, wear detection and head-tracked spatial audio, at the cost of much shorter battery life.

Which model this is

Headphone (a) is its own model, with a dedicated Nothing support category kept separate from the Headphone (1) category. Nothing markets it by the parenthetical name only; no model number, SKU or revision identifier appears on any page read for it. Do not merge it with Headphone (1), Headphone (1) Pro or Ear (3a), which are different products with different hardware. The Amazon listing is ASIN B0G6LGJW6D.

Sources

Manufacturer:

Independent reviews:

Owner reports:

Parts and stores:

Buying guides for this category

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