In the crowded world of noise-canceling headphones, Nothing has made a name for itself with solid specs and a distinctive aesthetic, often relying on a retro-transparent design or bold color choices, especially in its budget-friendly CMF line. The Headphone A take a somewhat more conventional approach, but they’re strikingly similar to last year’s Headphone 1. And now, they’re available at Amazon and Nothing’s online storefront for $169 ($30 off), which is a new low price.
In essence, Nothing’s second pair of over-ear headphones retain the best parts of the Headphone 1, only at a significantly lower price point. The earpieces sport a similar rectangular shape with oval enclosures; however, they use opaque colors rather than see-through housing, giving them a more subdued look. The headband and memory foam cups were comfortable enough in our testing, too, while a set of physical controls let you manage playback, volume, noise cancellation, and other facets without fiddling with capacitive buttons. They even carry an IP52 rating — meaning they can handle sweat and light rain — and support wired listening via their USB-C and 3.5mm ports.
As for the sound quality, it can be somewhat middling out of the box. Fortunately, the default presets are relatively easy to address with the EQ in the Nothing X app for Android and iOS, which offers some serious customization for a pair of sub-$200 headphones. The active noise cancellation, while not on par with more expensive sets from Sony and Bose, is also good for the price, allowing you to effortlessly tune out the lower frequencies of the outside world using one of three levels (there’s also a handy adaptive option). Just don’t expect the noise cancellation on the microphone end to be as effective for calls.
