When you hit the jackpot with a product and it performs well in the market, the temptation is to limit revisions to a couple of superficial tweaks. Nothing, however, has taken the opposite approach with the new Headphones (1) Pro. This isn't just a simple facelift; it's a proposal with profound changes in acoustics and functionality, designed for those seeking greater sonic precision and more advanced tools.
While the transparent shell maintains the house's identity, the interior architecture has been completely redesigned to achieve significantly more ambitious acoustic performance. Here's a breakdown of all the technical specifications and key differences from the original model.
Three dedicated drivers and the arrival of xMEMS solid-state technology
The most significant change in headphones is the abandonment of the traditional single driver. Nothing introduces a triple active driver architecture that covers a frequency range between 20 Hz and 40,000 Hz, distributing the tasks to avoid distortion:
- Bass driver (40 mm): It employs a metal-ceramic dome over PET and a PEEK + PU edge. Compared to the single-magnet motor used in the Headphone (1), this unit delivers 15% more thrust and 26% more sensitivity, pushing powerful bass without muddying the other frequencies.
- Midrange driver (13 x 8 mm): It features a PEN diaphragm to stabilize the midrange. Its main purpose is to provide stability to the voices and precisely define complex consonants such as "S" or "T".
- Treble Driver (Treble xMEMS): This is the major technological innovation. We're talking about a solid-state driver with a silicon diaphragm, a material 95 times more rigid and considerably lighter than conventional plastic. This allows for an incredibly fast transition response and clean, high frequencies full of natural harmonics.
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Regarding playback formats, they are Hi-Res Certified. They transmit lossless audio via USB-C up to 24-bit/192kHz, via 3.5mm jack cable up to 24-bit/96kHz, and wirelessly via LDAC, in addition to supporting AAC, SBC, and the LC3 codec for Auracast broadcasts.
Titanium, Panda Glass crystal and a flat equalization switch
For the outer chassis, the brand combines a protective Panda Glass 9H crystal with machined titanium arms. This material change makes the arms 45% lighter than those of the standard Headphone (1), bringing the total weight of the set down to 327 grams with IP52 certification for dust and splash resistance.
Comfort also receives direct attention: the headband is 10% wider, the padding is 12% thicker, and the earcups feature softer memory foam that easily accommodates people with glasses or piercings. I can tell you right now that the weight reduction and improved comfort of the earcups are very noticeable.
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In terms of physical controls, the Roller wheel and Paddle lever are retained, but a striking new switch has been added: Flat EQ Switch. Pressing this switch turns off digital processing, noise cancellation, and spatial audio to deliver a completely neutral frequency response. If you prefer surround sound, the Dynamic Spatial Audio system integrates five acoustic profiles, notably the Studio B mode developed in collaboration with engineers at Metropolis Studios. Interestingly, I think this is the first Nothing product where I've actually enjoyed using spatial audio systems; they're very well implemented this time around.
Adaptive noise cancellation with 10 microphones and up to 68 hours of battery life
Noise isolation takes a significant leap forward thanks to a 10-microphone array (5 in each earcup) with an adaptive algorithm that achieves a 46 dB reduction. In practice, they cancel an average of 5 dB more ambient noise and cover a wider frequency spectrum than the first-generation Headphone (1). For calls, a dedicated 4-microphone ENC system filters out background noise using artificial intelligence.
Connectivity and battery specifications complete the package:
- Wireless connection: Bluetooth 6.1 with multipoint connection for two devices simultaneously, Google Fast Pair, Microsoft Swift Pair and Auracast compatibility.
- Reduced latency: less than 120 ms via Bluetooth and below 15 ms when connecting the auxiliary cable with Flat EQ mode activated.
- 1060 mAh battery: It achieves up to 68 hours of playback without ANC (30 hours with ANC active) in basic codecs, and up to 53 hours without ANC if you use the LDAC codec.
- Fast charging: with just 5 minutes plugged into a USB-C charger they recover up to 4 hours of use (without ANC).
A leap in quality that convinces from the first minute
After a full week of daily testing, I can say without hesitation that the Nothing Headphones (1) Pro are by far the most premium and best-sounding headphones in the brand's catalog. They're on another level in every way: from the initial packaging and presentation, to the sound quality achieved by the three-driver architecture, to the thoughtful addition of the hard carrying case. Amazing!
Very soon I will publish a detailed analysis with everything I think about them after this continued use, thoroughly reviewing their strengths as well as their pros and cons.
If you want to stay informed about the latest news and updates on Nothing and CMF products, you can follow me on X (@ruudhesp), Instagram (@ruudhesp) and TikTok (@nothingtec).
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