Nothing Headphone (a) Review: The $199 Unicorn That Shouldn’t Exist

Nothing just did something genuinely wild. While everyone else is charging $300+ for decent ANC cans, they dropped a pair with LDAC support and a battery that lasts longer than most relationships for under a hundred bucks. I’ve been wearing these for three weeks straight, and I’m still trying to figure out what corner they cut-because it sure as hell wasn’t the battery life.

Unboxing & Build

The box feels premium in that minimalist Nothing way, clean typography, satisfying magnetic closure, the whole deal. Inside, you get the headphones, a decent braided cable with inline controls, a USB-C charging cable, and a soft carrying pouch. Not a hard case, mind you, but honestly? I’d rather have the pouch and save twenty dollars.

The headphones themselves nail that industrial-meets-Apple aesthetic. Matte black plastic dominates, with subtle transparent elements on the earcup backs that show off some internal components. It’s not as dramatic as Nothing’s earbuds, but there’s enough visual interest to avoid looking generic. The headband has decent padding wrapped in protein leather (read: pleather that won’t flake immediately), and the earcups rotate flat for travel.

Build quality is… fine. The plastics feel solid enough for the price bracket, but there’s a slight hollow quality when you tap the earcups. Nothing creaks or flexes weirdly, but I’m not tossing these in a backpack without the pouch. They feel like $99 headphones that were engineered competently, not $99 headphones pretending to be $300. There’s a difference.

Comfort’s better than expected. I wear glasses, and these don’t create a pressure headache after an hour like some budget cans. The clamping force is moderate—they stay put during walks but won’t death-grip your skull. Earcup depth is generous; my ears don’t touch the drivers. After three-hour sessions, I’m ready to take them off, but that’s typical for any closed-back design.

Features & Controls

Here’s where Nothing earns their keep. LDAC support at this price is borderline offensive to every other manufacturer. Connect these to an Android phone or LG V60 (yeah, I still daily one), enable LDAC, and you’re getting actual high-res wireless. It makes a difference, instruments on Steely Dan’s “Deacon Blues” have more separation and texture than standard AAC or SBC can manage.

ANC is shockingly competent. It won’t embarrass Sony’s flagship stuff, but it handles steady-state noise beautifully. Airplane drone, AC hum, coffee shop ambiance—gone. It struggles more with sudden sounds like keyboard clacks or conversations right next to you, but that’s physics. Transparency mode is functional; you can order coffee without removing the headphones, though voices sound slightly processed.

The 135-hour battery claim? Legit. I’ve charged these exactly twice in three weeks, and I use them daily. That’s with ANC off and LDAC running. Turn ANC on and you’re looking at maybe 90-100 hours, which is still absurd. Quick charge works-15 minutes gets you around 20 hours.

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Touch controls on the right earcup handle playback and volume. They’re responsive but occasionally too sensitive; I’ve triggered pause by adjusting the fit more times than I’d like. There’s an app for EQ and customization, and blessedly, it’s not complete garbage.

Sound Quality

Let’s be real: these don’t compete with audiophile gear. But for a hundred bucks? They punch way above their weight.

Bass is elevated but not obnoxious. Thundercat’s “Them Changes” has punch and decent extension, though it doesn’t hit with the visceral impact of something like the Sony XM5s. Electronic music works well—the synth bass on Bicep’s “Glue” feels substantial without bloating into the mids. Where it falls apart is texture; acoustic bass on Patricia Barber’s “The Beat Goes On” lacks the woody resonance I’m used to. It’s there, it’s correct, but it’s smoothed over.

Mids are surprisingly clean. Vocals sit forward in the mix without sounding shouty. Phoebe Bridgers’ voice on “Kyoto” has presence and intimacy, though the highest harmonics feel slightly rolled off. Male vocals fare similarly-Hozier’s “Too Sweet” sounds rich and full-bodied. Guitars have decent bite; the acoustic strumming on Radiohead’s “Nude” comes through with clarity, even if it doesn’t sparkle like planar magnetics would render it.

Treble is where the budget shows. It’s polite, maybe a touch recessed. Hi-hats on jazz recordings like “So What” from Kind of Blue sound correct but lack shimmer and air. Cymbal crashes don’t extend into that ear-tingles territory. This tuning choice makes sense though, it avoids the harsh, fatiguing treble that plagues cheap headphones. I’ll take slightly boring highs over icepick city any day.

Soundstage and imaging are… fine? The soundstage is narrow, hovering around your head rather than extending far beyond it. Orchestral stuff like Mahler’s 5th Symphony feels compressed compared to open-backs, but that’s closed-back reality at this price. Imaging is decent, you can pick out instrument positions, though separation gets muddy when things get busy. Tame Impala’s “Let It Happen” becomes a bit of a wall during the dense sections rather than distinct layers.

Detail retrieval is respectable. You hear the room reverb on recordings, the finger slides on acoustic guitar, the breath before vocal phrases. But micro-details—the subtle texture differences between instruments, the decay of notes—those get smoothed away. Think HD, not 4K.

Who It’s For

Commuters and students who want solid ANC and genuinely good sound without selling plasma. Android users who can actually utilize LDAC. Anyone tired of charging headphones weekly. People who value function over brand flex.

Not for: Critical listening enthusiasts, bass-heads wanting skull-rattling low end, anyone needing best-in-class ANC for heavy travel.

Verdict

Nothing Headphone (a) costs $99 and delivers like it’s twice that. The battery life alone is worth the price of admission, I genuinely forget these need charging. Add competent ANC, LDAC support, and sound quality that doesn’t insult your intelligence, and you’ve got the easy recommendation for budget over-ears in 2026.

Yeah, they’re not perfect. Build quality is just okay, treble could use more sparkle, and soundstage won’t blow your mind. But Nothing made smart compromises, cutting nothing that actually matters for most listeners. If you’ve got $100 and need wireless ANC cans, stop researching and just buy these.

Rating: 8.5/10 – Best value in budget ANC, full stop.

Tested with: LG V60 (LDAC), iPhone 14 Pro (AAC), MacBook Pro M2, Qobuz/Spotify Premium, FLAC files