My new favorite new headphones for work look like nothing I've worn before

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Nothing's caller Headphone (a) are disposable present for $199.
• They connection a unsocial design, agelong battery, large sound, and intuitive fastener controls.
• Although they're lighter than their predecessors, they inactive consciousness a small clunky aft extended wear.

These days, bully dependable isn't that hard to travel by. So however bash headphones differentiate themselves? If you're the London-based Nothing, you'll springiness your headphones large artillery life, adhd immoderate astute quality-of-life improvements, and a chiseled ocular style.

Also: Forget iPhone 17e: Nothing's Phone 4a Pro costs little and looks a full batch better

But astir importantly, you terms them astatine $200 -- importantly little than competitors. I'm talking astir Nothing's Headphone (a), the brand's latest over-ear pair. I tested them implicit the people of a week, and recovered tons to love, but they aren't perfect. 

Nothing launched its Headphone (a) alongside its Phone 4a series connected March 5th, with compatibility with the Phone 4a Series via ChatGPT to perceive Nothing News oregon Essential Space, its accusation hub app.   

Nothing nailed the audio prime successful its erstwhile headphones, arsenic I've written portion investigating its open-ear Nothing Open and the Nothing Ear (a). It's nary antithetic here, with neutral and wide dependable acceptable for all-day listening. 

I loved moving and commuting with these headphones on, and recovered the dependable illustration fantastic without in-app configuration. But if you privation to customize the EQ, you tin bash truthful successful the app. You tin besides entree customized EQs created by Nothing assemblage members. 

Also: These fashion-forward headphones person nary concern sounding this bully for the price

Something I admit with Nothing's audio products is sound cancellation that doesn't wholly alienate you from your environment. I find that stronger noise-cancelling earbuds oregon headphones thin to over-noise-cancel, that is, suck you into soundlessness successful a mode that tin beryllium overstimulating aft hours of use. 

I didn't get that with the sound cancellation successful Headphone (a). It makes users little apt to endure from headphone fatigue for extended use. Plus, with a artillery beingness of 75 hours with ANC on, you technically could usage these each time -- for respective days -- earlier recharging. With ANC turned off, Nothing says the Headphone (a) has 135 hours of full power. 

Nothing includes a scroller and paddle for measurement and playback controls. 

Nina Raemont/ZDNET

The smallest portion of Nothing's newest headphones made the biggest quality for me. I'm talking astir the paddle control, its mechanical button, and the roller -- carnal buttons connected the headphones that are truthful good, you don't person to interaction your telephone astatine all. 

Also: After weeks of listening to these Fender headphones, I'm inactive wondering who should bargain them

The fastener tin beryllium assigned to definite actions successful the Nothing X app, including the quality to seizure photos hands-free. The paddle tin skip tracks, and the roller increases and decreases volume. For each headphone user's sake, I anticipation different brands spot these buttons and implements them into their ain headsets; they were the easiest headphones to navigate without touching my telephone - and that's saying a lot. 

This fastener tin activate a big of features if you configure it done the Nothing X app. 

Nina Raemont/ZDNET

What I'd similar to spot connected Nothing's adjacent headphones 

Nothing says it improved comfortableness by lightening the value of the Headphone (a), but extended deterioration implicit the workday proves they're inactive a small clunky for my liking. They besides wounded my earring-clad ears, contempt its claims the headphones were made to accommodate receptor piercings. 

Also: What is Bluetooth 6.0? How the latest modular fixes audio problems we'd learned to unrecorded with

While Nothing nails astir of its tiny touches, determination was 1 beloved diagnostic it skipped. I was hoping determination would beryllium an in-ear detection feature, for instantly pausing euphony erstwhile I instrumentality disconnected the headphones, and resuming erstwhile enactment backmost on. 

ZDNET's buying advice 

The Nothing Headphone (a) person capable colour configurations to delight consumers who privation thing neutral, but there's besides an expressive babe pinkish color, and an exclusive yellowish that resembles an ovum yolk. The headphone's chiseled plan is the archetypal draw, but aft utilizing them implicit the past fewer days, I've rapidly grown to emotion their sound, monolithic battery, and thoughtful interaction controls that large headphone brands lack. 

Plus, these headphones are value-rich. They outgo $199, for crying retired loud, and connection galore of the aforesaid features that acold much expensive, established headphone brands boast.