Source: Marques Brownlee
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!
MKBHD Nothing Headphone 1 Pro Review: What You Need to Know
THE TL;DW
- Nothing’s Headphone 1 Pro jumps to $399, putting it head-to-head with Sony and Bose in the premium ANC bracket for the first time.
- The MKBHD Nothing Headphone 1 Pro review highlights real upgrades: a triple-driver setup with an xMEMS tweeter, 46dB adaptive ANC via 10 mics, and a physical Flat EQ switch tuned with Metropolis Studios.
- Marques Brownlee argues Nothing nailed the sound and hardware but made one bizarre design choice that undercuts the premium pitch — reviewers elsewhere have zeroed in on the same complaint about the new hard-shell case.
The Jupiter Take
MKBHD’s take matters because Nothing is explicitly stepping into territory long owned by Sony and Bose, and how a scrappy startup handles that jump says a lot about its next moves. The video treats the misstep as a puzzling unforced error rather than a dealbreaker, which fits the pattern of mixed-but-mostly-positive verdicts landing across tech media this week.
Context
Nothing built its reputation on affordable, design-forward gadgets, but the Headphone 1 Pro marks a deliberate push upmarket. Independent reviews confirm the headphones bring a genuinely upgraded triple-driver system, Panda Glass ear cups, titanium hardware, and ANC rated at up to 46dB using a 10-microphone array, a jump from the original Headphone 1’s setup.
Where MKBHD and other outlets converge is on the accessory side: multiple reviewers independently called out the new hard-shell carrying case as bulky and impractical, with one review noting “there is no room in the case to hold any cables” despite the headphones shipping with both a USB-C and 3.5mm cable. That’s the kind of oversight MKBHD’s title seems to be pointing at — a company that clearly sweated the audio engineering but fumbled a basic usability detail on a $399 product now competing directly with Sony’s WH-1000XM6 and Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra.
