Odi Productions
In this article, I’m going to share my HONEST Nothing Headphone (a) review for those who are wondering whether they are WORTH IT in 2026. I’ll also be comparing the Nothing Headphone (a) vs Nothing Headphone 1, CMF Headphone Pro, Soundcore Space One, Sony ULT Wear, Sennheiser Accentum, JBL Tune 770NC, and more!
I’m going to do my best to share whether these headphones are worth it, and ideally who these headphones are for. I bought these headphones with my own money, and was NOT sponsored, paid, or received a free copy for review. All thoughts are my own.
I’ll be sharing my critical opinion with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, audio engineer, and tech journalist. I also run the RecordingNow YouTube channel with over 25,000+ subscribers and over 5 million views.
Let’s dive right in!
Nothing Headphone (a) Review in Short
The Nothing Headphone (a) has quickly become one of our favorite picks under $200, thanks to its impressive consumer-friendly sound and best-in-class 75-hour battery life. The noise cancelling is average, and it still does feel like a budget headphone, but it’s hard to argue its value for the price. Competes with Nothing Headphone 1, Sony ULT Wear, Soundcore Space One, CMF Headphone Pro, Sennheiser Accentum, JBL Tune 770NC, Sony WH-CH720N, Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2, and Soundcore Space Q45.
Watch this Full Review on YouTube!
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Nothing Headphone (a) Pros and Cons
- Great sound quality under $200
- 75-hour battery life
- Incredible value
- Noise cancelling is average
- Feels like a budget headphone
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Disclosure: These affiliate links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to keep this website 100% independent to ensure honest unfiltered reviews 🙂
Nothing Headphone (a) Sound Quality
First Impressions on the Stock Sound…
Having been impressed with both the flagship Nothing Headphone (1) and CMF by Nothing Headphone Pro which were both released in 2025, I was quite curious how the Nothing Headphone (a) would stack up in the lineup.
From a hardware standpoint, the Headphone (a) looks almost identical to the Headphone (1), except it has 40mm titanium-coated drivers under the hood.
Upon first listen, I was immediately impressed by the exciting consumer-friendly sound of the Headphone (a), which is a bit of a departure from the neutral tuning of the (1).
The bass and especially the treble are more forward and energetic. I think those titanium-coated drivers add a crisp level of detail in the treble that jumps out to me.
Aside from the tuning, the sound quality itself seemed immediately on par with the Headphone (1), and slightly better than the CMF Headphone Pro.
Similar to the Nothing Headphone (1), there is an advanced 8-band EQ inside the app for the Headphone (a).
Also, the Nothing Headphone (a) supports the hi-res codec of LDAC, leading to higher sound quality potential on paper.
To conduct this test, I used my Questyle QCC Dongle Pro to unlock aptX and LDAC support:
![Questyle QCC Dongle Pro [MFi Certified] USB-C Bluetooth Audio Adapter with LDAC,aptX Lossless&aptX-Adaptive,Low Latency Bluetooth 5.4 Dongle for PS5,Wireless Lossless Transmitter for PC/Headphones](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/21jT-Cm5ZVL._SL500_.jpg)
If you’re an iPhone user, or if your phone doesn’t support aptX codecs, then I highly recommend you pick up the dongle above which will cover both LDAC and aptX Adaptive high-res codecs. It’s the only one of its kind that supports both, to my knowledge.
Full Sound Quality Test
I was immediately impressed with the Nothing Headphone (a) right out of the box, which I think really executes that consumer-friendly sound in a tasteful way.
The bass is full and impactful, while the treble is crisp and pushing forward plenty of detail.
It took some time and back-to-back listening, but I now appreciate how different the Headphone (a) is from the flagship Headphone (1).
For a relatively budget-friendly option, I think the more V-shaped tuning of the Headphone (a) is spot-on to appeal to the average consumer, resulting in an energetic and punchy sound.
The pure sound quality when it comes to the audiophile technicalities are quite close to the more expensive Headphone (1), but the (a) is slightly less resolving and accurate when you spend some time with both.
That said, for $100 less, I actually think I prefer the sound and tuning of the Headphone (a) out-of-the-box, which is more fun and engaging to listen to without EQ.
Sound Quality Comparisons
vs Nothing Headphone 1
Surprisingly, I actually prefer the consumer-friendly stock tuning of the Headphone (a) over the more refined and neutral Headphone (1).
That said, I do think the KEF-tuned Headphone (1) ultimately has the edge when it comes to the audiophile technicalities, starting with a more neutral and reference-like sound signature.
The Headphone (1) is wonderfully detailed and balanced, very “measured” in its sound, especially in the mids versus the (a).
Meanwhile, the Headphone (a) is unapologetically pushing forward bass and crisp treble detail that is more impressive upon first listen, but perhaps a tad more fatiguing over time.
Either way, this is really close. I wouldn’t be surprised if the average consumer preferred the (a) over the (1), as it needs much less EQ to sound fun and exciting.
I do think an audiophile would appreciate the resolution, soundstage, and dynamics of the flagship (1), which is more refined as a whole.
vs CMF Headphone Pro
The CMF Headphone Pro is even more exaggerated in its V-shaped tuning versus the (a), which sounds relatively balanced by comparison.
Thus, the CMF Headphone Pro requires more EQ to sound palatable for an audiophile, but it impressed me how much it improved with a touch of EQ and listening in LDAC.
That said, the Headphone (a) definitely edges out the CMF Headphone Pro in overall sound quality, with a higher level of fidelity and resolution, even without touching EQ.
Sound Quality Score: 8.6 out of 10
Comfort
The Nothing Headphone (a) is slightly heavier for the over-ear, wireless noise cancelling headphones as weighed on my scale:
- Sony WH-CH720N – 186.4 grams
- JBL Tune 720BT – 223.2 grams
- JBL Tune 770NC – 227.1 grams
- Skullcandy Hesh ANC – 229.6 grams
- Bose QuietComfort – 236.1 grams
- Sony WH 1000XM5 – 245.9 grams
- Sony WH 1000XM4 – 251.6 grams
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra – 254.4 grams
- Anker Soundcore Space One – 260.6 grams
- Anker Soundcore Life Q30 – 264.6 grams
- Beats Studio Pro – 268.6 grams
- CMF Headphone Pro – 280.8 grams
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 – 292.9 grams
- Anker Soundcore Space Q45 – 297.5 grams
- Nothing Headphone (a) – 311.4 grams
- Sonos Ace – 318.1 grams
- Nothing Headphone (1) – 328.3 grams
- Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 – 332.3 grams
- Apple AirPods Max – 387.8 grams
I appreciate that the Headphone (a) is a little lighter than the (1), but it’s still over 310 grams in a class where the lightweight options hover around 250-260.
Overall, the Headphone (a) is slightly above average in comfort thanks to having decent interior earcup space so my ears are free inside and not pressing against anything.
The clamping force is noticeably firm but not overly-strong.
The cushioning could be a little more supportive and plush, but it’s not bad considering the price point.
Comfort Score: 8.5 out of 10
Features / Battery Life / Build Quality / Practicality
Features
The Nothing Headphone (a) was originally released in March 2026, so they have many modern wireless headphone features:
- Built-in microphones for taking calls
- Bluetooth 5.4
- LDAC Support
- Adaptive Noise Cancelling
- Spatial Audio
- 8-band EQ
- Multi-point connection
- Physical buttons and controls
- Transparency Mode
- Included carrying case bag
- Stereo cable
Nothing Headphone (a) Battery Life
The Nothing Headphone (a) has a best-in-class 75 hours of battery life with ANC on, and 135 hours with ANC off.
- Nothing Headphone (a) – 75 hours (ANC on), 135 hours (ANC off)
- Marshall Monitor III – 70 hours (ANC on), 100 hours (ANC off)
- Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 SE – 60 hours (ANC on), 100 hours (ANC off)
- Audeze Maxwell – 80 hours (no ANC included)
- Sennheiser HDB 630 – 60 hours
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 – 60 hours
- Sennheiser Momentum 5 – 57 hours
- Nothing Headphone (a) – 35 hours (ANC on), 80 hours (ANC off)
- Dali IO-12 – 35 hours (ANC on)
- Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H100 – 34 hours (ANC on)
- Focal Bathys MG – “Over 30 hours” (ANC on)
- Sony WH-1000XM6 – 40 hours (ANC off), 30 hours (ANC on)
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) – 30 hours
- Sony WH-1000XM5 and WH-1000XM4 – 30 hours
- Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 and Px8 – 30 hours
- Sonos Ace – 30 hours
- Sony 1000X THE COLLEXION – 24 hours
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra (1st Gen) – 24 hours
- Apple AirPods Max 2 – 20 hours
- Apple AirPods Max – 20 hours
In my testing, I found this rating to be accurate.
The Nothing Headphone (a) has the longest battery life we have tested to date, for both ANC on and off.
To put things into perspective, this is more than double the battery life of the flagship headphones from Sony, Bose, and Apple.
Build Quality
Being a more budget-friendly headphone, the Headphone (a) actually has above average build quality against its peers for the price.
That said, it’s not quite on par with the $400+ flagship headphones in terms of premium materials, which is to be expected.
The Headphone (a) largely shares an almost identical design to the Headphone (1), but the (1) is slightly more premium with aluminum earcups and sharing the same steel hinges.
Practicality
Thanks to its sleek design and best-in-class battery life, the Headphone (a) makes for a decent daily driver.
I do wish they came with a proper hardshell case like the flagship Headphone (1), but instead they just include a cheaper travel bag.
Also, the noise cancelling performance could be improved if you’re planning to do some serious traveling or commuting with these.
Features / Battery Life / Build Quality / Practicality Score: 9.0 out of 10
Nothing Headphone (a) Noise Cancelling Performance
If there’s one area I would consider a weakness for the Headphone (a), it would probably be noise cancelling performance versus the flagships from Sony, Bose, and Apple.
Of the 50+ noise cancelling headphones we’ve tested, I would say the Headphone (a) is average for noise cancelling.
It’s not bad, but it’s nothing impressive compared to the elite options.
I would say it’s on par with the CMF Headphone Pro, but slightly below the Headphone (1).
Noise Cancelling Performance Score: 7.5 out of 10
Value
The Nothing Headphone (a) retails at $199 USD, but was recently on sale for as low as $151.
Even at its full retail price, I think the Headphone (a) is one of the most intriguing options under $200 that we’ve tested.
Ironically, one of the other great value options is the flagship Headphone (1), which can get down to $213 on sale, but can also be a full $100 more expensive at $299 retail.
The only other headphones that could possibly be better values are the discounted Sennheiser Momentum 4 that has dipped to $179 (but can hover around $220-230), and the CMF Headphone Pro at $99, down to $69 on sale.
Value Score: 9.5 out of 10
Overall Scoring Breakdown
Sound Quality (50% of score): 8.6 / 10
Comfort (10% of score): 8.5 / 10
Features / Battery Life / Build Quality / Practicality (10% of score): 9.0 / 10
Noise Cancelling (20% of score): 7.5 / 10
Value (10% of score): 9.5 / 10
Overall: 8.50 / 10
Is the Nothing Headphone (a) Worth it?
At just $199 full retail, and down to $151 on sale, the Headphone (a) has jumped up to the top of my list for the sub-$200 class of wireless noise cancelling headphones.
The sound quality is competitive with the flagship headphones costing $300-400.
The best-in-class battery life of 75 hours with ANC on is the best we’ve ever tested.
It’s not a perfect product, as the noise cancelling is average and does ultimately still feel like a budget headphone, especially with no hardshell case.
But for the price, it’s hard to complain.
Some very strong alternatives in this class of wireless headphones are:
- Nothing Headphone 1
- CMF Headphone Pro
- Sony ULT Wear
- Anker Soundcore Space One
- Sennheiser Accentum
- Sennheiser Momentum 4
- Sony WH-CH720N
- JBL Tune 770NC
- Anker Soundcore Space Q45
- Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2
- Skullcandy Hesh Evo
- Skullcandy Crusher Evo
- JBL Tune 720BT
- Bose QuietComfort (2023 model)
- Sony WH-1000XM5
- Beats Studio Pro
I highly recommend you check those out next!
Order HERE for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):
Save money with USED!
Disclosure: These affiliate links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to keep this website 100% independent to ensure honest unfiltered reviews 🙂
How We Tested and Our Methodology
RecordingNOW.com is a 100% independent publisher with over 10 years of experience testing and reviewing consumer electronics and headphones.
We currently purchase the products we test with our own money, and are not paid by any company or manufacturer to influence our opinions or decisions.
After purchasing the product, we conduct up to hundreds of hours of detailed hands-on testing in a controlled, acoustically-treated environment.
ODi Productions is our resident expert and author of this article, with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, tech journalist, and audiophile.
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