Review: Nothing Headphone (a) might be the best deal in over-ear headphones at $199

As earbuds have become commonplace, over-ear headphones have been a lot less popular and, really, they don’t get much love as they should. Nothing, popular for its earbuds, stepped into the category last year with Nothing Headphone (1) which, for $299, was already a great deal. Now, Nothing Headphone (a) has arrived and, somehow, manages to be an even better value.

Launched alongsidethe new Nothing Phone (4a) series, Nothing Headphone (a) is, in many ways, pretty darn familiar.

Really, these are the same headphones as Nothing Headphone (1) – which I already really liked – just with some changes in material and a lower starting price of $199 which, truly, is just an absolute steal.

Starting with the physical hardware, Nothing Headphone (a) delivers the same core look as Headphone (1). The footprint is a rounded rectangle with an ovular plastic portion on the top, lacking the casette look of the flagship pair. This time around, the whole build is plastic, where Headphone (1) was partially metal. Frankly, I couldn’t care less about the swap. There’s zero noticeable difference in quality, and the build feels just as sturdy. It’s also still metal in the places that count, like the connection between the earcups and the headband.

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Buttons are also familiar here, with the same setup of having a roller wheel for adjusting volume and a paddle for skipping tracks. A Bluetooth button is hidden above the right earcup, and a customizable button is on the outer section. There’s also a physical switch for power alongside the 3.5mm and USB-C inputs.

It’s a whole lot better than CMF Headphone Pro, which is on a similar track, but just doesn’t feel quite as good in terms of actual implementation. I also prefer the overall look and fit of Headphone (a).

Nothing’s black and white color combo is nice and neutral, with some good contrast, though thelimited edition yellow color might be the most underrated of the bunch. It’s great to have the choice of colors, with the black pair being even more understated, and the pink offering another delightfully different look.

Headphone (a) is pretty comfortable in wear, too. I’ve not had a chance to take them on a flight just yet, but 2-4 hour listening sessions comes with little to no ear fatigue, and the headband feels nice too. The slight reduction in weight from Headphone (1) helps too, but these are still noticeably heavy compared to, say, Sony’s over-ear flagships.

Under the hood, battery life is simply incredible. Nothing claims Headphone (a) can handle 135 hours between charges and, so far, I’m thrilled. I’ve not had to charge these at all with quite a few extended listening sessions over the past month. Battery life is something you simply will not have to think about with Nothing Headphone (a), but they charge quickly when the need does arise.

But, as with any pair of headphones, it often boils down to sound quality.

That’s where I still have some mixed feelings.

In its earbuds, Nothing at one point offered an incredible, balanced sound profile that was easily my favorite listening experience. The company has since leaned into the bass-heavy preferences of the general public, which is certainly not my favorite. That said, Nothing Headphone (a)’s default sound profile sounds pretty decent. “Balanced” is best at medium volumes, with the details being lost as the volume goes up. “More Bass,” as the name implies, pumps up the low-ends, but also improves on that volume issue a little bit.

One of my favorite songs lately, “Be With You” by Muse, tends to feel a bit muffled at points through Nothing Headphone (a) on its default profiles as there’s just a lot going on. The door is wide open to whatever you want though, as Nothing has a full advanced EQ in the Nothing X app. Using the same custom EQ settings as I was on Headphone (1), I found the budget model caught up a fair bit.

That app, by the way, remains one of the best reasons to use Nothing audio gear. It’s clean, easy to understand, very customizable, and just works. I’d love to know why so many headphone companion apps are terrible, but Nothing has done a great job with its option. You’ll get the most added features with a Nothing Phone – the new Phone (4a) Pro is really good – but you don’t miss out on anything with other smartphones either.

Between solid sound quality, tremendous battery life, a good companion app, and excellent hardware, Nothing Headphone (a) are a really well-rounded set of over-ear headphones.

And, at $199, they’re a great deal too.

This is 99% of what you get with Nothing Headphone (1) – the biggest points I’ll give that set is audio quality, which is a hair better – for $100 less. When Nothing’s “expensive” set was already priced well below competitors such as AirPods Max and Sony WH-1000XM6, Nothing Headphone (a) reaches “no-brainer” status.

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