Nothing's $399 Headphone (1) Pro Puts an xMEMS Treble Driver Alongside Two Dynamic Drivers

Nothing has announced the Headphone (1) Pro, a $399 / £349 over-ear that the company positions above last year's Headphone (1) and which several outlets describe as its most expensive headphone to date. It goes on sale from 29 September 2026, with 9to5Google listing Nothing's own website, Amazon and Best Buy as launch retailers.

The headline change is what sits inside each earcup. Where most wireless over-ears rely on a single dynamic driver per side, the Headphone (1) Pro uses three transducers, including a solid-state xMEMS unit handling the top end — a driver type that has been slowly working its way into in-ears but is still unusual in a full-size closed-back headphone.

Three drivers per side

According to MusicTech's spec breakdown, each earcup contains:

• A 40mm dynamic driver covering 20Hz–10kHz
• A second, "precision" dynamic driver covering 5kHz–15kHz
• An xMEMS solid-state treble driver covering 10kHz–40kHz

Those ranges overlap substantially, which is normal enough in a multi-driver design — the crossover work and the relative levels decide what each unit actually contributes. What is less usual is that Nothing exposes some of that balance to the listener: 9to5Google reports the custom EQ in the companion app lets you adjust the main drivers and the third precision driver independently, rather than applying one curve across the whole array.

A physical switch for flat

The tuning side of the product was developed with Metropolis Studios, and the most eye-catching result is a hardware control. MusicTech reports a physical Flat EQ switch on the headphone itself, intended to drop the tuning to a neutral setting without digging through an app — a gesture toward people who want a known reference point rather than a preset.

Around that sit a set of software options. MusicTech lists a "Studio B" spatial audio preset that emulates a room at Metropolis Studios, plus five genre EQ profiles named Neo-Jazz, British Rock, UK Rap + Grime, Electronica and UK Bass. Spatial audio with head tracking is on board too, per 9to5Google, with further presets including "Live House" and "Concert Hall".

Full access to all of this requires the Nothing X app, which MusicTech notes runs on iOS, Android, macOS, Linux and Windows. Basic playback does not depend on it.

Resolution, wired and wireless

MusicTech puts the wired ceiling over USB-C at 24-bit/192kHz. Wireless playback and the 3.5mm analogue input are both quoted at up to 24-bit/96kHz. Nothing has not been pinned down on Bluetooth version or codec support in any of the launch coverage retrieved, so the mechanism behind that wireless figure remains unstated here.

ANC and battery

Active noise cancellation is rated at up to 46dB and driven by a 10-microphone adaptive system. For context, 9to5Google notes the original Headphone (1) was rated at 42dB, so this is an incremental step on the same measurement basis rather than a wholesale redesign of the claim.

Battery figures from MusicTech are 30 hours with ANC engaged and 68 hours with it switched off, with a five-minute charge said to return two hours of playback. Pre-launch leaks had circulated a lower 60-hour number; the launch specification supersedes it.

Build and controls

Despite adding a third driver per side, the Headphone (1) Pro comes in at 327g — lighter than the original, per 9to5Google. MusicTech cites titanium and aluminium in the construction, and 9to5Google reports glass elements replacing plastic used previously. The physical paddle and wheel controls that gave the first Headphone (1) its distinctive feel carry over.

What we don't know yet

A few things are worth flagging as open. SoundGuys' launch piece is headlined around "three drivers, better ANC, and one odd compromise" — but the compromise itself is not identified in anything we were able to retrieve, so we are not going to guess at what it is. Colour options have not been established in the coverage we've seen, and no euro price has been confirmed at launch despite a pre-release leak quoting one.

Reviews are beginning to appear, including from Trusted Reviews, but we haven't read them, and nothing in the launch material tells you how the xMEMS driver actually integrates with the two dynamic units in practice. That is the interesting question here. Solid-state treble drivers promise very fast transient behaviour and low distortion in the top octaves; blending one with conventional moving-coil drivers, inside a sealed earcup, with ANC processing running on top, is a non-trivial piece of engineering. Whether it produces something audibly different from a well-tuned single-driver headphone at similar money is exactly what listening will have to settle.

Specifications at a glance

• Price: $399 / £349 — $100 above the original Headphone (1), per MusicTech
• On sale: 29 September 2026, via Nothing's site, Amazon and Best Buy
• Drivers: 40mm dynamic (20Hz–10kHz), precision dynamic (5kHz–15kHz), xMEMS solid-state treble (10kHz–40kHz), per earcup
• Resolution: up to 24-bit/192kHz over USB-C; up to 24-bit/96kHz wireless and via 3.5mm
• ANC: up to 46dB adaptive, 10 microphones
• Battery: 30 hours ANC on, 68 hours ANC off; 5-minute charge for 2 hours
• Weight: 327g
• App: Nothing X — iOS, Android, macOS, Linux, Windows

Frequently asked questions

How much does the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro cost and when does it go on sale?

The Nothing Headphone (1) Pro is priced at $399 in the US and £349 in the UK, and goes on sale from 29 September 2026. MusicTech notes that is $100 more than the original Headphone (1). 9to5Google lists Nothing's own website, Amazon and Best Buy as launch retailers.

What are the three drivers in the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro?

Each earcup of the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro holds three transducers, per MusicTech: a 40mm dynamic driver covering 20Hz–10kHz, a second 'precision' dynamic driver covering 5kHz–15kHz, and an xMEMS solid-state treble driver covering 10kHz–40kHz. The stated ranges overlap between the three units.

What audio resolution does the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro support?

MusicTech reports the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro handles up to 24-bit/192kHz when wired over USB-C. Wireless playback and the 3.5mm analogue input are both quoted at up to 24-bit/96kHz. No Bluetooth version or codec names have been established in retrieved launch coverage.

How long does the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro battery last?

The Nothing Headphone (1) Pro is rated at 30 hours of playback with active noise cancellation switched on and 68 hours with ANC off, according to MusicTech. A five-minute charge is said to deliver two hours of listening. The headphone weighs 327g.

What is the Flat EQ switch on the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro?

The Flat EQ switch is a physical control on the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro, developed as part of a collaboration with Metropolis Studios, that sets the headphone to a neutral tuning without needing the app. Nothing also offers a 'Studio B' spatial preset and five genre EQ profiles.

This article was written by an AI system from Into The HiFi AI Desk, generated from the following sources, with no human editing pass before publication: MusicTech — Nothing Headphone (1) Pro: price, Metropolis Studios collab, studio features and specs, 9to5Google — Nothing Headphone (1) Pro upgrades and price, Nothing — Headphone (1) Pro product page, SoundGuys — Nothing Headphone (1) Pro launch, Gizmodo — Nothing's (1) Pro headphones.