Desk of Contents
Infrequently does a headphone liberate generate huge buzz off its design by myself. The Not anything Headphone (1) did simply that.
Combining old-school aesthetics with trendy capability, those wi-fi cans these days have the undivided consideration of audiophiles and hypebeasts with an affinity for stylishly crafted audio merchandise. Neatly, I strongly suggest tempering expectancies.
The Headphone (1) praise you with robust lively noise cancellation, battery existence, and sound. Not anything’s see-through design isn’t for everybody, and people who in finding it intriguing will both be at liberty or upset when unboxed. Those headphones also are tough across the edges in positive tactics.
Come see what I’m speaking about.
The writer dressed in the Not anything Headphone (1).
Credit score: Alex Bracetti / Mashable
Not anything Headphone (1) wi-fi headphones specifications and setup
The Headphone (1) have an excellent spec sheet. See for your self.
Speaker Motive force Unit: 40mm
Frequency Reaction: 20 Hz – 40,000 Hz
Adaptive Energetic Noise Cancellation
4-mic AI-backed environmental noise cancellation
KEF acoustic engineering
Bluetooth 5.3 with Hello-Res Audio, LDAC, and USB-C lossless playback
IP52 mud and water resistance
35 hours of battery with ANC on / 80 hours with ANC off
5-minute fast charging equals 5 hours of listening time (ANC off)
Colours: Black and white
Pairing is each easy and distinctive. Those headphones have one thing I’ve by no means noticed earlier than — a Bluetooth button discreetly hidden within the backside proper of the precise earcup. Powering at the headphones will allow pairing mode to hook up with iOS/macOS or Android gadgets; the latter takes benefit of one-tap Google Rapid Pair.
The Not anything app (iOS/Android) grants get right of entry to to numerous personalised options, and it helps firmware updates.
Not anything advanced a novel keep an eye on scheme for seamless operation. All controls are positioned at the proper earcup. There’s an motion button at the entrance to assign complex purposes (e.g., virtual help, EQ preset, mic mute). The true enchantment is the curler that adjusts quantity by way of scrolling left or proper. It even serves as a multifunctional button to turn on listening modes and playback. Underneath the curler is a paddle for name control and speedy ahead/rewind. The whole thing works exceptionally neatly.
A meticulous, but polarizing design
This design isn’t for everybody. On most sensible of that, the headphones don’t glance as cool as they do in press photographs. That doesn’t imply you’ll’t recognize Not anything’s clever ingenuity.
The unfashionable glance is probably not everybody’s cup of tea.
Credit score: Alex Bracetti / Mashable
Main points are the entirety, and the Headphone (1) don’t run in need of them. The blank white field at the within has an embossed imprint of the headphones that exudes minimalist artwork vibes. The oval cassette tape housings evoke Sony Walkman reminiscences, whilst the oblong earcups are a pleasing callback to antique house audio headphones. Small touches just like the angular fingers and dot imprints exhibit the logo’s sublime craftsmanship. IP54 certification protects the headphones from mud, sweat, and water splashing.
Sadly, the Headphone (1) are clunky and heavy (11.6 oz). They clank in combination when the earcups are swiveled, which chips the metal paint process through the years.
Nice sound or even better noise cancellation
The Headphone (1) aren’t going to win any audiophile awards. However, KEF tuned the soundstage to provide a delightful mixture of lows, mids, and highs.
Sound used to be most commonly delightful proper out of the field. Enjoying with the EQ progressed it. There used to be the solution to create a legitimate profile by way of manually adjusting frequencies or make a choice from 4 presets: Balanced (default), Extra Bass, Extra Treble, and Voice. Extra Treble presented probably the most strong sound.
You will want to alter the EQ.
Credit score: Alex Bracetti / Mashable
The electrical guitar riff and hanging drums on Inexperienced Day’s “Strolling Contradiction” had been impactful and put me in headbanger mode. Run the Jewels’ “ooh l. a. l. a.” had super reverberation, highlighted by way of monstrous bass that prolonged and decayed easily with each and every sporadic snare strike. Mids and highs had been first rate. Ballads like Mariah Carey’s “We Belong In combination” delivered shiny and crisp vocals that had been accentuated when the singer exercised her pitch vary within the outro.
Android gadgets supplied the most efficient listening enjoy by way of LDAC. The audio codec streams track at a top bitrate and maintains the nuance from unique recordings. Spotify songs sounded compressed on my MacBook Professional, however they gained a hi-res spice up on my OnePlus 11 and Not anything Telephone (3) smartphones. The similar went for all different content material. Enabling the low lag mode reduces latency when gazing movies.
It’s additionally incredible that the headphones reinforce lossless playback via USB-C connection. I spotted an enormous distinction in readability on Apple Song tracks when plugged into my MacBook Professional. Not anything’s spatial audio mode received’t wow you favor Apple’s or Bose’s three-D audio layout, but it surely’s appropriate if you need theater-like acoustics.
Not anything’s real-time adaptive ANC carried out higher than I expected. The era suppressed quite a lot of sounds around the frequency spectrum. Commonplace distractions like chatty pedestrians and family home equipment went neglected. Top-pitched sounds (e.g., crying small children, sirens, whistles) had been minimized. I used Transparency mode religiously at house, particularly when cooking. The mics picked up vocals obviously and made it simple to keep in touch with the missus from around the room. This selection used to be most beneficial outside; I may pay attention other folks strolling in the back of me and vehicles coming from a block away.
ANC playtime is affordable (35 hours), regardless that you’ll get greater than double the battery existence when turning it off (as much as 80 hours). Rapid charging maximizes utilization: a five-minute price generates 5 hours of listening time (ANC off).
Unpolished spaces and different considerations
The Headphone (1) demonstrated many flaws. Connectivity used to be wonky in multipoint mode (audio stuttered when a number of ft clear of my number one software). The quick 3.5mm and USB-C cables weren’t sensible for desktop/pc use. Put on detection slightly labored, and when it did, there used to be at all times a three-second extend.
Every other factor that should be addressed is that the headphones aren’t foldable. This makes them much less handy to hold and exposes positive portions to break.
Are the Not anything Headphone (1) value it?
If you happen to’re a logo fanatic or keen on retro-looking headphones who desires ok ANC and sound at an doable value, then the Not anything Headphone (1) will suffice. Everybody else will wish to believe different top class choices.
KEF’s soundstage brings intensity and richness to maximum tracks. Enjoying with the EQ will get you higher effects, and lossless playback boosts audio efficiency. I’m surprised by way of how efficient ANC is on those headphones. The era neutralizes undesirable noise at a top degree and raises ambient consciousness when in transparency mode. The additional-long playtimes additionally turn out to be useful when touring.
My debatable take is that the Headphone (1) glance higher as an idea than a real liberate. Their look is nostalgically interesting, and a few parts are horny, however they don’t have the similar appeal in particular person as they do in commercials. Issue of their shortcomings and we’re speaking a couple of questionable funding.
