Nothing just dropped its Headphone (1) to $239 on Amazon for Black Friday - a 20% discount that makes premium audio more accessible. WIRED's "Best Looking" headphones now undercut Apple's AirPods Max by over $300, offering high-res audio, multi-device connectivity, and KEF-tuned drivers for a fraction of premium competitors' cost.
Nothing is making a serious play for your Black Friday budget. The company's Headphone (1) just hit $239 on Amazon, down from its usual $299 price tag. That 20% discount puts these WIRED-recommended cans squarely in competition with headphones costing twice as much.
The timing couldn't be better for Nothing, which has been steadily building credibility in the premium audio space. While Apple's AirPods Max still command $549, Nothing's offering delivers surprisingly similar features at less than half the cost. According to WIRED's review, these earned the "Best Looking" designation while "sounding almost as good as some headsets at twice the price."
What makes this deal particularly compelling is the partnership with British audio legend KEF. The collaboration shows in the 40mm drivers, which deliver what WIRED's Parker Hall described as "excellent low-mid performance that gives them a unique pop." You're getting high-resolution audio support, multi-device connectivity that actually remembers your preferences, and object-based surround sound for movies - features typically reserved for flagship models.
The design philosophy here is classic Nothing: thoughtful touches that solve real problems. A small red dot on the right ear cup eliminates the guesswork of which way they go on your head. No more squinting at tiny L/R letters inside the headband. The physical controls - what Hall called "some of the best and most intuitive controls ever designed" - combine a clicky wheel with a flicky knob for surprisingly sophisticated interaction.
Sound quality hits the sweet spot between premium performance and reasonable pricing. The KEF-tuned drivers create a soundstage that "gets most of the way there without costing nearly as much" as competitors like Sony's WH-1000XM6 or Bose's QuietComfort Ultra. Active noise canceling doesn't quite match those industry leaders, but excellent passive isolation and fit pick up the slack.
Nothing's app ecosystem ties everything together across iOS and Android. You can fine-tune EQ settings, manage multiple device connections, and access all the advanced features through a surprisingly polished interface. It's the kind of software experience that used to only come with much more expensive hardware.
