Nothing is getting ready to make some serious noise this summer—literally. The company just dropped a teaser video confirming it’s building a pair of over-ear headphones designed to take on the big names in the audio world, and they aren’t being subtle about it. According to the design team, they’re not just making another set of stylish cans—they’re making ones that are “better than AirPods Max” and cost way less.
The video, titled “We’re making over-ear headphones,” gives us a peek at Nothing’s design process and a side order of salt. The designers don’t hold back, openly roasting existing premium headphones and name-checking Sony’s new WH-1000XM6 for having a “fatter” headband name than necessary. Apparently, the team doesn’t like any current over-ear headphones on the market—so they’ve decided to build their own. Bold move, Carl Pei.
While they’re still keeping the name and pricing a mystery, it’s safe to bet the headphones will follow Nothing’s signature design language—think semi-transparent, industrial sci-fi chic. The 2022 Yanko Design concept, affectionately dubbed the “Nothing Head (1)” by fans, gave us a taste of what could be. That may not be the final name, but admit it—it has a nice ring.
Also in the mix is Nothing’s recently announced partnership with British audio legends KEF. A Nothing spokesperson confirmed that multiple co-developed products are in the works, and this new over-ear model is likely the first to come out of that audio alliance. Think of it as KEF’s decades of hi-fi experience meeting Nothing’s flair for making gadgets feel futuristic and fun.
If their track record with earbuds is anything to go by—the $150 Nothing Ear and the open-style Ear (Open), both of which landed on multiple “best of” lists—there’s reason to get excited. Nothing’s made a name for itself by delivering genuinely good sound wrapped in a package that looks like it was designed in a Blade Runner prop lab.
We don’t have specs yet, but expect noise cancellation, transparency mode, and AI features galore. And if the video is anything to go by, we might also get a healthy dose of attitude baked into the UI.
No word yet on an exact release date or price, but the headphones are set to drop this summer. Until then, grab your popcorn—or better yet, your current over-ear headphones (if you dare)—and enjoy the unfolding saga of a startup that’s clearly having as much fun as we are watching them shake things up.
