Nothing’s flagship phones are neat, but the company seems laser-focused on the budget and midrange markets at the moment. It currently sells three affordable smartphone models, the Nothing Phone 3a Lite, Phone 3a, and Phone 3a Pro, and that doesn’t include its CMF sub-brand. On the earbuds front, there’s the Nothing Ear, Ear a, Ear open, and Ear 3, all of which are priced on the low end of the market. Throw in the CMF Buds 2, Buds 2a, and Buds 2 Pro, and Nothing sells a lot of budget products.
The brand apparently thinks there’s room in the lineup for one more pair of over-ear headphones. Leaks and rumors point to Nothing unveiling a cheaper “Headphone (a)” model next month to join the Nothing Headphone 1 and CMF Headphone Pro, both of which were released last year. Based on current expectations, the Nothing Headphone (a) would cost around $200, splitting the middle between CMF and Nothing’s existing over-ear offerings.
You may like
What I want to see from Nothing’s Headphone (a)
(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)
Last month, Nothing CEO Carl Pei said that the company will “double down” on the over-ear headphone market in 2026. That’s not a direct confirmation that the Nothing Headphone (a) will indeed release, but it’s as good a sign as any. Shortly after, reliable leaker Billbil-kun revealed on X (formerly Twitter) that Nothing’s upcoming Headphone (a) are expected to come in at an attractive price point. The headphones would undercut Nothing’s Headphone 1, which retail for $299.
A prior leak suggested that the Nothing Headphone (a) would simply be a repackaged version of Headphone 1, ditching the complex half-metal design for a cheaper plastic build. The benefit of that scenario would be that the important parts, like the audio drivers, could remain the same. However, this new leak from Billbil-kun suggests that there could be bigger differences between the two models to justify the price comparison.
🚨 NEW RELEASE 🚨Nothing’s next headphones should land with a surprisingly low launch price🎧 Nothing Headphone (a)Get a preview on the latest details, including:💶 Pricing in EUR & GBP📅 Release Date⏲️ Pre-order & Announcement timelinehttps://t.co/UNyYxQoTGGFebruary 1, 2026
The leak projects the Nothing Headphone (a) could be announced on March 5 with a release date of March 12. If that turns out to be the case, it’s not too far away. Pricing for the Headphone (a) in Europe and the United Kingdom is allegedly set for €159 and £149, respectively. Direct conversions would put U.S. pricing for the Headphone (a) at around $200, but it’s worth noting that the U.K. and U.S. prices of the Headphone 1 are identical.
The best way to explain what I want to see from the Nothing Headphone (a) is to describe what I don’t want to see. Nothing has a habit of blending the CMF and Nothing lines together, releasing similar products via both brands. For instance, the Nothing Phone 3a Lite and CMF Phone 2 Pro look different, but the underlying specs are nearly identical. Even the price point is similar. If Nothing is adding a new pair of over-ear headphones to its lineup, I want it to be clearly different from the CMF Headphone Pro and the Nothing Headphone 1.
That includes designing the headphones to be more premium than the Headphone Pro while being simpler than the Headphone 1. The former feel as cheap as they’re priced, but Headphone (a) will need to feature a better build quality to command a price point around $200. Meanwhile, the Headphone 1 design is polarizing, with a squircle metal chassis sandwiched between an oval ear cushion and an oval plastic window that protrudes from the platform.
Based on the rumored white, black, pink, and yellow colorways for the Nothing Headphone (a), I’m inclined to think the headphones will be almost entirely plastic. To be fair, plastic can feel premium, but Nothing should avoid the glossy plastic used on the CMF Headphone Pro.
The CMF Headphone Pro and Nothing Headphone 1 are already solid
(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)
You may like
The sound quality is superb for the price with LDAC support at up to 990 kbps over Bluetooth. Battery life is good, too, reaching 50 hours on a single charge with ANC enabled. Really, the one area where CMF and Nothing clearly have room for improvement is active noise cancellation. The headphones could be better at blocking out ambient noise, and crucially, I’d like to see transparency mode improved. Voices could be clearer with transparency mode active on the CMF Headphone Pro, so there’s an obvious place for Headphone (a) to grow.
In a dream scenario, I’d love it if Nothing tamed its aggressive sound signature tuning out of the box. To date, Nothing headphones and earbuds typically come with bold and bass-heavy sound that can overpower the mids and highs in certain scenarios. This is great for some listeners and can be easily fixed with the built-in EQ, but it would be stellar if the Nothing Headphone (a) was more neutral out of the box. I’d rather need to manually give my headphones more bass than balance.
Is the Nothing headphone lineup becoming too crowded?
(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)
Nothing seems to be making the right move by attacking the budget and midrange sectors of the tech industry. It’s much easier to expand into those areas of the market that typically offer weaker offerings. In the audio category specifically, many of the options at the $100 and $200 price points leave a lot to be desired. That’s the case for the Nothing Headphone (a) to be a hit.
I do wonder, though, if the overwhelming amount of options within the Nothing and CMF lineups puts too much pressure on prospective buyers. Right now, there are a lot of phones, earbuds, and headphones available from Nothing and CMF for users to choose from. In some cases, it’s tricky to figure out the differences between each model and why you should pay more for the upgraded versions.
That’s why it’s crucial for Nothing to depict a clear value proposition for the Headphone (a). Otherwise, it might further complicate a crowded lineup.
