Nothing is one of my favorite headphone brands. That’s saying a lot, considering that I’ve tested more than 100 pairs and currently lead WIRED’s buying-guide coverage for the category. Nothing mixes bold, standout designs with great sound and competitive pricing, and its over-ear headphones have earned some seriously high marks in WIRED reviews (a lot of 9/10s).
As such, I am always on the lookout for a good deal from Nothing and its more affordable sub-brand, CMF. Well ahead of the Black Friday blitz, the Nothing Headphone (1) is steeply discounted, and the CMF Headphone Pro is at its lowest price ever. And when you think about it, there’s arguably no better time than now—during the lead-up to holiday-travel season—to gift yourself a pair of high-performing, style-forward headphones to take you through busy airports and long flights.
The Best Nothing Headphone Deals
The brand’s first over-ear headphones—the Nothing Headphone (1)—remain a home run for both their tech and look. They’re solid noise cancelers with a bold, transparent design on the ear cups that somehow appears techy, retro, and futuristic all at once. Among their best features are the on-ear controls, namely the clicky wheel that adjusts volume and the flat rocker paddle that you can push back and forth to move to the previous track or skip ahead, respectively. The feature is consistent, satisfyingly tactile, and a far cry from tapping and swiping on the side of a wireless earbud. At 33 percent off, this current price comes close to the all-time low I saw during October’s Prime Day.
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The Nothing Ear (3a) set is among our favorite pairs of budget wireless earbuds. Like the Nothing over-ear headphones, these have a semi-transparent design and bold colors that stand out from the sea of sameness of an AirPods-like aesthetic. These earbuds have been coasting at 20 percent off for most of September and October, which is hardly a bad discount, but it’s also not the best I’ve ever seen.
The Best CMF Headphone Deals
CMF is Nothing’s sub-brand that focuses on delivering similarly stylish designs at a lower price.
This is the lowest price I’ve ever seen for the CMF Headphone Pro, one of my favorite pairs of cheap over-ear headphones. Frankly, $55 for these is a steal. Sure, they aren’t as premium as Nothing’s models, but they retain the essence: fun, tactile controls; good sound; and access to the useful, reliable Nothing X app, where you can manage settings and tweak an EQ.
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