More Nothing headphones are on the way, and this leak says they'll be more budget focused — and I hope they copy one particular trait of other budget headphones

• Nothing confirms it "will 'double down' in the over-ear headphone category during 2026"
• Leaks say a budget model is coming, and could launch March 12th, for £149 / €159 (roughly $200 / AU$300)
• I hope they ape budget headphones' traditional nondescript design

If you love cosplaying as classic '60s sci-fi serial characters, you're probably well aware of the Nothing Headphone (1), with the British brand's debut over-ears looking like the headpiece of a Cyberman costume.

We know that Nothing has more headphones coming, because the company confirmed this itself, saying "Nothing will 'double down' in the over-ear headphone category during 2026". And new leaks suggest that specifically a cheaper version is on the way – and based on my experience with Nothing's affordable earbuds, it wouldn't take much to make these some of the best budget headphones.

Reliable tech leaker Billbil-kun (via Notebookcheck) has shared a lot of information about what he says will be called the Nothing Headphone (a) – much like the Nothing Ear (a) are Nothing's cheaper earbuds.

Here's the summary of the leak: the Headphone (a) will release on March 12th 2026, after being announced on March 5, which is when we could also see the Nothing Phone (4a).

They'll apparently sell for £149 / €159 (which converts to around $200, AU$300). They're said to come in white, black, pink or yellow, the latter of which will hopefully hark close to the vibrant Ear (a)'s look.

That's it, other than Billbil-kun shooting down a previous rumor from another source. This suggested that the Headphone (a) could be a reskinned Headphone (1) but made out of plastic instead of aluminium. Apparently, the low price means this is unlikely.

A chance to fix a divisive Nothing Headphone (1) feature

One of the most head-scratching aspects of the original Nothing Headphone (1) was the look; we ourselves listed "the looks are divisive" as a 'con' in our review. And whether you like or hate the look, it's hard to disagree that it makes the headphones look pretty… unique.

Will the Headphone (a) carry over the design? Well, I test budget over-ear headphones all the time – I've got two on my desk right now that I'm testing – and a common trait amongst them all is that they have incredibly generic designs.

The vast majority I've tested are simply two black blobs connected by a black band. Sure, it's boring, but the money that brands save on designing funky cans gets passed onto the consumer.

I'm hoping the Nothing Headphone (a) somewhat follows suit. Save the distinctive looks for people who want the top-end cans, and let us budget folk enjoy something a little more restrained. After all, feature set and sound quality remain Nothing's strongest features, and that's what we'd want to see passed down to the Headphone (a).

Having said that, it's definitely a good thing if these come in the funky yellow finish.

I enjoyed the Nothing Ear so much that I wrote a whole love letter to their listening test, and I've previously listed the Ear (a) as one of the best cheap earbuds I've tested. Conversely, design has been Nothing's weak point in the past, and the Nothing Ear (open) remain some of the worst open earbuds I've ever used.

Granted, most of the 'cheap' headphones I test cost roughly half of the leaked Nothing Headphone (a) price, but there's still a good chance that Nothing will tone things down for the budget crowd. Doing so could turn these into must-buys. We'll have to wait for the announcement to find out, though; pencil March 5 in your calendars.

The best noise cancelling headphones for all budgets

➡️ Read our full guide to the best noise cancelling headphones
1. Best overall:
Sony WH-1000XM6
2. Best mid-range:
Bose QuietComfort Headphones
3. Best under $100/£100:
1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51
4. Best under $60/£50:
Soundcore Q30

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