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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-28 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
If you want marathon battery life in a foldable, travel-friendly design, choose Anker Soundcore Space One; if you need a more audiophile-leaning tuning with head-tracked spatial audio and more granular noise-cancelling control, choose Nothing Headphone Hybrid Active.
• Anker Soundcore Space One — biggest strength: 60 hours of total playtime (40 with ANC on), a 5-minute charge that yields 8 hours, and a body that folds down to roughly half its size.
• Anker Soundcore Space One — biggest trade-off: Its ANC is "adaptive" rather than user-selectable, so you get one smart mode instead of a menu of preset levels.
• Nothing Headphone Hybrid Active — biggest strength: Four ANC settings (High/Mid/Low/Adaptive), a KEF-tuned sound stage, head-tracked spatial audio, and an 8-band EQ in the Nothing X app.
• Nothing Headphone Hybrid Active — biggest trade-off: ANC-on runtime drops to 35 hours, and its fast charge gives 5 hours per 5 minutes rather than 8.
• Who each is for: The Space One suits commuters, flyers and long-haul users who want to set it and forget it. The Nothing suits listeners who want to tinker with EQ, ANC levels and spatial audio.
The Space One Pro's headline number is 60 hours of playback, and that figure holds up as the single most useful spec on the sheet. With ANC engaged you get 40 hours, which is still enough for a transatlantic round trip and then some. The fast-charge figure matters just as much in practice: five minutes on a USB-C cable returns eight hours, so a forgotten charge before a commute isn't a disaster.
Noise cancelling here is a 4-stage adaptive system. The idea is that it reads your surroundings and adjusts in real time rather than asking you to pick a mode. For someone moving between a noisy office, a train platform and a plane cabin in one day, that's genuinely convenient — there's nothing to manage. The flip side is that if you like being in control of how much ANC you're getting, you don't get that dial.
Audio is Hi-Res certified up to 40 kHz via triple-composite 40 mm dynamic drivers, with LDAC available through the soundcore app for higher-bitrate wireless streaming. The app also gives you EQ control over bass, mids and treble, so the "no ANC control" limitation doesn't extend to sound. Bluetooth 5.3 with multipoint means you can hold a phone and a laptop connection at once and switch between them without re-pairing — a small thing that becomes a big thing if you take calls while working.
Comfort is handled by a flexible headband that self-adjusts without clamping, plus protein leather and slow-rebound foam. At 9.6 ounces it's a reasonable weight for over-ear use. And the foldable design compressing to half size is the detail that makes this a genuinely packable pair rather than a desk-only one.
Buy it if you want long battery, easy travel, and ANC that manages itself. Skip it if you want to choose your own noise-cancelling strength or you want spatial audio.
Nothing's Headphone (1) leans harder into control and sound shaping. The hybrid ANC system is powered by adaptive mics and next-gen processing, and crucially you get four settings — High, Mid, Low and Adaptive — plus a Transparency mode for when you need to hear the world. That's a meaningfully different philosophy from the Space One: instead of one smart mode doing the thinking, you decide.
The audio story is the other differentiator. This is a Nothing and KEF collaboration, drawing on KEF's acoustic background to produce what the spec sheet describes as a naturally balanced sound stage. Hi-Res Audio support includes LDAC, USB-C audio and a 3.5 mm jack — so you have three ways to listen, wired or wireless. Dual Connection handles two-device switching. And Spatial Audio with head tracking adds an immersive layer that the Space One simply doesn't offer.
Battery is 80 hours total, dropping to 35 hours with ANC on. That's still a lot, but it's a real step below the Anker's ANC-on figure, so heavy noise-cancelling users will charge more often. The 5-minute charge gives 5 hours — good, not class-leading.
Controls are the interesting bit: a roller and paddle interface for volume, playback and noise-mode switching, with customization in the Nothing X app. That app also carries an 8-band equalizer and an Ultra Bass mode, which is more granular EQ than the Space One's bass/mid/treble approach. Comfort comes from an ergonomic frame with memory foam cushions. Note that the spec sheet lists the earpiece shape as "on ear," which is worth knowing if you specifically want a fully enclosing over-ear fit.
Buy it if you want selectable ANC, a KEF-tuned signature, spatial audio, and deep EQ control. Skip it if maximum ANC-on battery life or a compact fold is your priority.
• Best for ANC-on battery life → Anker Soundcore Space One (40 hours vs 35 hours).
• Best for total playtime → Anker Soundcore Space One (60 hours vs 80 hours is a Nothing win — so actually Nothing Headphone Hybrid Active takes total runtime at 80 hours).
• Fastest top-up → Anker Soundcore Space One (8 hours from a 5-minute charge vs 5 hours).
• Best for travel and packing → Anker Soundcore Space One — it folds to about half size.
• Best for noise-cancelling control → Nothing Headphone Hybrid Active — four ANC levels plus Transparency.
• Best for immersive listening → Nothing Headphone Hybrid Active — head-tracked spatial audio.
• Best for EQ tinkering → Nothing Headphone Hybrid Active — 8-band EQ and Ultra Bass mode.
• Best for wired flexibility → Nothing Headphone Hybrid Active — LDAC, USB-C audio and 3.5 mm all supported.
• Best for "set it and forget it" commuting → Anker Soundcore Space One — adaptive ANC with nothing to manage.
In my opinion, the Nothing Headphone Hybrid Active is the more interesting pair of headphones and the one I'd pick if sound shaping and ANC control matter to me. The four ANC levels, KEF tuning, spatial audio and 8-band EQ give you far more to work with, and 80 hours of total runtime is excellent.
But I'd recommend the Anker Soundcore Space One to most everyday buyers. The 40-hour ANC-on figure, the 8-hour fast charge, the half-size fold and the hands-off adaptive ANC make it the more practical companion for commuting and flying. If you want a pair that disappears into your bag and your routine, that's the one.
Before deciding, check the current price on Amazon — the value gap between these two shifts depending on what each is going for.
It gives you more control — four ANC settings including Adaptive, plus Transparency mode. The Anker uses a single 4-stage adaptive system with no manual levels, so it's simpler but less adjustable.
Total playtime favors the Nothing at 80 hours versus 60. With ANC on, the Anker leads at 40 hours versus the Nothing's 35.
Yes. Both list Hi-Res support up to 40 kHz and LDAC via their companion apps. The Nothing also adds USB-C audio alongside the 3.5 mm jack.
The Anker Soundcore Space One folds to roughly half its size, which makes it easier to pack. The Nothing's spec sheet doesn't list a comparable fold, so if portability is your priority, the Anker is the safer bet.
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