Where Sony wins
A few grams lighter. LDAC for higher-bitrate Bluetooth on Android. Twelve microphones and a mature app for calls and EQ.
Hollow One · Noise-cancelling headphones
60 hours. Zero noise. Nothing on your head.
Adaptive noise cancelling, a week of battery, and a knit band you stop noticing after a minute.
- 60 h battery, noise cancelling on
- 262 g with a suspended knit band
- 60 days to try it at home
- 2 years warranty, battery included
A day with Hollow One
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06:40 Seat 23A
The engines run for seven hours. You stop hearing them before the coast.
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11:15 A borrowed kitchen table
Two calls, one long document, and a washing machine that never made it into either.
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21:30 The long way back
Tap the right cup and the street comes back in. Tap again and it's gone.
Eleven hours on. Forty-nine left.
Inside
Take it apart.
Every part has one job. Keep scrolling and each one tells you what it is.
- Knit band Suspended under the frame. It spreads 262 g across the top of your head.
- Aluminium frame One anodised piece. It flexes without creaking.
- Memory-foam cushion Protein leather over slow foam. Still comfortable at hour six.
- Acoustic mesh Stainless steel. Protects the driver without colouring the sound.
- 40 mm titanium-coated driver A stiffer dome keeps its shape. You hear cleaner detail.
- Neodymium magnet Holds the driver steady, so bass stays tight when it's loud.
- H1 noise processor Measures the room and plays the opposite, 48,000 times a second.
- 60-hour cell 1,200 mAh. A week of workdays on one charge.
- Eight microphones Four listen to the room, four to your ear. Calls sound like you.
Noise cancelling
Hear the silence.
A busy café at 70 dB. Drag the slider or keep scrolling.
- Outside: an espresso machine, chairs, twelve conversations.
- The low rumble goes first. Engines, air conditioning, traffic.
- Then the voices. What's left is quiet, and whatever you choose to play.
Illustration. Real reduction depends on fit and frequency.
Battery
60 hours.
One charge covers a working week: eight and a half hours a day, Monday to Sunday, with noise cancelling on.
Five minutes on USB-C adds four hours.
Tested with noise cancelling on, AAC, 50% volume. Battery life varies with use. The 2-year warranty covers the battery.
Comfort
Made to be forgotten.
Three materials, chosen for hour six, not minute one.
Press it.
Memory foam takes your shape in about two seconds, then slowly lets go. Protein leather on top. Magnetic, so you can replace the cushions yourself.
Aluminium, brushed in one direction.
The frame is a single anodised piece. It is light, and it doesn't creak when you put it on.
3D knit.
It breathes, stretches with the frame and sits across the top of your head instead of on one point.
- Weight
- 262 g
- Cushion depth
- 22 mm
- Glasses
- Foam gives around the arms
- Fit
- Head sizes 52–64 cm
Travel
Folds flat. Folds in.
- 01 Swivel the cups flat to wear it around your neck.
- 02 Fold them in. It fits the travel case, a tote or a backpack pocket.
- 03 Here it is at actual proportions, next to a hand and a phone.
Finishes
Four finishes.
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Graphite
Charcoal shell, dark anodised frame. Disappears on a night commute.
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Bone
Warm white shell, natural aluminium. Gallery quiet.
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Moss
Green-grey shell, champagne frame. Made for long walks.
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Oxblood Sold out
Deep red shell, smoked frame. Sold out in this demo, to show how the page handles it.
Reviews
What owners say.
4.8
1,284 reviews
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Wore them London to Tokyo
Fourteen hours, no hot ears, no headache. I forgot they were on until the meal service.
Frequent flyer · Graphite
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Charged on Sunday
Used them at my desk all week and still had a little left on Saturday morning.
Works from home · Bone
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Close to my old Bose
Noise cancelling is close. The battery isn't close at all. Calls in strong wind could be better.
Daily commuter · Moss
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Glasses all day
The cushions go around the arms instead of pressing them in. First pair that works for me.
Wears glasses · Graphite
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Get the case
Not cheap, but the frame feels like it will last. The travel case is worth the extra.
Weekend traveller · Bone
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Quiet open-plan office
The office hum is gone. Voices nearby are softer, not silent, which is what I wanted.
Open-plan office · Moss
Compare
How it compares.
Sony and Bose make excellent headphones. Here is where each one is better.
Dot: better on that line
| Feature | Hollow One | Sony WH-1000XM6 | Bose QC Ultra (2nd Gen) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price (US list) | $349 (better) | $449.99 | $449 |
| Battery, noise cancelling on | 60 h (better) | 30 h | 30 h |
| Weight | 262 g | 254 g (better) | ≈ 250 g (better) |
| Driver | 40 mm titanium-coated | 30 mm carbon fibre composite | Not published |
| Frame | Aluminium (better) | Plastic | Plastic with metal sliders |
| Hi-res Bluetooth codec | No (AAC, SBC, LC3) | LDAC (better) | aptX Adaptive (better) |
| Folds into a case | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Warranty (US) | 2 years (better) | 1 year | 1 year |
Where Bose wins
Widely rated among the strongest noise cancelling. Immersive Audio for spatial sound. aptX Adaptive on Snapdragon phones. Lighter.
Where Hollow One wins
Twice the battery. $100 less. An aluminium frame, replaceable cushions, a 2-year warranty and 60 days to decide at home.
Sony and Bose details from their US product listings and launch prices, checked October 2026.
Hollow One
Choose yours.
Order today, arrives in 2–4 business days.
- 2–4 day delivery in the US
- Free shipping over $200
- 60-day home trial, free returns
- 2-year warranty, battery included
- Secure payment, encrypted checkout
60 days at home
Wear them on a flight, a workday, a long walk. If they're not for you, we email a prepaid label and refund the full price within 5 business days of getting them back.
2 years, battery included
If anything fails, or the battery drops below 80% capacity, we repair or replace it.
In the box
- Hollow One headphones
- Felt sleeve
- USB-C cable, 0.5 m
- USB-C to 3.5 mm cable, 1.2 m
Tech specs
- Drivers
- 40 mm, titanium-coated dome
- Noise cancelling
- Adaptive hybrid, 8 microphones, H1 processor
- Battery
- 60 h with noise cancelling on, 75 h off. 5 min charge = 4 h
- Charging
- USB-C, full charge in 2 h
- Connection
- Bluetooth 5.4, multipoint (2 devices), AAC, SBC, LC3. Lossless audio over USB-C
- Weight
- 262 g
- Size
- Open 18.1 × 19.2 × 8.2 cm · Folded 16.3 × 13.1 × 8.8 cm
- Materials
- Anodised aluminium frame, stainless sliders, 3D knit band, memory foam in protein leather
Questions
Before you decide.
Will they hurt after a few hours?
Headphones usually hurt in one of two places: the top of your head or around your ears. The knit band spreads the 262 g across the top of your head instead of one strip. The cushions use slow memory foam, 22 mm deep, so your ears don't touch the driver. If they still don't suit you, you have 60 days to send them back.
Is the noise cancelling as good as Sony or Bose?
Sony and Bose have tuned their noise cancelling for years, and both are excellent. Hollow One is built to sit in that group: eight microphones and a dedicated processor handle engines, trains and office hum. We don't claim to beat them. The differences are the 60-hour battery, the aluminium frame and the price. You can compare at home for 60 days.
Is 60 hours real?
Yes, with noise cancelling on, at 50% volume over AAC. Louder listening shortens it. With noise cancelling off it's about 75 hours. Five minutes on USB-C gives about four hours.
Why $349 when Sony and Bose exist?
Their current models list at $449 in the US. Hollow One is $349 with an aluminium frame, twice the battery, replaceable cushions and a 2-year warranty. They are lighter and support hi-res Bluetooth codecs; the comparison above shows both sides.
Do they work with iPhone, Android and laptops?
Yes. Bluetooth 5.4 with multipoint keeps a phone and a laptop connected at the same time. Plug into USB-C for lossless audio and charging at once.
Can I use them on a plane?
Yes. The USB-C to 3.5 mm cable in the box plugs into seat-back screens, and noise cancelling still works when wired.
Can I wear them with glasses?
Yes. The foam gives around the arms of your glasses instead of pressing them into your head.
What if they don't fit?
You have 60 days from delivery. Request a return, we email a prepaid label, and we refund the full price within 5 business days of receiving them.
What does the warranty cover?
Two years against defects, including the battery dropping below 80% capacity. Cushions are magnetic and replaceable if they wear out.
How fast is shipping?
Orders placed before 2 pm ship the same business day and arrive in 2–4 business days in the US. Shipping is free over $200, so every pair of headphones qualifies.
Are they good for calls?
Yes. Four of the eight microphones focus on your voice. Strong wind still gets through on calls, as with most headphones.
