Nothing Headphones Vs. AirPods Max: How Do They Compare?

"Nothing" may be a bold name to pick for a brand competing in the crowded space of smartphones and wearables. However, this company's unique products have garnered a name for themselves. Although the company has been focusing more on smartphones recently, the launch of its Nothing Headphone (1) brings full circle its thoughtful design and interesting controls. The headphones are priced at $299, which puts them in a unique position in the lineup of ANC headphones.

On the other end of the spectrum but also known for their bold design are Apple's AirPods Max headphones. At $549, they cost nearly twice as much as Nothing's offering — granted, the AirPods Max is highly regarded as one of the best active noise canceling headphones you can buy. This is a decision made even easier if you're well engrossed in the Apple ecosystem already.

Given the price difference, the comparison isn't the most fair — those looking for a solid pair of ANC headphones that sound great and have close to $600 to spare probably won't be eyeing the Nothing Headphone (1). That said, they continue to follow Nothing's philosophy of embracing bolder designs and newer ways to interact with products. Compatibility-wise, both headphones play nice with Android, iOS, Windows, or macOS systems — though the AirPods Max lack support for Bluetooth multipoint, which makes switching between audio sources a touch slower — although this is a non-issue when shuffling between Apple products.

Despite the wildly different approach to design, both headphones are head-turners. It makes more sense with the Nothing Headphone (1) that follow the brand's transparent aesthetic. The AirPods Max, on the other hand, are just a sleek merger of premium materials that can be spotted from a mile away. Both options are over-ear styled headphones, and while the AirPods Max settle for a minimal design with aluminum ear cups, the Nothing Headphone (1) have a layered ear cup design, featuring a predominantly plastic build spread across the opaque rectangular base and clear plastic for the rounded bits.

Compared to its phones or even the truly wireless earphones, there's not a lot that the transparent housing shows. The headphones have decent amounts of padding at the top, and are reinforced by bits of metal on the inside for structural integrity. The AirPods Max utilize a woven headband design that can ease strain over longer stretches of time.

The AirPods Max have a large digital crown that can be used for volume control or media playback, in addition to a separate button that lets you cycle between sound modes. The Nothing Headphone (1) bring an even greater suite of physical controls, including a roller for volume adjustment and ANC control, a paddle that can skip or scrub through tracks, and a separate button to trigger your voice assistant — and unlike the AirPods, you can actually turn off the Nothing Headphone (1).

In our review of the Nothing Headphone (1), we weren't the most impressed with the audio performance out of the box, but the companion app with its fully customizable equalizer came in clutch. The AirPods Max, on the other hand, are universally praised for their well-balanced soundstage and generally follow the same "it's just about right for most people" ideology that most Apple products share. The AirPods Max can handle lossless audio, but only over a wired connection and through an active Apple Music subscription. In addition to lossless audio over USB-C, you have support for a more standardized LDAC audio codec on the Nothing Headphone (1).

As mentioned before, the lack of true Bluetooth multipoint on the AirPods Max means that you will have to manually hop into the settings app on your device when switching connections. If you're using an iPhone, iPad, and Mac, then this switching happens automatically — but pairing the AirPods Max with non-Apple products isn't as seamless as Google's Fast Pair feature found on the Nothing Headphone (1).

Active noise cancellation strength is better on the AirPods Max, but Nothing's offerings are nothing to sneeze at. The Nothing X app available on Android and iOS gives you greater freedom with customization of the buttons, equalizer, and other settings. Nothing also advertises a battery life of up to 80 hours with ANC turned on, compared to just 20 hours on the AirPods Max.