I tested the $549 AirPods Max vs the $199 Nothing Headphone (a) — and I'm actually surprised

I recently reviewed the new Nothing Headphone (a), which were my most-anticipated headphone release of the year so far. Begone, boring (ahem, "discreet") aesthetics, hello design-forward, head-turning over-ears. In terms of looks, they're definitely some of the best headphones.

So I thought I'd compare them to some other beautiful headphones — the AirPods Max. I adore the AirPods Max — yes, they're overpriced, heavy, and the ANC isn't great, but they sound so good that I'm willing to forgive them.

I put the Nothing Headphone (a) and the AirPods Max through a series of competitions to see if the premium Apple cans can beat out the scrappy, modern Nothing offering. Battle, commence!

AirPods Max vs Nothing Headphone (a): Specs

AirPods Max vs Nothing Headphone (a): Price

Of course, the primary difference between the AirPods Max and the Nothing Headphone (a) is price. And what a big difference it is.

The AirPods Max will set you back a whopping $549, whereas the Headphone (a) ask for a measly $199 in comparison. AirPods Max are pricey, even in the premium, flagship lifestyle headphone category.

Alternatives include the Sony WH-1000XM6 ($459) and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra ($449). The only "main player" that outprices the AirPods Max are the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 ($799).

The Headphone (a) are your midrange headphones, competing with the likes of the Soundcore Space One Pro ($199) and Sennheiser Accentum ($189).

Even so, I think both the Apple and Nothing offerings are both overpriced. The AirPods Max would be much more palatable at $450, and the Nothing Headphone (a) sound more like $150 headphones than $200 ones.

Winner: Draw.

AirPods Max vs Nothing Headphone (a): Design

I'm so sick of audio brands making boring — sorry, "discreet" — headphones. Give me personality! Give me color! Give me pizzazz!

If there's one area Apple always seems to excel, it's design. Everything Apple makes is gorgeous, from the sleek design of its MacBooks to the iconic iPod Classic. Thankfully, the AirPods Max are no different — these premium headphones benefit from a nearly all-metal construction, with pastel-toned anodized aluminum ear cups, a mesh headband, and intuitive controls.

However, these anodized aluminum ear cups mean the AirPods Max are double the weight of their closest competitors (Sony XM6 and Bose QC Ultra). The mesh headband alleviates as much of this weight-related pressure as possible, but I still think the AirPods Max are a firm "no-no" for workouts.

Weight aside, though, the AirPods Max are utterly dazzling, and they're my favorite headphones to look at.

The Nothing Headphone (a) also look utterly divine. Rather than the sophisticated sleekness of the AirPods Max, Nothing took its flagship headphone into the space-core sci-fi trend. I'm a huge fan of this. When I was wearing the Headphone (a) around the city, I felt like a model (slight hyperbole, but you catch my drift).

The touch controls are also super unique: you switch songs via a little paddle rather than perplexing touch controls other brands seem to love (cough—Sony—cough—Bose—cough).

However, despite being just under three ounces lighter than the AirPods Max, the Nothing Headphone (a) aren't as comfortable to wear for long periods. After a few hours, the headband started to weigh down on my skull, and the ear cups felt quite clampy on the side of my head.

If Nothing utilized a similar weight-bearing headband as seen on the AirPods Max, I think the upstart tech brand would be onto a design winner.

Winner: AirPods Max.

AirPods Max vs Nothing Headphone (a): Features & connectivity

The Nothing Headphone (a) have a ton of features considering the $199 price. Now, a lot of these features are quite meaningless for me personally — I don't want ChatGPT in my headphones — but if you're the kind of person who wants seamless AI integration, the Headphone (a) will help you out.

While the AirPods Max don't currently have an AI built in (Siri doesn't count!) — that is expected to arrive with the new AirPods Max 2. What the AirPods do have, though, is audio-related features like Spatial Audio, hi-res playback via USB-C, and seamless Apple ecosystem integration.

While Nothing Headphone (a) have dual connectivity, you can only set this up with two devices at once. If you have an iPhone, iPad, and MacBook, you can't switch between all three without manually editing this in the Nothing app.

However, in terms of "bang-for-buck" features, I'm going to give this to the underdog. Perhaps the AirPods Max 2 will obliterate the Nothing Headphone (a), but seeing as this battle is between the 2024 USB-C model, the Nothing option wins here.

Winner: Nothing Headphone (a)

AirPods Max vs Nothing Headphone (a): Sound quality

If you like expansive, immersive, and rich-yet-detailed soundscapes, you're going to love the AirPods Max. Apple's over-ears are my favorite Bluetooth headphones for sound quality, and there's very little competition.

This was the easiest round to call: AirPods Max win this by a mile. It's not even close. The Nothing Headphone (a) are a little rough around the edges — certainly aimed at listeners who don't have a hugely discerning ear and take aesthetics more seriously — and risk muddying complex soundscapes.

Of course, the Nothing Headphone (a) don't sound terrible, but you can get better-sounding cans for $200 — the Soundcore Space One Pro or Sennheiser Accentum being my top recommendations.

In this vein, I think the AirPods Max are the best-in-class, sound-wise. The Sony WH-1000XM6? They're good, but not as wide as the AirPods Max. Bose QuietComfort Ultra? They are, dare I say, overrated when it comes to sound.

Winner: AirPods Max

AirPods Max vs Nothing Headphone (a): ANC

Both the AirPods Max and Nothing Headphone (a) have similar levels of ANC, which is a little grimace-inducing when you take the $350 price difference into account.

Neither headphone has particularly stellar or lackluster ANC. You'll be able to hear traffic noise around you, but you'll still be able to hear your tunes. I wouldn't recommend either for super loud commutes or if you live next to a building site.

If you want best-in-class ANC, it's gotta be Bose. Both the QuietComfort Headphones ($359) and QC Ultra Headphones ($449) have world-class ANC that'll block out everything from that crying baby on your flight to the incessant drilling outside your apartment.

But because the Headphone (a) is $350 cheaper and will grant you similar results as the $549 AirPods Max, I'm giving Nothing the win (although both cans earned the same number of points).

Winner: Nothing Headphone (a)

AirPods Max vs Nothing Headphone (a): Call quality

The call quality on the Nothing Headphone (a) is what I'd describe as acceptable. It's not particularly clear — when I was testing them, I called my boyfriend, who reported that I was "mumbling" (I wasn't) — but you can't really ask for the world for $199.

The AirPods Max aren't the best headphones for call quality, though — that title goes to the Sony XM6. So while my voice was overall clearer with the AirPods Max, if you're looking for seriously crystalline vocal reproduction, I might offer you the Sonys instead.

Winner: AirPods Max

AirPods Max vs Nothing Headphone (a): Battery

I'm gonna cut to the chase here: the Nothing Headphone (a) win this round, hands down. Let me present the stats so you can see why.

AirPods Max: 20 hours of battery.

Nothing Headphone (a): 135 hours of battery / 75 with ANC.

Apple fans have been begging for improved battery life since the AirPods Max launched way back in 2020 (and then refreshed in 2024). In 2026, 20 hours of battery is inexcusable.

Sure, the Nothing Headphone (a) are driving less power than the AirPods Max, but surely, surely, a tech company as innovative and powerful as Apple could do better than 20 hours? This is poor, regardless of the angle you look at it from.

I'd hoped to see an improved battery on the upcoming AirPods Max 2, but, alas, it's still a paltry 20 hours. What gives, Apple?

Winner: Nothing Headphone (a)

AirPods Max vs Nothing Headphone (a): Verdict

I know, it's kind of unfair, pitting a $549 headphone against a $199 headphone. But, in all honesty, the Nothing Headphone (a) performed admirably against its heavyweight competitor.

Although the AirPods Max decimated in terms of sound quality and overall premium vibes, the Nothing Headphone (a) are a no-brainer if you're crazy about battery life and a sci-fi aesthetic.

So, while the AirPods Max scored 74, the Headphone (a) achieved a pretty nice 66. And, hey, if you want to save yourself $350, that 8-point difference doesn't feel so bad.

AirPods Max vs Nothing Headphone (a): Ratings scorecard