Nothing copied the worst part of the AirPods Max and somehow made it worse

The AirPods Max case has become a bit of a running joke around the SoundGuys office. The so-called “Smart Case” that Apple has stuck with from the original AirPods Max through the AirPods Max 2 is really anything but. It’s more of a fancy off switch than a case, and even then, it only drops the headphones into a low-power mode, since there’s still no way to turn them completely off. Plus, it looks like a sports bra and offers about as much protection as a sock. So when the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro showed up with a case built on the same idea, I had one question: what the hell were they thinking?

Like Apple’s case, Nothing’s case only wraps around the ear cups, leaving the headband sticking out to serve as a handle. Because everyone wants to carry their headphones around like a cute little handbag, I guess. The difference is that Nothing’s is a hard plastic shell that clamps shut. To be fair, that does solve our biggest complaint about Apple’s version, since the ear cups are actually protected, and with glass backs on them, they need it. Unfortunately, that’s the only problem it solves.

As bad as Apple’s case is, it at least has reasons to exist. The AirPods Max have no power button, so the Smart Case doubles as the off switch, using magnets to put the headphones into a low-power mode. It’s light and soft enough to squish into a bag, and it has an opening so you can plug in a charging cable without taking the headphones out. The Headphone (1) Pro already has a physical power switch, so its case doesn’t need to do that job. What it does need is a way to charge, and there isn’t one. The charging port sits on the bottom of the ear cup, and the shell clamps shut right over it. So every time I want to top up the battery, I have to unclamp the case, pull the headphones out, find somewhere to set them down, and plug them in. Then do it all in reverse before I can pack them up again. That’s a lot of fuss for something that could have been solved with a hole.

Everything else is a step backward, too. The case is chunky and made of cheap plastic that feels out of place next to headphones made with titanium and glass. On a $399 pair of headphones, it’s pretty obvious where Nothing cut costs. And because the Headphone (1) Pro doesn’t fold, you get the worst of both worlds: a case that takes up as much room in your bag as a full-size one, without actually covering the whole headphone. Apple’s floppy sleeve at least bends to fit whatever space is left. Nothing’s rigid shell doesn’t give an inch.

Then there are the cables. The Headphone (1) Pro supports wired listening over both USB-C and a 3.5mm cable, which is one of its best features. But for some reason, there’s nowhere inside the case to store either one. That’s a pretty massive oversight. The wired listening is only useful if you have the cable with you, and now it’s rattling loose at the bottom of your bag, waiting to get tangled or lost.

Lastly, the headband. It’s the part that sits on your head every day, and it’s the part Nothing chose to leave out in the open to catch on zippers and scrape against keys, chargers, and everything else you’re carrying. Worse, the case turns it into the handle, so it’s also the part taking all the wear from being picked up, hung off hooks, and yanked out of your bag.

What has me scratching my head is that Nothing already had the right answer. The fix I’ve recommended to AirPods Max owners for years is a third-party hard case that fully closes and has room for your cables. The original Nothing Headphone (1) came with just that. For its $399 Pro model, Nothing traded it for Apple’s worst idea. The Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) cost a little more, but both fold down into a proper case, as $300+ purchases should. If you buy the Headphone (1) Pro, and there are good reasons to, you will need to budget for a third-party case too.