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The Nothing Headphone (1) just leaked, and they look like AirPods Max
23 hours ago
- Nothing is releasing their first over-ear headphones on July 1.
- The headphones have leaked in a variety of photos and videos, showing a design similar to the AirPods Max
- Nothing had previously announced that they were working on headphones to compete with the AirPods Max in a video posted on May 16.
The Nothing Headphone (1) has just leaked in a variety of photos posted by the Instagram account @nothing_fan_blog. We can confirm the name of the headphone from the inscription on the ear cups in these leaked images. These leaked images also showcase a rectangular design reminiscent of the AirPods Max. This matches up with the video that Nothing posted to their YouTube channel on May 16, where they said they were developing headphones that they think are “better than AirPods Max”.
Unlike AirPods, the Nothing Headphone (1) looks to have a unique translucent casing that showcases some of the internal components in each ear cup. This matches up with the design language of the previous audio products we’ve seen from Nothing, such as the Nothing Ear ($149 at Amazon). From the leaked images, it appears the Nothing headphones will be available in both white and black.
We praised the Nothing Ear for their comprehensive features at a price that is much more affordable than flagship offerings from Apple, Sony, and Bose. If Nothing can deliver similar performance in their upcoming over-ear headphones, they could make a push for a place on our ranking of the best wireless headphones on the market.
The leaked images above match up with further leaks we’ve seen, including video footage of the headphones. In the video below, you can see a variety of people wearing the new Nothing headphones. In one shot, we can see a woman wearing the Nothing headphones while the headphones are connected via USB-C. This provides optimism that the headphones will support lossless wired listening over USB-C, a feature we praised the AirPods Max for recently adding, whereas it was noticeably absent from the new Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones.
One potential drawback of the Nothing Headphone (1) is that there doesn’t appear to be any folding hinges. We also haven’t seen any leaked images of a travel case, so these might not be the ideal choice for frequent fliers, even though they will have active noise canceling.
On May 13, 2025, a partnership was announced between Nothing and KEF. If you are an audiophile, the brand KEF is likely familiar, as they have produced a variety of high-end audio systems. While KEF is known for producing HiFi speakers, they’ve also produced their own over-ear headphones, the Mu7 headphones. This strategic partnership with KEF could ensure that the Nothing headphones deliver high-quality sound to compete with the best headphones on the market.
The rumored price tag for these leaked Nothing headphones is $309 USD. While we’ve seen a lot of premium or budget headphones released the past couple of years, mid-range offerings have been slim pickings. If Nothing can truly deliver a headphone that competes with the AirPods Max, but costs half the price, that would be very enticing for a lot of people. If you like the retro-tech look that Nothing is going for, you’ll definitely want to keep an eye on this launch event scheduled for July 1.
In terms of availability in a time of uncertainty, Nothing confirmed earlier this month that their latest products will be available in both the US and Canada, alongside a typical European launch for the brand.
Are you excited for the Nothing Headphone (1)? Let us know in the poll below, and drop a comment noting any features that these headphones need to have in order to get your purchase.