REVIEW – I haven’t had to get new earbuds in about two years. The earbuds I had worked well, fit comfortably and I didn’t need anything more. Not too long along, those earbuds failed and I was on the lookout for a replacement set. I felt there was a design flaw in the pair that broke, so I began researching different sets of earbuds to use. When the CMF Buds Pro 2 came up for review, I eagerly put my name down. Discover with me if these earbuds will become my new daily driver earbuds.
What is it?
The CMF Buds Pro 2, are budget wireless earbuds in cost only. The performance, design, and features could easily be mistaken for something more premium. These earbuds come with a charging case with a functional dial that also doubles as a button to control playback and features of the earbuds.
What’s included?
- CMF Buds Pro 2
- USB-A to USB-C charging cable
- Extra ear tips (S-M-L)
- User guide
Tech specs
Click to expand
- Charging Case Size: 53.4 x 53.4 x 23 mm
- Weight: Charging Case 46g / Earbud 4.9g / Earbuds+Case 55.8g
- Driver: 11mm bass driver + 6mm micro-planar tweeter
- Codecs: AAC, SBC, LDAC (Android only)
- Noise Cancellation: Hybrid,
- Modes: Smart ANC, Adaptive ANC, Transparency mode
- Microphones: 3 in each Earbud
- Battery Life: Playback with ANC off=11hrs, with case 43hrs / with ANC on=6.5hrs, with case 26hrs
- Fast Charging: ANC off=10min charge for 3hrs (buds only), 7hrs (with case) / ANC on=10min charge for 1.8hrs (buds only), 6hrs (with case)
- Charge Time: 70min for case+earbuds, 60min for earbuds only
- Bluetooth: 5.3
- Supports Dual Connection (will impact battery life)
- Compatibility: Android 5.1 and above / iOS 13 and above
- Water & Dust Resistance: IP55 buds
Design and features
When my Beats Fit Pro broke (the ear wings ripped on both earbuds), I needed to find a replacement. I didn’t want to get another pair of the Fit Pro because of this issue and began researching what was out there. I settled on an extremely discounted set of Beats Studio Buds+. I wasn’t impressed by the fit or the noise cancellation on my recent trip from California to Washington, DC. I didn’t want to spend a lot of money but still wanted features that mattered like good ANC and ease of use all within a comfortable design.
The Nothing brand was started in 2020 and focused on elegantly designed tech, including phones, smart watches, and earbuds. In 2023, Nothing introduced their sub-brand CMF by Nothing to make beautiful tech accessible to everyone. The CMF brand was essentially a less expensive way to enjoy the Nothing design and technical features. Nothing’s products are very stylish and exclude quality and a premium feel. Some of the investors include Tony Fadell (the father of the iPod, Co-founded Nest Labs, and has more than 300 patents) and The Weeknd (Singer-songwriter, co-f0unded the XO record label, sold over 75 million records).
Design
When opening the CMF Buds Pro 2, it was different than what I expected. I understood when I signed up to review these earbuds, that they were from Nothing’s accessible brand. With that understanding, I figured this product would be simple, plastic, and basic-looking. I was wrong! If I hadn’t researched the CMF brand or known the cost of these earbuds, I would have guessed that the price for this product would be somewhere between $150-$200, certainly not $59!
The earbuds themselves are a little longer than the AirPods Pro but shorter than the regular AirPods. Each earbud has 3 microphones and an assignable button. I had to switch from the pre-installed medium ear tips to the small ear tips. Each earbud can be configured independently through the Nothing App for different functions such as play/pause, skip forward, skip back, voice assistant, low lag mode, answer calls, and mute & unmute.
In my opinion, the case is the biggest feature that sets the CMF Buds Pro 2 apart from any other earbuds. Besides serving to recharge the earbuds, the case has a rotatable dial that also functions as a button! This is one of those features that might seem frivolous at first, but when used, it’s so convenient. Granted, all the functions that can be performed from the case, can also be changed on the phone and even on the earbuds themselves. The case is roughly about a quarter of the size of my iPhone 13 mini and is easier to manipulate when my phone is in my pocket or on a charger. Although there is a button on each earbud, the dial on the case is less finicky. The smart dial/button can be customized in the Nothing App. I configured the case to perform the following:
- single press: Play/Pause
- double press: Voice Assistant
- triple press: no action
- press & hold: Noise Control
- Rotate: Volume Control
Features
Within the Nothing App, the CMF Buds Pro 2 earbuds and case have some additional functions that can be changed. There are 5 different settings that can be changed:
- Spatial Audio Effect: Activated, Deactivated
- Equaliser: DIRAC Opteo, Pop, Rock, Classical, Electronic, Enhance Vocals, Custom
- Controls: for each earbud and case
- Noise Control: Noise Cancellation (high, mid, low, adaptive), Transparency, Off
- Ultra Bass: On/Off, Level 1 through Level 5
There are also a few advanced settings:
- In-ear detection: automatically play audio when earbuds are in and pause when removed
- Low lag mode: minimize latency for an improved gaming experience
- Dual connection: can connect up to 2 devices at the same time but will impact battery life
- Ear tip fit test
- Find my earbuds: tap the earbud that to be located and a sound will play
- Firmware update (There was a firmware update available for me)
Here are some size comparison’s with the earbuds and cases.
- Upper Left: CMF Buds Pro 2
- Lower Left: Beats Studio Buds+
- Upper Right: Beats Fit Pro
- Lower Right: Apple AirPods
Performance
I was very impressed by the CMF Buds Pro 2 earbuds and case! When typing documentation or notes, I like to listen to bass-heavy tracks with the vocals taking a back seat to the beat. I set the equalizer to Electronic, and the Ultra Bass to the high level of 5 and played Old Town Road by Lil Nas X. The bass was unexpected and was similar to my full-size over-the-ear Sony headset! I set the volume to 50% and turned on Noise Cancellation to High and couldn’t hear myself typing hard on the Logitech MX Mechanical keyboard. I was impressed! I jumped to Lizzo’s Good as Hell and enjoyed the extra bass!
I did find that I had to turn down the Ultra Bass to 3 when listening to Girls Like You by Maroon 5 and Say So by Dojo Cat because it didn’t sound as clear, it was slightly muddy. All the songs from Queen’s Greatest Hits II & III all sounded good to me. The spatial effect worked well without being too distracting. I did a test call with my brother and he mentioned how clear I sounded.
Keeping in line with the price, I’m not mad about not having wireless charging. It’s USB-C and with a 10-minute charge, the CMF Bud Pro 2 earbuds can go another 1.8 – 3 hours depending if ANC is on or off.
What I like about the CMF Buds Pro 2 earbuds
- I think the case is awesome and provides functionality that many other earbuds are lacking
- The price is incredible for what you are getting!
- The styling is strong and elegant
What needs to be improved?
- Nothing!
Final thoughts
I think I found my next set of daily carry earbuds with the CMF Buds Pro 2! They’re comfortable and look fantastic. The noise cancellation is better than what I was using and let’s not forget the smart dial on the case! AND….the price is more than justified. No need to shell out 3-4 times the amount for a similar performance! I would highly recommend these to anyone looking for a new set of earbuds. I think my brother may end up picking up a pair!
Price: $59.00
Where to buy: CMF Buds Pro 2 and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Nothing. Nothing did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
