CMF Buds Pro 2 review

The CMF Buds Pro 2 are the latest addition to the Nothing sub-brand’s expanding audio lineup. They come as the successor to the first-generation CMF Buds Pro and improve in almost every aspect.

You get dual drivers, updated active noise cancellation (ANC), spatial audio support, and long battery life. The charging case also has a new trick with a programmable smart dial. You can use this to control volume, media playback, and manage incoming calls. Add LDAC support, multi-point pairing, and a sleek design with fun color options and you have a great earbud to rival some of the premium earbuds from Apple, Sony, and Samsung.

But the CMF Buds Pro 2 retail for just $59/€59/£59/₹4,299 – that’s a lot less than those competitors’ buds, so some corners had to be cut, right? The short answer is yes, but not in the areas that make a big difference.

design

CMF stands for Colour, Material and Finish and we might as well start this part of the review by stating the obvious. Our review unit comes in the CMF Buds Pro 2 Blue colour which is a deep shade and really saturated. The colour pops just like the orange on the first generation CMF Buds.

The Buds Pro 2 and their case are primarily made of plastic, except for the Smart Dial which has a solid metal ring with a tactile click. The case and the buds have a matte finish which does a good job at preventing fingerprints and is always preferred over glossy plastic in our book.

Coming back to the case and its smart dial – this is something new in the TWS market and makes the CMF Buds Pro 2 different from every other earbud. Think of it like a remote control that lets you adjust the volume with satisfying tactile feedback. It also supports remappable single, double, triple and tap to hold presses.

The case is exactly the same size and weight as the CMF buds and each earbud weighs just 4.5 grams. With the size M tips pre-installed in our case, the in-ear fit was excellent and we had no trouble using these buds for hours on end.

The top of the buds also have remappable touch sensors for media, noise cancellation, and volume control. The retail package includes a short USB-C cable for charging and a set of S and XL size silicone ear tips.

Features and companion app

The CMF Buds Pro 2 are the logical evolution of the first-generation CMF Buds Pro, with the biggest change being the updated dual driver system. You now get 11mm bass drivers and individual 6mm planar tweeters in each earbud. Connection is still via Bluetooth 5.3, with support for Google Fast Pair, Microsoft Swift Pair, and dual device pairing.

The added LDAC support is useful if you stream music through supported platforms like Tidal HiFi, Amazon Music Unlimited and Deezer Premium. Active noise cancellation is now rated to drown out up to 50dB, compared to 45dB on the first-gen CMF Buds Pro. Spatial audio is another new addition.

Overall battery life has also been updated and is now rated at up to 43 hours from the buds and their case, which is another slight improvement over their predecessor. You also get wear detection which automatically pauses media when you remove the buds from your ears.

While the Buds Pro 2 work fine on their own, the Nothing X app for iOS and Android is a very useful way to get extra functionality, including button remapping for the buds and smart dials, as well as customisable EQ profiles.

The Smart Dial is arguably the most interesting feature here. We found it to be generally useful when connected to a laptop. The satisfying tactile feedback you get from the dial is awesome and we only wish more companies would come up with similar solutions on their earbuds.

Using the Buds Pro 2 with a Nothing smartphone also lets you summon ChatGPT directly from the Buds. The Buds (but not their case) also get an IP55 rating against dust and water splashes.

Display and sound quality

We expect a bass-heavy V-shaped sound from Nothing Audio products and that is certainly the case with the Buds Pro 2. They go heavy on the bass out of the box and are very loud which will definitely cater to a large demographic of users. Comparing the CMF Buds Pro 2 to the CMF Buds shows improvements such as better overall sound and better instrument separation.

Things got better when we switched to the Dirac Opteo EQ profile which is the best option among the built-in EQ options. You can tweak the EQ to your liking with a custom profile but for some reason, Nothing decided to apply a three-band EQ limitation compared to the Nothing Ear (2) and most competing earbuds.

The spatial audio feature is quite noticeable and delivers vibrant audio, so it’s a good idea to keep it turned on. To summarise the audio quality, the Buds Pro 2 sound good, but we did miss the extra clarity present on the recently reviewed Realme Buds Air6 Pro.

The ANC works to the extent of muting low-frequency sounds like AC and fan noise, but it is not at par with the capabilities of more expensive earbuds. The Transparency mode was fuzzy and was accompanied by the usual hissing sound that we expect from most buds in this price range.

Connectivity remained strong during my review period which included frequent switching between the MacBook Pro 14, iPhone 15 Pro and CMF Phone 1. Dual device pairing, touch controls and wear detection all worked without any issues. It’s good that you get volume control from the buds but the only option is via a double tap and hold gesture which isn’t the most intuitive.

Call quality on the Buds Pro 2 wasn’t impressive, with people on the other end reporting muffled sound coming from my end even in quiet rooms with minimal background noise. Still, if these are your only option for taking calls then these will do the job, just don’t expect AirPod Pro-type results here.

battery life

Nothing major is claimed for the CMF Buds Pro 2, with a total playtime of 43 hours from the buds and their case, and 11 hours from the buds with ANC off, and 6.5 hours with ANC on.

The figures we got during our testing period were close – the CMF Buds Pro 2 lasted a little over 6 hours and 15 minutes of usage at 50% volume with ANC on and all optional features enabled. This figure dropped to 4 hours and 15 minutes on LDAC mode with ANC on, which is still impressive.

Charging is limited to the USB-C port on the case and it takes 70 minutes to fully charge the buds and case. The case can charge the buds from empty to full in 60 minutes.

Decision

Nothing in the budget segment offers the best wireless earbuds and the Buds Pro 2 are an easy recommendation. You can’t match their feature-to-price ratio with dual drivers, LDAC support, adaptive ANC, dual-device pairing, and spatial audio.

Looks are subjective but we liked the bold colour options and minimalist design and you also get an exclusive feature not seen on any other pair of earbuds (even flagships) with the Smart Dial. With their strong battery stamina and great companion app, the CMF Buds Pro 2 leaves nothing to be desired.

There are a few things we’d like to see improved in future versions – like the full parametric EQ customisation options from the Nine Ear series buds, as well as stronger noise cancellation, a less muffled transparency mode, and better call quality.

Considering the $59/€59/£59/₹4,299 price tag, we’re willing to make these compromises and are eager to see what Nothing comes up with with the next edition to the CMF Buds lineup.