CMF Buds Pro 2: The in-ear headphones that make AirPods fans think twice
219 francs for AirPods Pro. 250 francs for Sony. Bluetooth has been around for almost thirty years, MP3 even longer. At these prices, you might almost get the impression that both were invented just yesterday.
But manufacturers still charge a premium for the active noise-cancelling music experience.
Not so CMF.
What’s behind CMF?
CMF is the sister brand of Nothing, the London tech label specializing in packing premium features into affordable products. CMF stands for Color, Materials, Finish, and the motto is program: good design and strong technology don’t have to be expensive.
The Buds Pro 2 are the best example of this.
Noise cancellation that knows no competition for the price
The heart of the CMF Buds Pro 2 is their active noise cancelling. Hybrid ANC technology with three microphones per earbud, designed for frequencies up to 5 kHz, with up to -50 dB attenuation according to the manufacturer.
In practice, this means: street noise, office murmurs, the hum of the air conditioner, the buzzing of the coffee machine—all disappear. The low, constant frequencies are almost completely wiped out. Four adjustable ANC levels including an adaptive mode let you decide how much of the outside world you want to let in.
And that at 42 francs.
For comparison: AirPods Pro 2 cost around 219 CHF new. Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are about 220 CHF. Sony charges 250 CHF. That the CMF Buds Pro 2 can keep up in this category is almost cheeky for this price range.
Sound and bass: Made for bass lovers
The Buds Pro 2 rely on a dual-driver system: an 11 mm woofer for bass and a 6 mm tweeter for treble. In practice, this sounds warm, powerful, and immersive.
Those who prefer to customize their sound use the Nothing X App and choose between several EQ profiles, including the recommended Dirac Opteo profile, or set their own three-band EQ. The Ultra Bass mode is also available for those who want even more punch.
In addition, there is Spatial Audio for a wider sound experience and LDAC support on Android for Hi-Res streaming.
The wheel: Actually a gimmick until you have used it
The smart dial on the charging case is at first glance a nice gimmick. Small metal wheel, solid click feedback, freely assignable via the app.
In practice, it’s surprisingly brilliant. Adjust volume, change tracks, switch ANC mode, answer calls, all without taking the phone out of your pocket, all blindly and without looking. The case is in the jacket pocket, the index finger quickly turns the dial. Done.
Once you’ve used it, you immediately miss it with other in-ears.
Battery that really lasts
6.5 hours with ANC activated from the earbuds themselves. With the charging case, you get up to 43 hours total runtime. For comparison: AirPods Pro 2 manage about 6 hours with ANC, 30 hours total.
For those who forget to charge in the morning: 10 minutes of quick charge is enough for about 2 hours of playback.
What the tests say
Tom's Guide describes the ANC as "almost dangerous" and puts it on par with the AirPods Pro. SoundGuys confirms that the Buds perform far beyond their price class. headphonecheck.com calls the ANC "more than impressive" for a 59-euro headphone. nextpit puts it bluntly: probably one of the models with the best price-performance ratio of the year.
Yes, sudden noises like slamming doors or loud voices don’t disappear completely. But that applies to almost all in-ears under 150 CHF, and those cost three times as much.
More strengths at a glance
- IP55 certification: splash-proof and suitable for everyday use
- Bluetooth 5.3 with stable connection and low latency
- Multipoint pairing: connected to two devices simultaneously
- Transparency mode to hear through without removing the earbuds
- In-ear detection with automatic pause
- Color options: Red, Black, White, Blue
42 francs. No typo.
Strong noise cancelling, rich bass, 43 hours of battery life, and the feeling that everyone else paid too much. These are the CMF Buds Pro 2.