The CMF Buds Pro 2 are the latest addition to the Nothing sub-brand’s growing audio lineup. They come as the successor to the first generation CMF Buttons Pro and have improved in almost every way.
You get dual drivers, updated active noise cancellation (ANC), spatial audio support, and extended battery life. The charging case also has a new trick up its sleeve with the programmable Smart Dial. You can use it to control volume, media playback, and manage incoming calls. Add in LDAC support, multi-point pairing, and a sleek design with fun color options and you have the potential to rival some of the more premium earbuds from Apple, Sony, and Samsung.
But the CMF Buds Pro 2 retail for just $59 / €59 / £59 / ₹4,299 – a fraction of the top-end rivals, so some corners had to be cut, right? The short answer is yes, but not in the areas that make a huge difference.
Design
CMF stands for Color, Materials, and Finish and we can start this part of the review with the obvious. Our review unit CMF Buds Pro 2 comes in the color blue, which is a darker shade and really saturated. The color just pops, just like the orange tint on the ffirst generation CMF buttons.
The Buds Pro 2 and their case are made mostly of plastic, apart from the Smart Dial which has a solid metal ring with tactile clicks. The case and the buds have a matte finish which is good at deflecting fingerprints and is always preferable to glossy plastic in our book.
Back to the case and the Smart Dial – it’s something new to the TWS market, and it sets the CMF Buds Pro 2 apart from pretty much every other pair of earbuds. Think of it as 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 dimensions and weight of the case are exactly the same as the CMF Buds, with each earbud weighing in at just 4.5 grams. The in-ear fit with the pre-attached size M tips was great in our case, and we had no problem wearing these buds for hours on end every day.
The top halves of the earbuds also have remappable touch sensors for media, noise cancellation, and volume controls. The retail package includes a short USB-C cable for charging and a set of silicone ear tips in sizes S and XL.
Features and associated app
The CMF Buds Pro 2 are a logical evolution of the first-generation CMF Buds Pro, with the main change being the updated dual driver system. You now get 11mm bass drivers and separate 6mm planar tweeters in each earbud. Connectivity continues to be via Bluetooth 5.3 with support for Google Fast Pair, Microsoft Swift Pair, and dual device pairing.
The added LDAC support comes in handy if you’re streaming music via supported platforms like Tidal HiFi, Amazon Music Unlimited, and Deezer Premium. Active noise cancellation is now rated to drown out noise by up to 50dB, up from 45dB on the first-gen CMF Buds Pro. Spatial audio is another new addition.
Total battery life has also been upgraded, now rated at 43 hours from the buds and their case, another slight improvement over their predecessor. You also get wearing 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 handy way to gain additional functionality, like button remapping for the Buds and the Smart Dial, as well as customizable EQ profiles.
The Smart Dial is perhaps the most intriguing feature here. We generally found it useful when connected to a laptop. The satisfying tactile feedback from the dial is great and we only hope more companies would apply similar solutions to their earbuds.
If you’re using the Buds Pro 2 with a Nothing phone, you can also summon ChatGPT directly from the buds. The buds (but not their case) are also IP55-rated against dust and water splashes.
Performance and sound quality
We’re used to bass-heavy V-shaped sounds from Nothing audio products and that’s certainly the case with the Buds Pro 2. They’re heavy on the bass out of the box and quite loud, which will certainly suit the needs of a wide range of users. Comparing the CMF Buds Pro 2 to the CMF Buds reveals improvements such as a richer overall sound and better instrument separation.
Things got better when we switched to the Dirac Opteo EQ profile, which is the best choice of the onboard EQ options. You can tweak the EQ to your liking with a custom profile, but for some reason Nothing decided to impose a three-band EQ limit compared to the Nothing Ear (2) and most competing earbuds.
The spatial audio feature is quite noticeable and delivers more vibrant sound, so it’s a good idea to keep it turned on. To sum up the audio quality, the Buds Pro 2 sound decent, but we missed the extra clarity that’s present on the recently reviewed Realme Buds Air6 Pro.
ANC works to the extent of cancelling out lower frequency noises such as AC and fan noise, but it couldn’t match the capabilities of more expensive earbuds. Transparency mode was mediocre and came with the usual hissing noise we’ve come to expect from most earbuds in this price range.
Connectivity remained strong throughout my review period, including constantly switching between a MacBook Pro 14, iPhone 15 Pro, and a CMF Phone 1. Dual device pairing, touch controls, and wear detection all worked without issues. It’s nice that you get volume controls through the earbuds, but the only option is via a double-tap and hold gesture, which isn’t the most intuitive option.
Call quality on the Buds Pro 2 wasn’t impressive, with people on the other end reporting muffled sound from my end, even in quieter rooms with minimal background noise. Still, if these are your only option for taking calls, they’ll get the job done, just don’t expect AirPod Pro-like results here.
Battery life
There aren’t high expectations for the CMF Buds Pro 2’s battery life, with a total battery life of 43 hours with the earbuds and their case, 11 hours with the earbuds with ANC off, and 6.5 hours with ANC on.
The numbers we got during our testing period were pretty close – the CMF Buds Pro 2 managed just over 6 hours and 15 minutes of use with ANC enabled at 50% volume and all optional features turned on. The figure dropped to 4 hours and 15 minutes in LDAC mode with ANC enabled, 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.
Pronunciation
Nothing beats some of the best budget wireless earbuds on the market, and the Buds Pro 2 are an easy recommendation. You simply can’t beat their value for money, with dual drivers, LDAC support, adaptive ANC, dual-device pairing, and spatial audio.
Looks are subjective, but we love the bold color options and minimalist design, and you also get an exclusive feature you won’t see on any other pair of earbuds (even the flagships) with the Smart Dial. Combined with their strong battery life and great companion app, the CMF Buds Pro 2 leave little to be desired.
There are a few things we’d like to see improved in future releases, namely the full parametric EQ customization options of the Nothine Ear series earbuds, as well as stronger noise cancellation, a less muffled transparency mode, and improved call quality.
Considering the price of $59/€59/£59/₹4,299, we’re happy to make these compromises and are excited to see what Nothing has in store for the next iterations of the CMF Buds series.
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