The CMF Buds Pro 2 are stemmed Bluetooth earbuds equipped with active noise cancelling (ANC). CMF is an offshoot of the Nothing brand that aims to offer affordable headphones with feature sets that rival those of more expensive wireless in-ears. The Buds Pro 2 use the same app as Nothing earbuds but with slightly different features, so if you're familiar with the quirks of Nothing products, you'll feel at home. These opaque and monochromatic earbuds use touch-sensitive controls with a unique rotating and clickable dial on the case for additional commands.
Our Verdict
The CMF Buds Pro 2 are very good for sports and fitness. They're portable, well-built, and IP-rated against dust and water. Their ample low-end holds down the beat during your workout, and the battery lasts long enough to get through a few trips to the gym. The buds feel comfortable and lightweight, though how well they can stay in-ear depends on the fit you achieve because they lack stabilizers and are a bit chunky. Still, the noise isolation means you can focus at the gym without outside distractions.
Low leakage.
Very good noise isolation performance.
Lightweight and portable.
Lacks stabilizers or hooks, so fit depends on your ear shape.
The CMF Buds Pro 2 are good for traveling and commuting. The portable, lightweight design is easy to stow in your bag, and the effective and adjustable noise isolation means you can choose a setting based on how noisy the bus or airplane cabin is. They're decently comfortable, and the control scheme lends itself well to customizing your experience. On the other hand, the continuous battery life is long enough for shorter plane rides, but the buds will need a recharge if you're doing an extended trip.
Low leakage.
Very good noise isolation performance.
Lightweight and portable.
Continuous battery life is just okay.
Mic sounds passable, but not good.
The CMF Buds Pro 2 are decent for office work. Their ANC is good for cutting out the noise of nearby chit-chat so you can focus on your tasks. Their multi-device pairing also makes it easy to switch between devices. They feel decently comfortable to wear for extended sessions, and they're lightweight, too. However, the battery life isn't long enough to last through an entire workday without a recharge. If you take many calls, the mic is okay for the occasional meeting, but it's not a substitute for a headset microphone.
Low leakage.
Very good noise isolation performance.
Continuous battery life is just okay.
Mic sounds passable, but not good.
The CMF Buds Pro 2 aren't suitable for wireless gaming. Despite having a Low Lag mode, the Bluetooth earbuds still exhibit high enough latency that you may experience a mismatch between your game's visuals and the audio.
The CMF Buds Pro 2 wireless earbuds can't be used for wired gaming because they're Bluetooth-only.
The CMF Buds Pro 2 have decent audio reproduction accuracy. They don't deviate much from their bass-heavy default sound, which you can tailor to your preferences using the three-band EQ in their companion app. You can even engage Ultra Bass to inject more low-end into your audio. Their left and right drivers are well-matched, so objects are correctly placed in the stereo field, and low harmonic distortion means your audio is reproduced accurately. The lowest 808 kick drum tones can sound just a touch flabby, but it's hard to notice in real-world listening.
The CMF Buds Pro 2 have great noise isolation. They do a good job of attenuating the low-pitched rumbles of airplane engines and consistently block out mid-range sounds like office chatter, too. They're not quite as good in the treble range, so you might hear higher-pitched sounds like A/C whine alongside your audio.
The CMF Buds Pro 2 have an alright mic. They do a decent job of separating out background noise from your voice, but you don't sound especially true-to-life. There's no sidetone, but the dedicated controls make calls easy to control via the buds.
The CMF by Nothing Buds Pro 2 have superb frequency response consistency, delivering consistent audio with every wear.
Performance Usages
Changelog
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Updated Mar 25, 2026:
This review has been updated to Test Bench 2.1, which removes the Group Delay test and rebalances scoring for the Harmonic Distortion test and Audio Reproduction Accuracy performance usage. For more details, consult our full changelog.
- Updated Mar 24, 2026: This review has been updated to Test Bench 2.1, which removes the Group Delay test, and rebalances scoring for the Harmonic Distortion test and Audio Reproduction Accuracy performance usage. For more details, consult our full changelog.
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Updated May 21, 2025:
This review has been updated to Test Bench 2.0, which adds the following tests: Stereo Mismatch, Group Delay, Cumulative Spectral Decay, PRTF, Harmonic Distortion, and Electrical Aspects. We've added new performance usages and updated the text throughout the Sound tests and side-by-sides.
- Updated May 14, 2025: We've converted this review to Test Bench 2.1, which features minor updates to our sound tests.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The CMF Buds Pro 2 come in 'Dark Grey,' 'Light Grey,' 'Orange,' and 'Blue.' Our unit is 'Dark Grey'; you can see their label here. We expect the color variants to perform very similarly to our unit.
If you encounter another variant of these headphones, please let us know in the comments, and we'll update our review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The CMF Buds Pro 2 have a lot in common with products like the Nothing Ear and Nothing Ear (a). For starters, the Nothing X app works very similarly for the CMF buds as it does for the Nothing Ear (a), with an equivalent three-band EQ. The Buds Pro 2 differ from the Nothing line by adding Dirac Opteo, a digital signal processor (DSP) that alters the sound, in this case, lending a bassier tuning than the Nothing line's default tuning. While the Nothing Ear have IP ratings for the earbuds and the case, the Buds Pro 2 only have an IP rating for the earbuds; little details like that, alongside touch controls on the CMF, in contrast to pinch controls on the Nothing line, are other points of difference to consider. Still, there are other competitors, such as the OnePlus Buds 3, which trade blows with the Buds Pro 2 when it comes to battery life, noise isolation, Bluetooth connectivity, and controls. Out of the box, the OnePlus are brighter, but that's really a matter of taste and possibly addressed through equalization. It's a crowded market, and the Buds Pro 2's charging case with a dial for additional controls helps them stand out from the barrage of stemmed Bluetooth buds out there.
For more options, check out the best noise cancelling earbuds, the best wireless earbuds under $100, and the best wireless earbuds for Android.
The CMF Buds Pro 2 and the Nothing Ear (a) share many commonalities, including the same companion app and LDAC Bluetooth codec. The CMF are bassier by default and have a slightly longer continuous battery life. The Nothing pinch controls are a bit more predictable to use with fewer misfires, though. Plus, the Nothing are slightly more stable and comfortable fitting with less pressure on your ears. Still, the CMF's ANC is more effective, so your choice depends on priorities and fit preferences. In any case, you can EQ both pairs to sound fairly alike.
The CMF Buds Pro 2 are a more budget-oriented ANC model than the higher-end Nothing Ear (3). Although the CMF punch above their price point, thanks to the impressive ANC that goes toe-to-toe with the Nothing, they're less comfortable with a larger bud and slightly cheaper feel. Nevertheless, their touch controls are more conventional, and they're tuned very similarly to the Nothing, only with a warmer treble. They even last a little longer, 6.5 hours, instead of the Nothing's 5.3 hours. On the other hand, the Nothing are more premium-built and comfortable with a better microphone. They're also more tightly stereo-matched, so your choice depends on your budget and priorities.
The Nothing Ear are more upscale than the CMF Buds Pro 2, though their shared parent company means many features, including the app, are the same. The Nothing boast a more balanced sound signature by default with a more in-depth graphic equalizer for tinkerers. Their battery life is slightly longer, and they're slightly better built, too. On the other hand, the CMF offer a bit more powerful noise isolation overall. Other differences are dependent on taste, such as pinch controls on the Nothing or touch controls on the CMF.
The Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC Truly Wireless are a bit better than the CMF Buds Pro 2. Although they share similar characteristics like bassy tunings, the Anker are more comfortable and less bulky in-ears with a slightly nicer-feeling plastic finish. Their continuous battery life with ANC on is nine hours compared to 6.5 hours with the CMF. Combined with the case's recharges, the Anker has 45 hours of battery life, while the CMF has a total battery life of only 26 hours. That said, the CMF have a higher IP55 rating than the Anker's lesser IPX4 rating. The CMF also boasts a slightly better mic system than the Anker. Otherwise, these earbuds have more in common than they don't: LDAC codec support, comprehensive graphic EQ (you get more bands on the Anker), multi-device pairing, and ANC that punches above the price tag.
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Test Results
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