The CMF Buds Pro 2 are the latest addition to Nothing’s expanding audio lineup. They follow on from the first-generation CMF Buds Pro and feature improvements in almost every area.
You get dual speakers, updated active noise cancellation (ANC), spatial audio support, and longer battery life. The charging case also has a new trick with the programmable Smart Dial. You can use it to control volume, media playback, and handle incoming calls. Add in LDAC support, multipoint pairing, and a sleek design with fun color options, and you've got a way to compete with some of the premium earbuds from Apple, Sony, and Samsung.
But the CMF Buds Pro 2 retail for just $59 / €59 / £59 / ₹4,299 – a fraction of those competitors’ earbuds, so some savings had to be made, right? The short answer is yes, but not in the areas that make a big difference.
Design
CMF stands for Color, Materials, and Finish and we can start this section of the review by stating the obvious. Our CMF Buds Pro 2 review unit is blue, a darker and really saturated shade. The color stands out just like the orange hue of the first-gen CMF Buds.
The Buds Pro 2 and their case are made primarily of plastic, with the exception of the Smart Dial which features a solid metal ring with tactile clicks. The case and earbuds have a matte finish that resists fingerprints well and is always preferred over glossy plastics in our opinion.
Back to the case and its Smart Dial: it’s a new feature in the TWS market and it sets the CMF Buds Pro 2 apart from almost 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 hold presses.
The dimensions and weight of the case are exactly the same as the CMF Buds and each earbud weighs only 4.5 grams. The in-ear fit with the pre-applied M-size tips was excellent in our case and we had no problem using these earbuds daily for hours.
The top halves of the earbuds also feature 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 eartips in sizes S and XL.
Features and Companion 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. Connection is still via Bluetooth 5.3 with support for Google Fast Pair, Microsoft Swift Pair, and dual-device pairing.
Added LDAC support is useful if you’re streaming music through supported platforms like Tidal HiFi, Amazon Music Unlimited, and Deezer Premium. Active noise cancellation is now rated to cover up to 50dB, up from 45dB on the first-gen CMF Buds Pro. Spatial audio is also new.
Total battery life has also been improved, and is now rated at 43 hours for both the earbuds and their case, another slight improvement over their predecessor. You also get wear detection that automatically pauses media content when you remove the earbuds from your ears.
While the Buds Pro 2 work great on their own, the Nothing X app for iOS and Android is a very useful way to get additional features, including button remapping for the earbuds and Smart Dial, as well as customizable EQ profiles.
The Smart Dial is arguably the most interesting feature here. We found it generally useful when connected to a laptop. The satisfying tactile feedback from the dial is impressive, and we only wish more companies would adopt similar solutions on their headphones.
Using the Buds Pro 2 with a Nothing smartphone also lets you summon ChatGPT directly from the earbuds. The earbuds (but not their case) also have an IP55 rating against dust and splashes of water.
Performance and sound quality
We expect a bass-heavy V-shaped sound from Nothing Audio products and that’s certainly the case with the Buds Pro 2. They lean heavily on bass right out of the box and are plenty powerful, which will definitely suit the needs of a wide range of users. Comparing the CMF Buds Pro 2 to the CMF Buds shows 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 built-in 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 offers a more lively sound, so it’s a good idea to leave it enabled. To sum up the audio quality, the Buds Pro 2 have decent sound, but we missed the extra clarity present on the recently reviewed Realme Buds Air6 Pro.
The ANC works to the extent that it attenuates low-frequency sounds like air conditioning and fan noise, but it's not up to the capabilities of more expensive headphones. The Transparency mode was mediocre and accompanied by the usual hiss we've come to expect from most headphones in this price range.
Connectivity remained solid throughout my review period, which included constant switching between a 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 nice to have volume controls from the earbuds, but the only option is via a double-tap and hold gesture that isn’t the most intuitive.
Call quality on the Buds Pro 2 wasn’t impressive, with people on the other end reporting muffled audio coming from my end, even in quieter rooms with minimal background noise. Still, if these are your only options for taking calls, they’ll get the job done, but don’t expect AirPod Pro-like results here.
Battery life
Nothing can match the exceptional battery life of the CMF Buds Pro 2, with 43 hours of total battery life for the earbuds and case and 11 hours for the earbuds with ANC off and 6.5 hours with ANC on.
The numbers we got during our testing period were close: the CMF Buds Pro 2 managed just over 6 hours and 15 minutes of use with ANC turned on at 50% volume and all optional features enabled. The figure dropped to 4 hours and 15 minutes in LDAC mode with ANC turned on, which is still impressive.
Charging is limited to the case's USB-C port, and it takes 70 minutes to fully charge both the earbuds and case. The case can charge the earbuds from empty to full in 60 minutes.
Verdict
Nothing continues to deliver some of the best wireless earbuds in the budget segment and the Buds Pro 2 are an easy recommendation. You simply can’t beat their features-to-price ratio with dual drivers, LDAC support, adaptive ANC, dual-device pairing, and spatial audio.
Appearance is subjective, but we appreciate the bold color options and minimalist design. You also get an exclusive feature not found on any other pair of earbuds (even flagships) with the Smart Dial. Coupled with their strong battery life and excellent companion app, the CMF Buds Pro 2 leave little to be desired.
There are a few things we'd like to see improved with future versions, namely the full customization options for the Nothine Ear Series' parametric EQ, as well as stronger noise cancellation, a less muffled transparency mode, and improved call quality.
Considering the $59 / €59 / £59 / ₹4,299 price tag, we're okay with making these compromises and can't wait to see what Nothing has in store for us with future iterations of the CMF Buds lineup.
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