Nothing’s telephones deservedly get loads of reward, however I am extra eager about what the model is doing with its earbuds. The ear (1) and Ear (2) set a excessive bar, and the CMF sub-brand is continuous that momentum. I used the CMF Buds final yr and got here away considering they’re one of the best entry-level earbuds round, and with the Buds Professional 2, Nothing is taking issues to a complete new stage.
Hardwired
In Hardwired, AC Senior Editor Harish Jonnalagadda delves into all issues {hardware}, together with telephones, audio merchandise, storage servers, and routers.
Similar to the CMF Buds, the Buds Professional 2 have a daring design that instantly permits the earbuds to face out. With most manufacturers nonetheless providing the standard black or white variants, Nothing’s brilliant orange and blue hues are designed to seize consideration.
The remainder of the design is assumed out effectively; the case is definitely pocketable, and it holds the buds securely. I just like the dial on the case, and what’s notably cool is that it acts as a management floor. The dial can be utilized to regulate music playback and regulate quantity, and that is simply plain cool — I do not know why different manufacturers do not do that.
I additionally just like the design of the earbuds; there is a shiny coat on the shell, however the stalk has a matte texture, and that makes it simpler to make use of gesture controls, and minimizes smudges. The light-weight design ensures the buds are comfy even with prolonged listening periods.
There’s good connectivity as effectively, and like the remainder of Nothing’s earbuds, the Buds Professional 2 are configurable through Nothing X. You possibly can customise the sound, regulate gesture controls, and toggle spatial audio — I did not see any points connecting to the Pixel 9 Professional XL, Discover X8 Professional, or the Vivo X200 Professional.
However it’s the sound that really differentiates the Buds Professional 2 from different merchandise on this class. You get a 11mm driver along with a 6mm tweeter, and Nothing did a improbable job tuning the buds.
In brief, these are the best-sounding funds earbuds I’ve ever used, and the sound high quality is equal to merchandise that price thrice as a lot. Inventive’s Zen Air are the one different earbuds I used lately that measure as much as the Buds Professional 2, and whereas they nail the technicalities, Nothing’s earbuds have a extra dynamic and fascinating sound.
There’s an Extremely Bass mode if you happen to want just a little bit additional within the low-end, and it does an important job including vitality to the combo. Whereas there is no 10-band EQ, you possibly can tweak the bass, mid, and treble within the Customized sound mode, and that is greater than what you get with most earbuds. I am keen on the Dirac mode; this routinely optimizes the sound, and it lends itself effectively to numerous genres.
There’s good noise isolation as effectively, and whereas it is not as efficient as costlier earbuds, it manages to tune out low-frequency ambient sound, and that needs to be ample to most customers eyeing these buds. You get different extras as effectively, together with Google Quick Pair, IP55 ingress safety, capability to connect with two gadgets directly, in-ear detection, and a low-latency mode.
One other fascinating inclusion is spatial sound; the Buds Professional 2 venture a large sound, and it makes a distinction. Whereas it is an admirable effort, if you need one of the best digital encompass sound, you may have to get Inventive’s Zen Air — they’re higher than the rest within the class.
I do not actually have any negatives; the design is distinctive, the match is nice and does not trigger any fatigue, you get a whole lot of helpful extras, and the sound is one of the best on this class. Actually, you do not get something that is nearly as good within the neighborhood of $50.