I have not paid a lot consideration to Nothing’s CMF sub-brand, however I just like the sound high quality (and design) of the Ear 1 and Ear 2, so I made a decision to check out the CMF Buds to see how they measure up. I are inclined to choose IEMs with a impartial sound, however I’ll admit that the comfort that you just get with wi-fi earbuds is unmatched.
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The important thing attribute of the CMF Buds is their accessibility; the earbuds retail for simply $39 within the U.S., they usually’re much more reasonably priced in India, the place they promote for ₹2,499 ($28). That is significantly lower than the $99 retail worth of the Ear 2, and you do not miss out on many options: the CMF Buds get quick pair, low latency mode, IP54 ingress safety, ANC, and Bluetooth 5.3.
Clearly, the Buds do not have the identical see-through design that is distinctive to the Ear 2, however I believe the design is eye-catching in its personal proper — notably with the Clear Orange variant. The colourful hue makes the earbuds stand out, and at 4.57g, they’re gentle sufficient that you do not discover you are sporting them in any respect.
Nothing retained an identical general construction because the Ear 2, so that you get a bulbous shell and a brief stalk. The shell has a shiny coat, however the stalk has a matte texture that makes it simpler to set off gestures. The match is beautiful, and I did not see any points on this regard even with prolonged use.
The case is definitely pocketable as effectively, and it has a dial that does not serve any utility; you simply twirl it round in case you’re bored and need one thing to do. The construct high quality is first rate, however the case has managed to select up a lot of scratches within the two months I used the Buds — so in that sense, it’s fully too just like the Ear 2.
Due to quick pair, you may join the buds to your cellphone with none problem in anyway, and I bought a secure reference to the Pixel 8 Professional, Xiaomi 14, Zenfone 11 Extremely, and the Magic 6 Professional. The Buds combine with Nothing’s X utility, and you may tweak the sound profile, arrange gestures, and alter EQ modes with relative ease.
And whereas I did not use it as a lot, there is a low latency gaming mode that turns out to be useful in case you’ve bought the Cellphone 2a or one other Nothing cellphone. An enormous speaking level is the presence of ANC, and it does an important job tuning out ambient noise. In my testing, it wasn’t as efficient because the Ear 2, however it’s undoubtedly helpful in case you’re in a loud atmosphere.
What I additionally like is that the Buds have a number of extras that you do not normally see on this section; there’s IP54 ingress safety, multi-device pairing, and in-ear detection. The one draw back to the design is that the gesture controls are nonetheless finicky, and that is been a difficulty on all Nothing earbuds I used up thus far.
The most important cause to purchase the CMF Buds is the sound high quality, and there’s a lot to love on this space. The earbuds have a distinctly bass-focused sound that delivers an brisk low-end — a lot in order that it spills over into the mid-range. The bass is heavy and domineering, however on the brilliant aspect, the earbuds sound incredible with bass-heavy tunes. So if that is the type of sound signature you are after, you need to simply get these; I liken the CMF Buds to the OnePlus Buds Professional 2 on this regard.
Should you do not just like the low-end to dominate the sound, you may tweak the sound signature (to an extent) through Nothing X, and doing so creates a barely extra balanced sound that lends itself effectively to most mainstream music. You do not fairly get the identical tonality or refinement because the Ear 2, however for what you are finally paying, the CMF Buds are among the many best-sounding earbuds on this section.
The CMF Buds are Nothing’s most reasonably priced earbuds but, and whereas I have not used the Buds Professional, I believe the common Buds are an important place to begin into the model’s ecosystem. With Nothing set to announce a CMF-branded cellphone within the coming weeks, it’s clear that the entry-level section is the place the model sees the most important differentiation. For now, in case you want funds earbuds with an excellent design and bass-heavy sound, you may like what the CMF Buds have to supply.
Combining a terrific design with bass-heavy sound and loads of helpful extras, the CMF Buds ship every thing you want in funds earbuds.