CMF by Nothing Buds Pro 2 review

Although the CMF Buds Pro 2 look similar to the original CMF Buds, this headset is actually the successor to the Buds Pro. That said, it’s still on point with CMF’s design language, most notably with the lack of branding on the earpieces or outside of the charging case. True to the ‘Colours, Materials, Finish’ philosophy that the brand takes its name from, you get a solid combination of all three.

There are four available colours, and while the relatively discreet white and black options may not be as eye-catching as the orange and blue, they do make up for it with the velvety finish and use of high-quality plastic on the charging case. The earpieces are fairly straightforward, with an in-canal fit and touch controls near the upper part of the stem. It may not be complicated, but that’s just fine.

It’s the charging case of the CMF Buds Pro 2 that’s really worth talking about. The dial on the charging case isn’t just decorative and fidget-friendly anymore; it actually controls functionality on the headset, including volume, playback, and ANC modes. This is particularly useful when you’re using the earphones at a desk with the charging case beside your smartphone and laptop, since you can quickly adjust the volume, play or pause, and skip tracks.

 

 

 

 

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While this obviously isn’t the first to have these kind of features, it does implement them rather smoothly, and the feeling of using the dial to adjust the volume is obviously a pleasing one for your fingers. There is also USB Type-C charging, an indicator light, and a pairing button inside the charging case sitting flush with the inner surface and almost invisible to sight.

When it comes to the specifications, the CMF Buds Pro 2 are quite impressive. Each earpiece features a dual-driver system with an 11mm dynamic driver for the lows, and a 6mm micro-planar driver for the highs, and weighs 4.9g. There is Bluetooth 5.3 with support for the SBC, AAC, and LDAC codecs, as well as support for the Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair protocols.

The Nothing X app (for iOS and Android) works with the CMF by Nothing Buds Pro 2, and gives you access to various features and controls. You can adjust the equaliser and noise control settings, switch on or off the Ultra Bass mode (I recommend you keep it off), and customise controls for each earpiece and the charging case separately. You can also activate the low-latency mode, high-quality audio mode (LDAC codec on supported devices), in-ear detection, and dual-connection modes. There are plenty of options, and you can set the headset up to your liking.

While the original CMF Buds were a bit lacking in the sound quality department, the Buds Pro 2 take a significant step up while still keeping the price tag reasonable at under Rs. 5,000. Key reasons for this are the dual-driver setup, as well as the support for the LDAC Bluetooth codec, while helps draw a bit more out of audio over Bluetooth.

The sound was immediately bass-heavy and a bit too rumbly, but my experience with Nothing products told me that this is just the default setting of the equaliser and ultra-bass mode. A quick trip to the app fixed this, and sound quality immediately improved. Once you have the equaliser also straightened out, the sound is fairly balanced, with only a slight (and entirely understandable) bias towards the lows. 

The sound on the CMF Buds Pro 2 is fairly detailed thanks to the advanced Bluetooth codec support, especially when you use it with good quality audio from Apple Music. Listening to People Never Change by Peter Cat Recording Co, it’s straightaway heavy on the bass, but it doesn’t quite feel too much at any point. I quite enjoyed the aggression, combined well with the ability to hear and fathom much of this rather upbeat and complex track.

Active noise cancellation on the CMF Buds Pro 2 isn’t bad, but it isn’t that good either. It works, and will help make things a bit more focused for your music in relatively quiet settings or even occasionally loud spaces like city streets or offices at lunchtime. It’s also customisable, but I could barely tell the difference between the various ANC levels, so I tended to just leave it on ‘high’ most of the time.

Now it’s important to point out that just because there is support for the LDAC Bluetooth codec and ANC, doesn’t mean that the CMF Buds Pro 2 can give more expensive true wireless headsets a run for their money. This does a great job for the price, but it doesn’t quite push boundaries and deliver flagship performance. You’ll get better performance from the Nothing Ear 2 of course, but the CMF Buds Pro 2 are admirable and quite a package at the price, when it comes to sound.

Battery life on the CMF Buds Pro 2 is claimed to be up to 43 hours (earphones plus charging case), but in more realistic working conditions it’s a fair bit less. I still got a acceptable (if only slightly underwhelming) four hours from the earphones and an additional three charges from the case, for a total of around 16 hours per charge cycle with ANC and the LDAC codec in use all the time, and a mixture of calls and music. A 10-minute charge promises up to 7 hours of listening time, so you can rely on fast charging in tricky situations.

The CMF brand has typically been focused on entry-level accessories and products, but the Buds Pro 2 pushes it in the right direction to really make a mark on the mid-range segments while retaining affordability. At Rs. 4,299, this is quite easily one of the best equipped true wireless headsets you can buy for under Rs. 5,000 right now.

The case controls work well, sound is decent for the price thanks to a dual-driver setup and LDAC codec support, and the headset looks good. There’s very little to complain about with the CMF Buds Pro 2, especially at this price, and particularly so if you have an Android smartphone to be able to enjoy the benefits of advanced Bluetooth codec support. This is the kind of innovation the TWS segment needs.