Hey everyone! 👋

We’re thrilled to introduce CMF Buds Pro 2 and open a new thread for your reviews and feedback on this latest audio product from CMF by Nothing!

Use this thread for in-depth discussion on CMF Buds Pro 2 - explore its specs, features, and price-to-performance ratio. Your insights drive our product evolution, and we eagerly await your thoughts and reviews.

With the embargo lifted, we welcome any insiders, Mods, or members who participated in our Community Reacts video to share their early impressions!

🎵 Let’s hear (pun intended) your thoughts below!

    CMF Buds Pro 2 - Review

    Where to start with the new CMF Buds Pro 2? - Well, I have been fortunate enough to have been testing them for a while, and I shall start with my very first thought…

    Wow, that bass slaps!”. That’s right, with the Ultra Bass enabled, even with its default of “3”, out of “5” steps, the bass comes through! During my time testing this feature, and many of the other features of the device, they were iterated on and improved upon as the time went on.

    I started my testing as I usually do, going through a variety of songs/podcasts I know and love. It really helps me hone into how an audio product performs. With the Bass on my mind, I went to my go to bass song, “Surface Pressure” from Disney’s Encanto! This song has wonderful lows at the beginning, crisp vocals and tremendous highs to really get my testing experience going. It was actually this song that I used first when I tested Ear (AKA Entei), earlier this year.

    I continued with a multitude of my favourite songs and podcasts, until I was familiar with how the various sound profiles performed. As with other Nothing audio products, navigating them in the Nothing X App was familiar and intuitive. The preset EQs are useful for casual listeners, going from a “Rock” EQ to “Enhance Vocals” EQ in a pinch when my playlist runs out and I go to a podcast was great.

    Inside the EQ Options are the basic EQ we are used to seeing, no space for the Advanced EQ here, which perfectly fine for a set of buds under the CMF by Nothing name. No need to alienate customers! There is also the option for the Dirac Opteo, which enhances the buds to their full potential, not sure how, but it does balance each unique song to its best form. I mostly ran my EQs under “Rock” and “Enhance Vocals” throughout testing.

    The CMF Buds Pro also have LDAC on-board for the higher quality codecs, should you want that, however, you are unable to run Dirac at the same time as LDAC, it is one or the other! As well as Low-Lag Mode for gaming (which I used on my play through of Soul Silver via my Phone (2) on an emulator!), as well as, In-Ear Detection, Dual Connection, Ear Tip Test and Nothing’s “Spatial Audio Effect”.

    On this Spatial Audio, initially I was unimpressed at the start of my testing. Audio just sounded like it had raised the dB of the overall track and added an artificial reverb to everything. I quickly turned it off, until we had received a few firmware updates and were asked our opinions on how we found it. So, I gave it another try, with a song that I knew had some fun use of panning. That song was “Sk8er Boi” - Avril Lavigne. Much better this time round. For reference, we had to score our thoughts on Spatial Audio, and my initial poor score, was much higher this time round, 8/10 in fact!

    This time round, I found that the Noise Floor, or overall dB had been raised again, but the artificial reverb had been improved. You feel like you are in a large hall, listening to your tune, but in that large hall there are speakers all around. Your lefts, whether that is a guitar riff, is there on your left. Basses thud at you from behind, vocals are up front and centre. Whatever that chime is on your right, yep, that’s in your right ear.

    I haven’t used a Spatial Audio function before, but this mode was firmly left ON for my music after this. Well done to the CMF Team for this, a function I shall miss in other Ear Buds. The only time I turned it off, was for podcasts, no need to separate the voices out too much, not my cup of tea!

    The Spatial Audio feature does so well, that I rarely found myself running these Ear Buds at full volume, something I do constantly for other Ear Buds, to help drown out the noise around me. I think that this is a testament to the Active Noise Cancelling these buds possess and the drivers, that punch the sound waves SO well, that I don’t need full volume, ever!

    I have rattled on long enough now, but other observations I have made are thus:

    • ANC and Transparency for these buds are great! The ANC was always pretty solid, but only got better over time. The transparency was lacking initially, but this also improved and voices sounded clear and understandable…even my own!
    • The Case functions! WOW! I am someone who uses flappy pockets for my work trousers and shorts, and when they aren’t filled with work tools or the like, my Ear Buds case sits in them. This is perfect for me to utilise the Case Functions. Having the dial be multi-functional is amazing! The press functions for play/pause, skip tracks, change ANC mode are easy and accessible. Changing the volume, easy, accessible and fun to play with!
    • The case itself, sturdy, sleek and a nice small form factor. Not to mention they hold a good amount of recharges for your buds!
    • Buds, they fit well, they sound great and are available in whichever colour you fancy…well, four, but still!
    • The breadth of the frequency response is great, songs sounded full and vibrant, podcasts, clear and crisp. The various Audio EQs help massively with whatever medium of song you are playing, each tuned to that genre of music. 

    I have had a wonderful time testing these CMF Buds Pro 2, never having owned a pair of CMF Buds before, I believe that these give Nothing’s other Audio Products a run for their money! Now knowing the price, after the recent Quarterly Update, wow…what a feature set for the price of £59!!

    Espeon truly is a shining star, and they are as Swift as they are brilliant. I am no Psychic, but I believe that these are a true Eeveelution of what came before.

    Watch this space, CMF by Nothing are here, it’s generation two now. They are making big waves in the budget market, and I don’t see them faltering anytime soon! Bravo to the team, your work is truly magical!

    Over the past few months, I’ve had the privilage of being one of the testers for CMF Buds Pro 2, codenamed Espeon throughout the trial process. I found this quite exciting as it was the first CMF by Nothing product that I have had to test, so I had very little expectations of what it should be like. As such, my impressions from other audio products come from previous Nothing devices, such as Ear, Ear (a) and Ear (2).

    TLDR ➡ Lots of bang for your buck!

    Compared to my other buds, Nothing Ear, they’re not as clear on the overall sound quality, the bass is sometimes a bit overwhelming (if left at +5) and the design is different. However, these aren’t meant to be comparative to a pair of £130 buds, they’re in their own affordable market and the bang you get for your buck, which we now now is £59, is incredible impressive. I’d recommend these to anyone who is price concious, wants a good looking and sounding pair of buds, which also last all day and pack a punch in the bass department.

    Let’s get into it 👇

    🎧Hardware & Functionality

    Most people will probably initially notice the silver wheel at the top of their Buds Pro 2 case, which I’ll come onto shortly, but my first impressions of the device was actually how strong and secure the case felt. Material wise, my Dark Grey DVT had a nice feel that I would describe is like a mixture between glossy and matte - officially named Soft Touch + Sandblasted.

    The hinge actually was surprisingly strong and very satisfying to open/shut - it felt a little stronger than Ear but that might also be because the case is a solid material, versus the clear transparent casing. There is also a single light on the front of the case, which you can barely see when it’s not on, which acts as your indicator for things like connections/pairing/low battery life.

    As for the buds, they are a mixture of different finishes. The stem, which has touch controls for your usual media and noise cancellation functions, is a grey matte finish whilst the bud has a glossy finish. The magnets that keep them in the case are very strong and I’ve had instances where I’ve drop the case and they didn’t fall out - very reassuring.

    The silver wheel on the case, named Smart Dial, from a material point of view has a metal feel to it and, the clicky-ness of it is also extremely satisfying. I find myself fiddling with my Buds Pro 2 case a lot whilst on calls, spinning the Dial around. Now functionality wise, the Smart Dial serves as an extension of what your buds can do - play/pause songs, skip, transparency etc.

    📱Software Experience (Nothing X App features)

    Those who are used to the Nothing X App will be familiar already with what the Buds Pro 2 have to offer, so i’ll dive into some of the new things.

    Firstly, the Smart Dial as I briefly mentioned above, gives you following actions - Single/Double/Triple Press, Press & Hold and Rotate. All of these can be switched to No action or to an action of your choice, including Voice Assistant/Low Lag Mode/Answering Calls.

    When testing these, I personally had a few issues which are largely related to personal use cases, rather than actual functionality. When turned on and the case was in my pocket for instance, I would find that some of the actions would get activated because the movement of me walking would push the Smart Dial. I found more often than not that when I was out and about, I would actually switch all of these to No action, ad when at my desk I’d have them on so that I could easily activate actions.

    Sadly, during the trial phases there wasn’t the option to temporarily turn on/off the Smart Dial, due to the DVT unit capabilities. During testing, a few of us raised this concern and suggested it would be a good feature. We were delightfuly informed that such a feature will be available on retail models, so kudos to the team for taking into account such feedback 👏

    Spatial Audio has also been added to the Nothing X App for Buds Pro 2, which I know many of you have been requesting. My personal experience with it probably isn’t the best, as I’m not really a user who demands or requires Spatial Audio, so I didn’t really get it at all. I noticed a more roomy and spacey sound when activated, but other testers reported some good results with it, so read into their comments if this is an important feature for you.

    🔋Battery Life

    This is one area where Buds Pro 2 excel for me, especially coming from using Ear and Ear (2) in the past. My settings for my buds were mostly set to High Transparency, Ultra Bass +5 and DIRAC Opteo EQ, which delivered enough juice for about 4-6 hours continuous use, before needing to charge them. Charging felt very quick, and before I knew it I was able to get through an entire day of use.

    I’d say these are very comparable to Ear in terms of battery life for both the buds and case, with 10 minutes charge delivering a few hours.

    🔊Sound Quality

    So given that I’ve never listened to a pair of CMF audio products before, I had no idea what to expect - I was not dissapointed. My initial impression was that they are very bass heavy, probably thanks to the 11mm bass drivers, and also picked up quite a lot of the mid/high notes. As a bass heavy user, I could feel that Ultra Bass was definitely delivering here but I would say that +5 is sometimes a little too much on the heavier side - you start to lose audio quality and the buds end up rattling in your ears more, due to the intensity.

    Transparency had been massively improved during our testing too, through firmware updates. When we first started testing the device, it was good but could be better. After one of the updates we received, the Transparency feature almost felt either on-par, if not better, than Nothing Ear.

    At times, it felt like I didn’t even have buds in my ears when I was just walking around with Transparency mode switchedon. High ANC mode, which I had on more often than not, delivered sufficient noise cancellation, and blocked out most of the high pitched noises I experienced during my daily commutes. These buds do a very good job at making you feel islolated and immersed in whatever you’re listening to.

    ✍Summary

    So who are these buds for?

    • I’d say that if you’re looking for an affordable upgrade on your existing audio buds and you’re not a strict audiophile, but still want a high quality sound experiece, then these are the buds for you.
    • Equally, if you’re into your colours or already embedded into the CMF by Nothing product line, there are a range of colours to suit your style.

    What is missing from them?

    • I mentioned above, but the ability to toggle your Smart Dial wheel on/off would’ve been nice to try.
    • There was also no ChatGPT functionality available during our testing, but this will be available for retail models.
    • I’d also say that sometimes the clarity of the sound wasn’t as clear as more expensive devices, and sometimes the bass felt a little bit too heavy - but tuning the bass intensity to your taste will help this

    Would I use these buds daily?

    • Yes I would and I have been for the past few months.
    • They performed really well for me during my daily commutes, cancelling out most of the loud noises and leaving me immersed in my own audio world.
    • I think these would also make for good gym earphones, as I felt like they stayed in my ears very well throughout use. I also preferred how much more grippy these felt vs my Ear case.
    • For £59 these are an absolute steal!

      I’ve spent the morning watching YouTube reviews and reading written reviews on the CMF Buds Pro 2. The bottom line is that every reviewer (including the 2 testers above) feel that the BASS is overwhelming on these buds. Even if you go into the ultra bass settings and turn it down, or even OFF, they say the bass is overpowering and overwhelms the mids/highs and makes them sound muddy. I hope that CMF can further tune these buds via maybe a firmware update to fix this issue. Because as it it, it will prevent me from purchasing them.

        JeffW - sorry if I wasn’t clear enough. But when I turned Ultra Bass off, I felt the balance was much nicer, not too overpowering at all.

        Ultra Bass was on by default at “Step 3”, hence my first reaction. But having the dedicated driver for the lower frequencies really helps fill the sound of what you are listening to. Plus, with the basic EQ functions, you can further dial back the Bass if it is too much for your liking.

        Hope this helps and if you, or anyone has any further questions, happy to share my thoughts further.

        CMF Buds Pro, CMF Buds and now CMF Buds Pro 2. While we’ve had 3 revisions within a year or so and this was an initial concern for me, this latest product lands a complete package that can deliver so much more than its price point and continues to develop upon the previous products.

        As an owner of the original CMF Buds Pro, they were a budget answer to Nothing Tech’s representation in the lower-priced market. The CMF branding is distinct from Nothing, establishing itself in a separate market and not combating other offerings from the parent company. CMF Buds Pro 2 continues this trend of being different, well-positioned, and delivering quality. I’ve been an early tester for this device and here are some of my thoughts.

        Hardware: Keeping the revised more “square” shape, this less bulky case is one of the sturdiest I’ve felt across Nothing’s Buds offering, with a hefty hinge and grooves that allow for minimal case movement, every aspect of this case delivers on its core functionality. The product quality is strong and practical, with a marginally smaller size than the Ear, this slides into the pocket with ease. I suspect the satisfying hinge feels so secure due to the added electronic connection that must be present for the dial!

        Dial: I feel that the dial deserves its own section of this review, marking a new addition in functionality to the case, being able to rotate the dial for volume control and assign actions to a press (or 2, 3 or a hold). Some of this functionality was seen on the Neckband Pro, but now this functionality is on the case the experience of using the buds has changed quite a bit.

        The dial is fun to use while the case is on the desk beside me or within reach, but given that I mostly use the buds while walking, I found myself mostly using the press functionality on the device. This was an awesome addition, being able to play/pause, change ANC mode and the like without opening my phone or relying on controls on the earbuds is a delight. The tactile nature of the dial confirms each press, each rotation and notch and I feel confident using the controls on the case with such satisfying inputs. I make significant use of the press and hold to control the device and would love to see a “Double Press and Hold” feature added akin to the same gesture that is present on the buds.

        Buds: The buds themselves remain familiar, well-fitting and with a solid performance both in terms of audio quality and ANC. At this price point, there is a lot to like about these, throughout testing, there have been several software updates to these buds, tweaking the audio quality, improving ANC performance and each functionality present. The sound quality of these buds is quite bass-heavy, which as times was too much for me, but I found that with the Nothing X App, I could dial in the device to my tastes.

        Functionalities: The Ultra Bass on this device packs a punch and this will be something I imagine a lot of people will enjoy. While the bass packs too much of a punch for me, this is something that can be dialled into your preference, or even turned off, I’m sure those who enjoy their bass will love this!

        Nothing X App continues to be the platform to interact with the Buds and offers plenty to enjoy with the basic EQ to tweak the profile, but not the fine-tuning provided to the Ear products (I think that’s fair at this price) But also being able control so many input elements.

        The “Spatial Audio” is something that has come a long way since the beginning of my testing period, in the beginning, this felt like nothing more than a minor adjustment to the sound produced, but more recently, I have found myself enjoying the impact more and more, I can’t quite put my finger on why, but I find that it distinctly separates speakers on a podcast.

        Transparency and ANC modes are both performing at a level well above this price point, giving my time with Ear a run for its money. Again, this is a feature set that has developed throughout testing for the better, with each iteration bringing the CMF Buds to the level of Ear, I’ve been very impressed.

        Battery Life: The Buds Pro 2 battery life reflects my experience with the original Buds Pro, I’ve had to charge these devices minimally in my use case, but these have seen me through a week’s worth of casual use at work and fueling my walks with podcasts!

        Summary: CMF continues to deliver in a price bracket, representing some of the design/quality that Nothing can deliver at this point in the market. CMF Buds Pro 2 continues innovating on what has been delivered before, with more features and a complete package that will surely impress for the price!

          Even though I already own the Nothing Ear, I’m always very interested in the launch of new Nothing products. From the reviews above, I’m very impressed with what the CMF Buds Pro 2 deliver for their price tag. I have no problem recommending them to my friends, but I would be interested to know whether the Spatial Audio feature will also be available for the “better” Nothing models 😅.

          Louis ☕️ I just wanted to take a second to appreciate your effort with formatting. Using icons in the category labels is something I wish I had done. Nice write up, sir.

            Being a part of the insider team, and CMF Buds Pro 2 being the first product I got to test, I didn’t have any prior experience with other audio products from Nothing. Nevertheless, these definitely set the expectations high in what I should expect from Nothing’s audio product line. With the testing now at the end, here are my thoughts.

            **Sound**

            To comment specifically on the sound experience, I compared them to my earbuds, as they were within the same price range and the Buds Pro 2 have clearly outperformed mine most of the time. They don’t sound muddy even at higher volumes or while listening to music with more complex and nuanced layering. People who like a bassy sound but also don’t want to miss out on clarity are going to like these.

            **ANC**

            ANC was a surprise to me, as I’m not used to getting this feature at such a price range (especially as good as it is with these buds) With multiple bug fixes and improvements, this feature is now very solid and I enjoy using it daily. The transparency mode is also there and works great when I want to both listen to music and be aware of my surroundings.

            **Software Features**

            Multiple features stood out to me. The Ultra Bass mode packs a great punch, which I didn’t expect. Although I prefer more neutral sound (I usually listen to headphones with a neutral sound signature, so I guess I’m just used to that), I appreciate the option to switch between multiple bass levels when some specific music genres ask for it (Rock, rap, eurobeat….).

            Spatial audio has improved throughout the testing period and I can say I’m using it from time to time. It does offer a livelier listening experience, something you’d expect when listening to music in a larger room on speakers.

            There’s also dual connection, which was great for quickly switching from my phone to laptop and vice versa. I didn’t use this feature much, as I’m not probably the target audience here. So I believe others will have a more extensive review on this specific feature.

            The Nothing X app is the first app specialising in controlling and modifying my listening experience that I feel is very polished and gives me many useful options in a nicely designed UI/UX. With other audio tech companies, I’m used to either an outdated design, lack of functionality, or no app at all, so this was an overwhelmingly positive experience.

            **Hardware Features**

            The wheel on the case is a great idea. Not only as an additional way to control the buds, but also as a fidget toy when controls are turned off. I caught myself turning off the controls and just using it as a toy most of the time, so I suppose I could call it a use-case some people might find to be a nice-to-have.

            I didn’t have the option to disable all controls when I wanted to put them in my pocket, but got informed the feature exists in the retail version, which is great, as accidental clicks and turns in a pocket might occur, especially during bike rides or other physical activities.

            The touch control directly on the buds seem to be overly sensitive to touch and sometimes when trying to push the bud into my ear, I skip a song or change the volume, but I believe additional software fixes to fine tune this are on the way.

            **Battery life**

            Battery life is sufficient. I didn’t have any problems with having to charge them often, and I’m used to listening for many hours every day. Even with multiple features like ANC and Bass boost, it got me through multiple days before I had to recharge the whole case.

            **Build quality**

            The build quality seems great. The hinge is very solid, magnets are strong, so a fall here and there isn’t a huge issue. The buds themselves also survived multiple falls without any damage. I like that they’re matte, as the scratches don’t seem to be so visible, and they’re also not prone to fingerprints as much (unless you’re very sweaty).

            **Comfort**

            The buds fit well in my ears and are comfortable to wear. The only issue I had with them was when working out, I noticed the left bud getting loose or straight up falling out of my ear, but I suppose you cannot design the perfect shape to fit all ears, so I wouldn’t get discouraged by this bit of information, as no product is perfect.

            **Target audience**

            - I believe that these earphones will cater to people who expect great audio performance at a budget

            - if you don’t consider yourself an audiophile but at the same time expect a good amount of sound clarity, these are for you

            **Conclusion**

            Overall, I’d consider buying these once they’d be available in my region. Cost/performance is the best I’ve experienced in this price range.

            Although with no prior experience with Nothing’s audio products, I must say that with this product, they’re pushing the quality of budget true wireless earbuds higher.

            For the past two months, I had the opportunity to test the CMF Buds Pro 2. I would like to start by saying that this is my first experience as a product tester. Additionally, it is my first time handling a Nothing/CMF product.

            I have been using them in my daily life and have been amazed by the product. To start with, the sound quality is impressive. I’m a big fan of bass, and with these buds’ ultra-bass and spatial sound features, I can fully enjoy my music. I’m no expert, just a passionate user, so I can simply say that the overall quality is really, really good.

            As for the battery, even with the noise canceling feature active constantly, the battery lasts several hours and only needs a few minutes to charge. Speaking of the noise canceling feature, which is essential for me when buying earphones/headphones, I am not disappointed at all. The effectiveness of this feature really allows you to listen and focus without distractions.

            In addition to the product, I also used the Nothing app for the first time. The development team did a good job making it intuitive. You can easily find your way around and customize your experience, choosing the intensity of the noise canceling and the ultra-bass. You can play with the equalizer or find some premade configurations. You can also decide the controls, such as switching to the next or previous song by touching it two or three times. Even the dial on the case can be used for volume control, for example.

            To conclude, this experience has been really good for me, not just for the product trial but also for discovering the Nothing ecosystem and the team behind it. I would like to thank them again for giving me this opportunity.

            Looked seriously at the buds pro 2. but given that the shipping on a small item is $35 I assume they are shipped from off planet? Express from Mars? I mean seriously? more than 33% extra? the product weights 58g? ok double it for a box + usb cable + 2 extra ear tip sizes so$ 350 a Kg for shipping? seem excessive to anyone else?

            Louis ☕️ It’s been three days since the Buds Pro 2 release and I don’t see many Youtubers reviewing the Buds, except for a few local ones. Giants like MKBHD, Mrwhosetheboss and many others choose to ignore it or do it later because of the Galaxy unpacked just after or because of some other reason . As a person looking forward to buying these, I seriously lack enough confidence.

              Can Someone please give a detailed comparison between cmf buds & buds pro2
              I really want to know whether it is worth paying for Buds Pro2 over regular Buds

              TejasMaisuriya I guess 17th

              CMF Phone 1 goes on second sale on that date and maybe more cmf accessories will be live. I hope they get the 33w charger on sale as well. Everyone who bought the phone are currently frustrated that they don’t have the right charger for the phone.

              Louis ☕️

              Louis ☕️ Just received these earbuds an hour ago, I’ve been a nothing ear(1) user for the past 2yrs, I heavily used the nothing ear (1) on a daily basis and finally decided it was time for a change of buds.

              Here comes the harsh part, I mean no disrespect to the people who created this product by any means but the audio sounds absolutely HORRENDOUS. The vocals are muffled and they are NOWHERE NEAR the audio quality of the nothing ear (1) and even some other budget earbuds that my friends use. The bass is extremely overpowering, the vocals are muffled, and the mids are also messed up. I wanted to know if this issue’s been acknowledged by the dev team and if they’re working to fix the audio quality in a firmware update if possible, if not, I’m DEFINITELY returning these and buying something else.