Hey everyone,
I got the opportunity to review CMF by Nothing’s most affordable TWS, the CMF Buds 2a (Rs 2,199), through the Nothing Community Review Programme. In this post, I’ll be sharing my detailed review of the product after using them for several weeks. So let’s begin 🚀
Fit and Comfortability
Clearly subjective but the shell of the earbuds causes pain when using the earbuds for long durations. But the fit with the default ear tips is fine and the earbuds feel relatively secure in the ears. The shape of buds is standard with a medium-sized stem
Sound Quality
The best thing I liked about the Buds 2a is that the lows (bass) don’t slip into or interfere with the mids. I used the Dirac preset throughout my usage.
There’s an Ultra Bass mode of 5 levels but I found the level 2 and 3 to be the most suitable setting.
If you like hearing EDMs, techno, trap, drum bass, etc.— CMF Buds 2a will offer a nice experience as the bass is punchy and boomy.
I listened to Mumbai Power by Skrillex and So Far Way (Curbi Remix), and in both songs the bass wasn’t overpowering the mids.
Speaking of mids, they are well-detailed but at times there’s a high shrill in vocals. While I didn’t have a similarly priced TWS for comparison, the higher-priced OPPO Enco Air3 Pro produces comforting and even more detailed vocals.
I listened to Messy by Rosé and the artist’s vocals at high pitches weren’t as comforting on Buds 2a.
This isn’t to say Buds 2a is bad, as when comparing the mids with OnePlus Nord Buds 2r (Rs 1500-1700), the CMF’s intrument and vocal clarity was superior, with no overpower of bass.
The highs and treble are well done in my opinion. The high-pitched sounds were comforting and had clarity, allowing for a good depth in the audio.
ANC & Transparency Mode
The 42dB ANC support is one of the key highlights of the Buds 2a, per Nothing.
Having used advanced TWS such as the OPPO Enco Air3 Pro which has 49dB ANC, the CMF Buds 2a actually performed better in cutting down the noise! In a nutshell, ANC is impressive.
I enabled ANC in different scenarios and it is able to shut the noise to a good extent but not completely like noise of ceiling fan, cars honking in traffic, and people talking in bus/train.
Though if something is very close and loud such as speaker announcement on train platforms, the ANC struggles to keep up. With a total of four microphones on both earbuds, the Transparency Mode lets in sound which is hearable but with slight muffling.
Nothing X app
Nothing X app is the most well-structured companion app I’ve used for accessing and controlling TWS features. The app has:
- Ultra bass setting
- Presets/ Equaliser
- Touch control setting
- Low lag mode
- Dual connection
- Find my earbuds
- Dark and Light mode themes
The touch controls on the buds work nicely. There were no accidental triggers or taps throughout my usage over the past few weeks. The CMF Buds 2a lack wear detection, which is something I enjoyed on TWS from Realme and OPPO.
Dual-connection here works differently compared to Realme and OPPO. Once you play the audio on one device, then play on the another, the audio from the 1st device doesn’t pause. Also, the app has a homescreen widget that shows the user the remaining battery of each earbud and a button to switch b/w ANC modes.
Along with being well-desinged, incorporating Nothing’s colour language, and on point menus and features, the app doesn’t promote the company’s products. You also don’t need to compulsorily log in to control or access features of Buds 2a. A welcome change for me coming from Realme Link.
Design
The CMF Buds 2a makes itself stand out by having a squarish case. While many TWS come in a jewellery box form, all of them have a rectangular or pebble-like design.
The rotating dial to attach the lanyard also uniquely elevates the design. The case + buds weigh 51.3g.
With a polycarbonate build and matte finish, the case feels comfortable to hold. However, it protrudes prominently when in tight pockets.
The Light Grey colour, which appears off-white, can get dirty easily if you often put in or pull out the buds from pockets, backpack, or place them on multiple surfaces regularly.
The case features a Type-C charging port on the right side, unlike most TWS with rear ports, and includes a pairing/reset button beside the port. Strong internal magnets ensure earbuds snap securely into indents for charging, even if loosely placed.
For protection against liquids, such as sweat and water the CMF Buds 2a’s earbuds have an IP54 rating while the case gets a IPX2 rating. Apart from Light Grey, the device comes in Dark Grey and Orange colour options.
Battery
The buds have a 43mAh battery each, while the case gets a 460mAh capacity of battery.
With ANC mode enabled for the whole time, the earbuds last 4 hours max on a full charge when running music or a movie. Without ANC, the earbuds can offer 6 to 7 hours of playback.
The case allowed me to charge the buds 4 to 5 times when it was fully charged.
Charging
When the buds and charging case are completely left with no juice, it took around 90 minutes for a full charge. As for the earbuds, these get charged under 50 minutes from 10% to 100% when in the case.
Both buds and the case can fully charge in around 90 minutes. I used a 100W OnePlus charging adapter to regularly charge the CMF Buds 2a.
Box Contents
The CMF Buds 2a box comes with the following items:
- Pair of earbuds
- Charging case
- Ear tips of S,M and L sizes
- Safety and warranty information
- User guide
Verdict
While the CMF Buds 2a may not be feature packed, they get the sound and ANC aspect right for the most part to the point I was impressed for it what offers for Rs 2,199.
The low frequencies aka bass is done nicely that doesn’t interfer mids, and the Ultra Bass mode is there for a more punchy output. The mids and highs are well taken care of as these are detailed and clear with the exception being that the vocals aren’t comforting at high pitches.
Then comes the Nothing X experience and design - both of which are on point with Nothing’s branding and have a disctinct factor with looks, like their phones.
The CMF Buds 2a were launched in April alongside the CMF Buds 2, CMF Buds 2 Plus and CMF Phone 2 Pro and are now available to purchase from Flipkart.
PROS
✅ Distinct case design
✅ Well-made Nothing X app
✅ Impactful bass but not bloaty
✅ Detailed vocals with comforting treble
✅ Impressive ANC
✅ Decent battery life
CONS
❌ Lacks features like wear detection
❌ Light Grey colour easily gets dirty
❌ Mids can get sharp at times
Thanks for reading till the end. If you found review useful, a like will be much appreciated.
