I’ve been using the CMF Headphone Pro as part of the Community Review Program, so a big thank you to @Deepanshu_Saini_ for the invite and the chance to put them to the test.
If you want the short version: you don’t need to spend a fortune to get great sound. The CMF Headphone Pro prove that perfectly. They deliver clarity, comfort and surprisingly good audio for their price.
Before these came along, I’d been using Nothing’s Headphone (1) as my daily driver, so that’s what I’ve mainly compared them to. They’re both from the same company but sit at very different price points, £79 versus £299. Despite that, the gap between them isn’t as big as you might think, and that says a lot about how far the team has come in refining both design and sound quality.
The CMF Headphone Pro find a nice balance between affordability and refinement. Rather than get lost in specs, I want to focus on what actually matters day to day: how they look, how they sound, how long they last, and the thoughtful touches that make them feel much more expensive than they are. You’ll notice there are some features I haven’t discussed or gone into detail about, that’s because it’s something I wouldn’t actually use and so I didn’t consider them, for authenticity of my review.
🎧 Design
Straight out of the box, the Headphone Pro have a clean, modern and simple design. They don’t demand attention like the Headphone (1), but they still look smart and well thought-out. You can pick from three colours — Dark Grey, Light Grey and Light Green — and there are interchangeable ear cushions coming soon in Light Green and Orange. I received the Dark Grey version, which is almost black, and I really like how subtle and neat they look.
The build uses plastic for the drivers, while the headband combines metal with soft padding. Together, that makes them very lightweight, which you instantly notice after using the heavier Headphone (1). The earcups are vegan leather, slightly larger and more circular than on the Headphone (1). That extra space makes a real difference for comfort, especially if you wear glasses. They feel like a soft cushion cuddling your ears.
You also get a 3.5mm cable and a fabric pouch in the box. The inclusion of a bag at this price was a pleasant surprise. In fact, I actually prefer this soft pouch to the bulky hard case that comes with Headphone (1). It’s easier to use, less of a faff, and feels more practical for everyday life.
🎛 Physical Buttons and Use
Like the Headphone (1), the Headphone Pro use physical buttons rather than touch controls, which I personally prefer. On the left side, you’ll find the power button, the Energy Slider, and the 3.5mm port. On the right, there’s the roller, a customisable launch button, and the USB-C charging port.
The buttons have a good click and give helpful audio feedback when pressed. The Energy Slider is an easy way to quickly tweak the bass or treble, and the roller handles volume and playback. The launch button can be set to do one specific thing, which is handy if you just want quick access to something you use often.
They do feel a little less premium than the Headphone (1), but that’s to be expected at this price. There are a couple of things I’d like to see improved in future versions. A simple visual indicator for power, like the small LED on Headphone (1), would be great, and a dedicated paddle for skipping tracks would be much easier than using the Roller. Sometimes when I tried to skip, it paused instead. These are small issues, though, not dealbreakers.
🔊 Sound
This was the biggest surprise. I expected them to sound fine for the price, but they’ve been better than that.
Let’s be realistic. Headphone (1) still has the edge in clarity and detail, which makes sense given the cost difference. But when switching between the two, the gap isn’t as wide as I expected. The Headphone Pro have that rich bass and slightly punchier low end sound profile to them. I personally like that, though if you prefer a flatter sound, it might be a bit much. In some cases, you could say these remind you of what Beats headphones produce - strong punchy bass but lacking on the other ends of the EQ.
The Nothing X app gives you some control, although the EQ isn’t as advanced as on Headphone (1). What I really liked was the Personalised Sound setup, which the Headphone (1) doesn’t have. It tunes the sound to your hearing through a short set up, similarly to what most in-ear buds offer, and for me improved my overall experience. I combined that with the Electronic preset and Bass Level 5, which gave me the right EQ for my music taste. For others, you might want to try different results.
The Energy Slider, when pushed to the max, boosts the bass even more (by default, you can change it). For most tracks, it works well, but on a few it can overpower the mids and sometimes add a bit of a muffled sound. That’s easy enough to dial back, though.
I didn’t spend much time with Spatial Mode because honestly, I never use that feature on any headphones. I tried it once and thought it sounded awful, so that was the end of that experiment.
Active Noise Cancellation was much better than I expected for this price. It handled daily environments really well, whether I was walking, at the gym, or in a shop. It doesn’t isolate you as fully as Headphone (1) does, though. For example, at home I could still hear the kettle boiling faintly with Headphone Pro, or on a walk outside I would hear more vehicle sounds driving past me, whereas Headphone (1) blocked those sounds almost completely.
Transparency Mode is where they fall short. It’s functional but doesn’t sound as natural as on Headphone (1). There’s a slight muffling effect, so you still feel a bit sealed off from the outside world, but when you speak you can hear it just isn’t clear like the more expensive sibling.
Overall, I spent a few hours swapping between both models using the same EQ settings (as close as I could). Headphone (1) delivers more clarity and better ANC, while Headphone Pro offers that heavier bass that’s fun to listen to, even if it loses a little sharpness.
🔋 Battery Life
The battery life is genuinely impressive. I charged them once since unboxing them, and even that was just to test the fast charging feature. Five minutes of charging gave me another four hours of playback. For reference, I would use these anywhere between 2-11 hours with ANC turned on.
It’s the kind of battery you don’t think about, which is probably the biggest compliment you can give. You can use them for days on end without worrying about plugging them in, and when you do, they’re ready again in minutes.
💭 Final Thoughts
The CMF Headphone Pro is a fantastic entry into the over-ear market for CMF. We’ve seen what Nothing can do at the premium level, and when I heard these would cost just £79, I honestly expected them to sound cheap. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
They’re comfortable, lightweight, and sound genuinely good for the money. Sure, they don’t have the same noise isolation or clarity as Headphone (1), and the build materials feel a bit less refined, but that’s a fair trade for what you’re paying.
If you want a sleek, unique design with high-end materials and cleaner audio, then Headphone (1) is the better fit. But if you want something that delivers great sound, strong battery life, and everyday comfort at a fraction of the price, the CMF Headphone Pro are incredibly easy to recommend.
Can you get something better? I’m sure you can but at £79, it’s hard to recommend another pair of headphones that give you this much for so little.
