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- Smart Dial charging case
- Dirac Opteo acoustics technology
- Strong bass
- Bass can be too much at times
- ANC is middling
- Patchy touch controls
Stacked with features, but not overburdened by price, the Buds Pro 2 from Nothing family member CMF are perilously close to being an impulse purchase.
They’re wireless earbuds pitched squarely at the everyday listener, yet arrive with a feature list that wouldn’t embarrass more costly earbuds: ANC (active noise cancellation), spatial audio, and a clever charging case with a smart control dial – the spec represents a welcome level of ambition.
If you’re looking for a catch, you won’t find an obvious one, but there are quirks you’ll want to know about before you rush to order a pair.
What do you get for the money?
The CMF Buds Pro 2 sell for £59, putting them in direct competition with options like the JLab JBuds Pods ANC and Samsung Galaxy Buds FE.
That price is a score more than the CMF Buds 2, which previously surprised me by being better than they had any right to be. Even so, it’s a price point where expectations remain modest.
In addition to the earbuds themselves, which house a dual-driver arrangement, support spatial audio and make use of Dirac Opteo acoustics wizardry, your outlay gets you a neat charging case with a soft-touch matte finish and Smart Dial, a USB-A to USB-C cable, and three sizes of silicone eartips.
The charging case is tidy at 53mm square and weighs 46g, while the buds themselves are light and comfortable at 4.9g apiece. I found they sat well, feeling secure and unobtrusive. They’re available in Orange, Dark Grey, Light Grey, or Blue. Mine came in Dark Grey, which looked smart with the mix of matte stem and glossy bulb.
What do they do well?
Usability and design are a cut above. Pairing is straightforward thanks to Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair, and the Nothing X app offers plenty of control: EQ presets (including Dirac Opteo for improved soundstaging), custom EQ, noise control, dual pairing, and even a low-lag gaming mode.
Battery life is what I would expect: up to 11 hours with ANC turned off, and six hours with it on. There’s a reserve of just over 30 hours in the case, which is one of, if not the, cleverest in its price bracket. Its Smart Dial design allows you to execute various playback commands by rotating or pressing the dial, meaning you can forgo touch controls on the buds if you so wish.
Audio performance is impressive enough, with caveats. There is LDAC codec support – but not aptX. A dual-driver setup, incorporating a big 11mm bass driver paired with a 6mm micro-planar tweeter, provides punch and clarity. However, it’s quickly apparent that the tuning favours the low end. Personally, I’m generally on board with a beefy bass response bonus, but it could be divisive..
Play smooth jazz and you’ll hear a pleasing roundness in the lower mids; double bass lines are deep and warm. Similarly, Diana Krall’s vocal on Cry Me a River carries sultry weight.
The heft also works with more rowdy fare. Babymetal’s collab-heavy Metal Forth album stomps along like a kaiju in shogun armour. Guitar riffs slam home, but kawaii melodies remain fluffy and crisp.
On the flip side, Pink Floyd’s remastered Shine On You Crazy Diamond (from Wish You Were Here 50) feels skewed, the bass bias tilting the mix. It’s probably fair to say that accuracy is not a strong point of the Buds Pro 2. Audiophiles look away now.
The active noise-cancelling system comes in three strengths (with not much between them), plus a transparency option. It’s managed by six microphones and an AI algorithm that does a reasonable job of trimming away life’s less musical noises.
Sure, the Buds Pro 2 ANC can’t equal the stifling isolation offered by Bose or Sony, but it does close the door on more intrusive clatter, allowing your chosen tracks to play largely unhindered.
What could be improved?
The extra bass, while enjoyable on some tracks, can be too much on others. It’s not ruinous, but it is noticeable. A little more finesse would be welcome.
I also found the touch controls on the earbuds themselves a tad unresponsive. For that reason, I found myself using the Smart Dial case rather more than expected. Which is fine when it’s to hand, less so when it’s buried in a pocket somewhere.
Just as with their stablemates, the Buds 2, performance is enhanced when ANC is switched off. With noise cancellation cancelled, the sound becomes leaner, more agile. There is an obvious conundrum here.
You’ll definitely want to engage ANC when out and about, not least because any intrusive hubbub will negate any benefit to be had from turning it off. My suggestion would be to switch off ANC when wearing the buds at home, purely for personal listening pleasure. Sonic consistency here would be welcome.
Should you buy the CMF Buds Pro 2?
If you’re after a pair of everyday earbuds that punch above their price tag, entry-level ANC, decent battery life, and a design that feels more premium than the price suggests, make the CMF Buds Pro 2 well worth shortlisting.
Sonically, that dual driver configuration also gives them an edge over the cheaper Buds 2, but the consequence is more overt bass. Still, for sixty quid with change, you’re unlikely to be disappointed.
