Tech company Nothing announced the second generation of its impressive CMF Buds Pro, along with aphoneand smartwatch. CMF is Nothing’s budget-minded sub-brand, and the CMF Buds Pro 2 earbuds easily align with that mission. They are priced at just $59 while offering plenty of features typical of much more expensive headphones.
For $200 less, I can get many of the same features as the Apple AirPods Pro 2, such as high-quality and adaptive noise cancelation, long battery life, quality mics, and spatial audio, in the CMF Buds Pro 2.
You may not guess that a $59 pair of buds could possibly compete with the ubiquitous (and pricey) Apple AirPods Pro 2. Yet, even though they just came out, I already want to buy them overApple’s AirPods Pro 2.
5 reasons I’d pick CMF Nothing Buds over Apple AirPods
The CMF Buds have a rich set of features at a much lower price than AirPods, and that’s just one of the reasons why I keep coming back to them.
Nothing’s CMF Buds Pro 2 offer a unique design
Inspiration from past Nothings, with improved features
First and foremost, it’s important to understand what the CMF Buds Pro 2 bring to the table. Nothing ventured away from the round case found with the original CMF Buds Pro; instead, they opted for a square case like the CMF Buds. That case features a unique and customizable Smart Dial, which allows you to change settings like volume or playback options. It allows both twist and press controls, giving you quick access to a few different settings.
The Buds Pro 2 themselves feature hybrid active noise cancelation up to 50dB, dual connection, six HD mics with Clear Voice Technology 2.0, and an IP55 rating. They offer an 11mm bass driver, hi-res audio up to 990kbps, and spatial audio support. The frequency range has been up to 40,000Hz on the high end compared to the 20,000Hz of the first version. Plus, Nothing says users will get up to seven hours of playback on a single charge with ANC on and up to 43 hours with the case with no ANC.
I loved my even morebudget-friendly CMF Buds(not the Pro version), so I highly anticipate also being very impressed with the second Pro version and choosing them overAirPodsas well.
Nothing’s CMF Buds are bass-ically a no-brainer for my ears and wallet
Despite the budget price, the CMF Buds pack a punch.
Why I would choose a budget pair of headphones over the Apple AirPods Pro 2
Impressive specs with an affordable price win out
It’s no secret that the Apple AirPods Pro 2 are iconic. Walking around on the street, it’s typical to see most people with some variety of AirPods in their ears. While they certainly have some impressive features, they also come with a very steep price tag. For a new pair, you’ll spend $250 on the AirPods Pro 2. For my budget and needs, that’s just far too expensive for a pair of headphones, no matter how good they are.
Why Apple adding a touchscreen to AirPods would chase me away
I have enough screens to interact with. I just want AirPods to focus on the sound.
For $200 less, I can get many of the same features as the Apple AirPods Pro 2, such as high-quality and adaptive noise cancelation, long battery life, quality mics, and spatial audio, in the CMF Buds Pro 2. That’s a very significant difference that I would have difficulty justifying. Sure, the AirPods offer a few more advanced features, but those aren’t worth $200 to me.
I found the CMF Buds to be much more comfortable in my ears (albeit a bit loose at times), which means I can actually wear them for more than five minutes at a time. The Buds Pro 2 looks to use much the same design, meaning they should fit essentially the same.
In addition to offering many of the same features, the CMF Buds Pro earbuds even win out in certain areas. They feature a slightly better IP rating (IP55 compared to IP54) and slightly longer battery life. The new case design is also a unique tool that makes interacting with your headphones easier, especially when added to the touch controls on the buds themselves. Plus, the Nothing X app allows for lots of customization, far more than you’ll get with Apple’s headphones.
If we get the AirPods Pro 3 soon, I want them to have these 7 features
With Wi-Fi audio, customizable transparency mode, and a dust-resistance rating, the AirPods Pro 3 would be my mainstay.
Finally, I am partially biased against the AirPods Pro 2 because they hurt my ears, but I know I’m not alone in that boat. It’s just another reason to opt for the CMF Buds Pro 2. I found the CMF Buds to be much more comfortable in my ears (albeit a bit loose at times), which means I can actually wear them for more than five minutes at a time. The Buds Pro 2 looks to use much the same design, meaning they should fit essentially the same. That alone is a big win in my book.
