CMF Buds Pro Review: A solid affordable true wireless option
The CMF Buds Pro are part of the three products that were debuted by CMF by Nothing back in September. As the name suggests, CMF is a sub-brand by Nothing (you might remember the Nothing Phone (2)). However, unlike Nothing, which caters mostly to the flagship market, CMF leans towards capturing the affordable IoT segment.
At the time of writing, CMF has released just three products – the Buds Pro, the Watch Pro, and the Power 65 GaN charger. In our previous article, we tested the Watch Pro and penned our thoughts on Nothing’s first attempt at an affordable smart watch.
In this review, we’ll be turning our attention to the CMF Buds Pro to see what this RM239 true wireless has to offer.
CMF Buds Pro – Casing and Earbuds
The Buds Pro comes in the same shade of piercing bright orange which you’ll find on the Watch Pro too. This goes for both the case and the buds. If orange isn’t your style, the Buds Pro also comes in Dark Grey and Light Grey.
The round case itself has a matte textured finish, with the CMF logo subtly etched onto the lid. Now, the case is pretty large compared to most other TWS earbuds out there. It’s not huge, but it definitely isn’t the most pocketable option to go with your jeans unless you don’t mind that obvious bulge.
At the front of the case is an LED light to indicate battery levels, though it only shifts between white (higher than 30%) and red (lower than 30%). The USB port for charging is located on the other side of the case below the large reflective hinge.
The earbuds look like any ol’ TWS earbuds, nothing outstanding like that of the Nothing Ear (2). The stem is pill-shaped with a matte texture, up until the buds where it takes on a glossy finishing topped with silicone tips. I don’t mind the Buds Pro being ‘normal’ by Nothing’s standards. Not everything you own should turn heads. In fact, I quite like that the stem isn’t too long; and personally, the fitting is perfect for my ears.
On that note, the earbuds are IP54 dust and water resistance.
Features and Audio Quality
Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) technology – which was once exclusive to flagship true wireless – is evidently more prevalent even in affordable true wireless, so we welcome the 45dB ANC on the CMF Watch Pro.
I found the ANC to be pretty impressive considering this price point. It does a great job at blocking out most environmental noise around you, although you’ll still be able to hear some muffled noises leaking through. You can toggle this via the Nothing X app, which we’ll get to later.
Overall, the sound quality on the Buds Pro holds up pretty well. CMF emphasizes a lot on bass production with the Buds Pro, featuring a dynamic bass boost driver and ‘ultra bass technology’ (as mentioned on its official website). Electronic Dance Music (EDM) fans who are into bass-thumping sub-genres like Trance and Hardstyle will appreciate this more; listeners of other musical genres will probably let this slip by.
For the average Spotify and YouTube Music listener, the Buds Pro will hit the mark. If you’re watching videos on Netflix and YouTube, there is a slight delay due to the latency – but it’s nothing detrimental. Serious gamers might say otherwise, but again, for the average listener it is negligible.
The Buds Pro also come with in-ear detection. This feature automatically pauses the music when you plug even one of the buds out, and automatically resumes when you put it back in. Based on my time with it, the detection is excellent and has been on point.
Nothing X App
Like the Nothing Ear (1) and Ear (2), the CMF Buds Pro can be customized via the Nothing X App (available on both Google Play Store and Apple App Store).
App controls immediately get good grades in my book. The Nothing X app in particular has great UI design and is easy to navigate around.
Here’s where you can toggle Noise Cancellation levels (low, mid, high), Transparency Mode, or simply turn off ANC altogether.
You can select between different equalizer presets. By default it will be on Balanced mode, but you can switch between More Bass, More Treble, and Voice depending on your preference. If you’re handy enough, you have the flexibility to customize your own sound profile.
Talking about customization, the Buds Pro allows you to configure the earbuds’ touch control on the app. You have plenty of choices in this department as you can decide between Double Tap, Triple Tap, Tap & Hold, and Double Tap & Hold. There is no single tap option available to avoid any accidental pressing when you need to touch the buds (to adjust them, for example).
Aside from that, you can also enable Low Lag Mode to reduce delay when gaming, enable/disable in-ear detection, and activate the Find My Earbuds feature.
Battery Life
There’s plenty of juice in the CMF Buds Pro – that we can guarantee. Each buds pack 55mAh of battery, with the case able to keep 460mAh.
You’ll get a good six hours out of the buds alone, with ANC on. CMF says on its official website that without ANC, the buds have an 11 hour playback. Personally I’ve only used them during working hours, where they last comfortably for the better part of the day.
As for the case itself, when fully charged, it should be able to give you up to four charges before needing to plug it in again.
CMF Buds Pro – Verdict
At RM239, the CMF Buds Pro is well worth your money.
Sound quality is more than decent for the average consumer, and at its price point, the ANC works really well. Again, it is not the most portable option you’ll find, but if you’re going to chuck it in your backpack anyway, then it’s not going to be a problem.
The customization on the Nothing X app is what earns the Buds Pro a grade ‘A’ for me. Customizable sound profiles and touch controls should be the standard for all true wireless even at this segment, but that’s just my take.
Hardcore audiophiles may be able to pick apart each layer of sound and find fault with it. That’s when we’ll point you towards the flagship segment as you’ll probably find more joy there.
Ultimately, if someone were to request recommendations for a pair of true wireless earbuds within the RM250 threshold, the CMF Buds Pro is sure to come up.
If you’re interested in picking up the CMF Buds Pro, you can do so on the CMF official store on Shopee and Lazada.
Read more of our reviews below!
