CMF Buds Pro vs Nothing Ear (2): What exactly are you missing out on?
CMF by Nothing launched globally not too long ago with three new products: the Buds Pro, the Watch Pro, and the Power 65W GaN Charger.
As the name suggests, CMF By Nothing is a newly established sub-brand by Nothing with the purpose of “making great design more accessible”. ‘Accessible’ here means affordable, which we gather is one of Nothing’s strategy to capture the low- to mid-segment market.
Although CMF have yet to release a smartphone, it does have the Buds Pro which retails at a significantly lower price than the Nothing Ear (2). This begs the question, just how much are you missing out on if you were to get the cheaper Buds Pro?
| CMF by Nothing Buds Pro | Nothing Ear (2) | |
| Driver | Dynamic Boost Bass Driver | 11.6mm Dynamic |
| Codec | AAC, SBC | AAC, SBC, LHDC |
| Noise Cancellation | Up to 45dB; 5,000Hz frequency range | Up to 40dB; 5,000Hz frequency range |
| Clear Voice Technology | Yes | Yes |
| Mics | 6 mics in total | 3 mics per bud |
| Battery Lifespan (Max) | 39 hours with case; 11 hours buds only | 36 hours with case; 6.3 hours buds only |
| Wired Charging | 10 mins for 5 hours with case (ANC off) | 10 mins for 8 hours (ANC off) |
| Wireless Charging | N/A | 2.5W |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Resistance | IP54 (buds only) | IP54 (buds); IP55 (case) |
| Nothing X Support | Yes | Yes |
| Price | RM239 | RM599 |
The clear and obvious difference here is that the CMF Buds Pro loses out on the transparent aesthetic iconic of the Nothing brand. If you’re not looking so much into design, then there’s no loss there.
One surprise is that the CMF Buds Pro boast better noise cancellation of up to 45dB, compared to the 40dB on the Ear (2). You can expect similar call clarity as both buds feature 6 mics each with Clear Voice Technology.
There is a slight difference in battery, with the CMF Buds Pro outlasting the Ear (2). The Buds Pro’s 11 hours battery lifespan takes quite a lead over the 6.3 hours of the Ear (2) – so that’s something to consider if you’re going to be heavily reliant on your ear buds for your day-to-day.
However, the Ear (2) does support wireless charging, while the CMF Buds Pro do not.
The great news is that both options can be further personalized via the Nothing X app.
There’s always going to be a quality gap between a RM239 ear buds and a RM599 earbuds, whether or not they are major enough for you to fork out the extra RM360 is solely a personal decision.
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