CMF Buds Pro review: Affordable wireless earbuds that sound good, look snazzy

My CMF Buds Pro unit was the bright orange colour variant, while the buds also come in grey and black colour options

Nothing, which already offers the more premium Nothing (Ear) true wireless earbuds (TWS) in a price range of Rs 6,000 – Rs 12,000, recently launched CMF by Nothing - a more budget lineup of smartphone accessories, packing in premium features and snazzy design for the more price-sensitive buyers.

The name CMF here stands for Colour, Material, and Finish, a term widely used to refer to the industrial design of products, but definitely a quirky name for a lineup of accessories. The products launched were wireless earbuds, a smartwatch, and an ultra-fast charger based on GaN technology.

I have been using the CMF Buds Pro TWS earbuds for a month now. So here is what I think:

Looks, packaging, usage and fit

My CMF Buds Pro unit was the bright orange colour variant, while the buds also come in grey and black colour options. This is a really bright shade of orange, which totally stands out from the competition in this price range and I really liked it. The TWS comes inside a round orange-colour case that looks chunky but is light, so it was easy to carry them inside the trousers or bag pockets. The packaging was also minimalistic and used hard paper to cut down on costs.

Close look at the CMF Buds Pro earbuds

The earbuds themselves were extremely light at 4.8 grams each, thanks to the plastic and ABS build. While they don’t look cheap and are built nicely, the build can be improved further. While the buds are IP54-rated for splashes, the case is not. The case is all plastic with a metal hinge for opening which although sturdy, there is a little wobble when the case is opened frequently.

Also, the case is slightly on the thicker side, which needs to be pointed out. The magnets on the case which hold the buds inside are also on the weaker side, so one needs to be careful while using them.

When it comes to the fit of the CMF Buds Pro, I did not have any issues and the earbuds fit me quite snugly with the M-sized ear tips. The earbuds also come with S and L-sized ear tips. I used to take the earbuds for my walks every day outdoors, and not once did they fall off from my ears. In fact, the ear fit and comfort were almost at par with the more expensive Nothing (Ear) 2 that I had reviewed earlier. So kudos to Nothing for not compromising on the ear fit even on this budget offering.

The buds come with Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Fast Pair options with Bluetooth 5.3, so connecting through my Samsung and OnePlus smartphones were easy. The buds work seamlessly with the Nothing X app, which needs to be installed on your smartphone.

The buds can be easily connected via the NothingX app

Touch response on the buds' stems has also been tuned well -- double tap for skipping track, triple tap for going back and long press for ANC or transparency mode.

Sound quality

The CMF Buds Pro houses a single 10mm liquid crystal polymer (LCP) and polyurethane (PU) bass driver in each earbud while supporting the SBC and AAC codecs. In my testing, I felt them having a simple but effective V-shaped sound profile, where the bass is elevated and boosted for more punch as expected from Nothing audio products, and the treble is crisp and clear.

This leads to a pleasing sound signature that suits most genres and preferences. Nothing also allows further tweaks and customisation via the Nothing X app to adjust the equaliser settings.

The sound profile of the buds can be tweaked inside the NothingX app

I felt the buds are targeted to a price-conscious audience who want punchier bass that allows it to listen to pop music, some electronic and Bollywood songs. A peppy Bollywood track like Lutt Putt Gaya sounded just the way it was intended to, but I felt the bass on the CMF Buds Pro to be slightly muddled compared to the OnePlus Nord Buds 2r, which is cheaper than the former.

Overall, the sound profile is vibrant and one will mostly enjoy listening to songs, but Nothing can definitely improve the bass quality, which feels a bit muddled sometimes. And of course, these earbuds are not designed for audio profiles because these are budget audio sets and the performance is well-balanced.

Each earbud comes with three mics and a custom-developed algorithm (trained with two million noise models), which claims to deliver clear voice calls even in a buzzing atmosphere in the workplace or outdoors during rush hour. During my usage, I had a pleasant experience using the earbuds for calls, which were clear irrespective of areas and network strength.

When it came to ANC, the CMF Buds Pro surprised me pleasantly. ANC on these earbuds can reduce up to 45 dB noise level and as advertised, it managed to deliver a great listening experience. While it was not able to drown the high-pitched horns of vehicles on the road, engine noise from busses and cabs was reduced to a great extent, allowing me some pleasant rides. At this price point, I would say Nothing has done a great job with ANC.

Battery Life

With a large 55 mAh battery in each earbud, Nothing claims users can enjoy up to 11 hours of music playback on a single charge (with ANC off), or extend their listening time to up to 39 hours with the charging case. The CMF Buds Pro also comes with Fast Charge, enabling a 5-hour listening session after just 10 minutes of charging.

In my typical usage for 2-3 hours, the buds would easily last for a couple of days.

Verdict

At a price of Rs 3,499 the CMF Buds Pro offer incredible value in its segment – ANC in this price range is above average, quirky but premium looks, excellent sound quality and a good battery life. However, there is still room for improvement in build quality and the quality of bass offered. Overall, this set of TWS is easy to recommend.