In the ever-evolving world of true wireless earbuds, staying ahead of the curve is a challenge for even the most established brands. CMF by Nothing is making a bold statement with the Buds Pro 2, the latest addition to their growing audio lineup. As the successor to their predecessor, the CMF Buds Pro, these earbuds pack a punch with upgraded features across the board: dual drivers, enhanced ANC, spatial audio, and extended battery life. The charging case even boasts a unique Smart Dial for controlling volume, playback, and calls.
Top it off with LDAC support, multi-point pairing, and a stylish design with vibrant color options, it’s clear CMF is aiming high. But with a price tag of just PHP3,790 – considerably less than many competitors – surely some compromises were made? The answer is yes, but surprisingly, not in the areas that matter most. We’re fortunate enough to get our hands on the new CMF Buds Pro 2 in light gray color variant. In this review, we will dive deep into the design, sound quality, features, and overall performance of these exciting new earbuds. From unboxing to everyday use, we’ll leave no stone unturned in our quest to help you decide if these earbuds are the right fit for you.
Unboxing/Accessories
The CMF Buds Pro 2 box maintains a minimalist aesthetic. Inside, you’ll find the Buds Pro 2 with medium silicone ear tips pre-installed, the charging case with its innovative Smart Dial, a USB-A to USB-C cable for charging, and additional silicone ear tips (S and L) for a perfect fit. The user manual is also included to guide you through the setup and features of the earbuds.
Design And Build Quality
CMF has replaced the first-gen CMF Buds Pro’s circular charging case with a distinctive square one, maintaining the soft-touch matte plastic that resists fingerprints. The earbuds themselves are ergonomically designed for comfort, even during long listening sessions.
The square case, softened by rounded corners and accented by the functional dial, exudes an immediate sense of style. Available in a palette of four colors – Blue, Orange, Dark Grey, and Light Grey – the ones we received for review were Light Grey. The Smart Dial, crafted with a solid metal ring and tactile clicks, stands out as a refreshing addition to the TWS market, setting the CMF Buds Pro 2 apart. This innovative dial functions like a remote control, allowing for volume adjustment with satisfying tactile feedback, and supports remapable single, double, triple, and tap-to-hold presses.
By default, the Smart Dial controls on the CMF Buds Pro 2 case are disabled. You need to enable them through the Nothing X app before you can use them to control various functions like volume, noise cancellation, and playback.
Inside the case, a pairing button sits conveniently between the earbuds. A USB-C charging port is located on the right side of the case. An LED indicator on the case’s front keeps you informed of the battery status and pairing mode.
Each earbud weighs just 4.9 grams, contributing to a comfortable fit, further enhanced by the pre-applied size M silicone tips. In addition to the innovative Smart Dial, the top halves of the buds also feature remappable touch sensors for media, noise cancellation, and volume controls, offering additional customization options. The functional dial offers immediate control over volume levels and basic functions like play/pause, skip forward, and answer calls.
You can simply connect the CMF Buds Pro 2 without downloading the Nothing X app, but to take your listening experience to the next level, you must install it.
The Buds Pro 2 also incorporates wear detection, automatically pausing media when removed from your ears and resuming when you put them back in. They also have an IP54 rating, offering protection against dust and water splashes, though the charging case lacks this protection.
Nothing X App
Speaking of taking your listening experience to the next level, let’s explore the Nothing X app – your gateway to unlocking the full potential of the CMF Buds Pro 2.
The Nothing X app, available on both Android and iPhone, serves as the command center for the CMF Buds Pro 2, offering a wealth of customization and control. Within the app, you can fine-tune your listening experience with a variety of noise-canceling and transparency modes, including an Adaptive mode that intelligently adjusts to your surroundings. You can toggle features like multipoint connectivity and low-latency mode, and even run an ear tip fit test to ensure optimal comfort and sound isolation. The app empowers you to personalize the touch controls on the earbuds and fully customize the functions of the innovative Smart Dial on the charging case.
Additionally, the “Find My Earbuds” feature provides peace of mind in case you misplace them. You can also enable a dual connection option that lets you connect to two devices at the same time and switch the audio playback between them. However, it’s worth noting that the headset gets rebooted every time you need to enable or disable this feature.
Performance and Audio Quality
CMF has significantly improved the audio with these dual-driver earbuds. The 11mm dynamic bass driver and 6mm micro-planar tweeter deliver powerful bass and crisp highs. I’ve personally enjoyed using them for a week now, and listening to music on Spotify has been a delight. The bass is punchy, and the overall clarity is impressive.
In addition to the impressive audio quality, the CMF Buds Pro 2 delivers an exceptional audio experience through a combination of cutting-edge technologies. LDAC™ technology ensures high-resolution audio streaming with its impressive transmission rate, capturing the nuances and subtleties of your music for a truly immersive listening experience. Meanwhile, the Spatial Audio Effect creates a captivating 360-degree soundscape, placing you in the center of the action for a cinematic audio encounter. Finally, Dirac Opteo™ optimizes the overall sound performance by enhancing clarity, depth, and detail, ensuring you hear your music exactly as the artist intended.
Hi-Res Audio Wireless with LDAC™ and LHDC codecs ensures exceptional clarity for audiophiles, though it disables the Dirac Opteo™ sound optimization. The Ultra Bass Technology 2.0 adds an extra punch to the low frequencies.
The ANC in the CMF Buds Pro 2 effectively reduces a wide range of ambient noise up to 50 dB. While it might not be the absolute best ANC on the market, it’s certainly impressive for the price point and effectively blocks out most distractions. The Nothing X app offers complete control over noise cancellation, allowing you to choose from High, Mid, or Low levels, or let the earbuds intelligently adjust to your surroundings with Adaptive mode. Transparency mode lets you stay aware of your surroundings.
Finally, the Buds Pro 2 are equipped with 3 HD microphones per earbud and Clear Voice Technology 2.0, refined using over 20 million samples of wind and environmental noise to effectively isolate ambient sounds. Wind Noise Reduction 2.0 further enhances call quality, ensuring clear conversations even in windy conditions.
With these refinements, the section should be even more engaging and easier to read! Please let me know if you have any further questions or requests.
Battery Life
The CMF Buds Pro 2 boasts a 60mAh battery in each earbud and a 460mAh case, offering convenient charging options. A full charge takes about 70 minutes, but with fast charging support, the earbuds can be fully juiced up within the case in just an hour. A quick 10-minute charge provides up to 3 hours of playback with ANC off (or up to 7 hours when charged within the case), or 1.8 hours with ANC on (or up to 6 hours when charged within the case), ensuring minimal disruption to your listening experience. Keep in mind that using LDAC for high-quality audio will reduce battery life.
Verdict
Noise-canceling is impressive for the price, battery life is excellent, and the companion app isn’t exactly short on features. The bass-heavy tuning won’t please everyone, but those who enjoy a powerful low-end will be pleased. The Smart Dial adds a unique and convenient control option. The Dual Connection feature, allowing seamless switching between devices, is a major plus.
Beyond core functions, the CMF Buds Pro 2 offers additional features like low-lag mode for gaming, fast pairing options, and in-ear detection.
Overall, if you’re seeking an affordable audio upgrade with premium sound, long battery life, and a comfortable fit, look no further than the CMF Buds Pro 2.
CMF Buds Pro 2 Specs
- Drivers: 11mm dynamic bass driver + 6mm micro-planar tweeter
- Connectivity: Bluetooth® 5.3, LDAC, AAC, SBC
- Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz
- Battery Life:
- Earbuds: Up to 11 hours (ANC off), Up to 6.5 hours (ANC on)
- Total with Case: Up to 43 hours (ANC off), Up to 26 hours (ANC on)
- Charging: USB-C, Fast charging (10 mins for 3.5 hours)
- Charging Time:
- Earbuds (in case): ~1 hour
- Case: ~1 hour 10 minutes
- Water Resistance: IP55 (earbuds only)
- Active Noise Cancellation: Hybrid ANC, up to 50dB
- Microphones: 3 per earbud (6 total)
- Weight:
- Each Earbud: 4.9g
- Charging Case: 46g
- Earbuds + Charging Case: 55.8g
- Other Features: Transparency Mode, Spatial Audio, Smart Dial, Touch Controls, Wear Detection, Multipoint Pairing, Low Latency Mode, Find My Earbuds, Google Fast Pair, Microsoft Swift Pair
- Colors: Blue, Orange, Dark Grey, and Light Grey
Price and availability
The CMF Buds Pro 2 earbuds have an SRP of Php 3,790 and are available in Blue, Orange, Dark Grey, and Light Grey colors through Digital Walker’s website and the Digital Walker Official Store on Lazada.
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