CMF Buds review

Nothing Tech’s CMF sub-brand is taking a design-focused approach with its affordable accessories, including chargers, smartwatches, and a range of wireless earbuds.

We received a pair of CMF Buds and tested them over the past week to assess their performance. These vibrant orange earbuds promise impressive audio quality and a stylish design at a highly affordable price.

CMF Buds

• Cost: $39 on Amazon US, €39 on Amazon DE, £39 on Amazon UK

The CMF Buds feature Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), a transparency mode, Bluetooth 5.3 with dual device pairing, and 12.4mm drivers tuned by Dirac. With a customizable equalizer through the Nothing X app and over 35 hours of playback with the charging case, they offer a lot for their price.

At first glance, their affordability might seem too good to be true, but these orange buds have exceeded expectations.

Design

Design plays a central role in Nothing’s brand ethos, and this carries over into the CMF lineup. CMF products share design elements with those from Teenage Engineering, a Swedish company that has been a key partner in creating Nothing’s products, including the Ear (1).

Charging Case

The charging case is particularly unique. Our review unit came in a bold orange color that stands out both in person and in photos. Teenage Engineering’s design influence is evident in the bright color, minimalist aesthetic, and rotating aluminum alloy dial.

Though the dial could have been functional, it’s mainly for attaching a lanyard and serves as a good fidget tool.

Both the case and earbuds are made from plastic, which keeps them lightweight. The case lid feels sturdy and closes with a firm snap. The plastic, however, scratches easily—after just one day of carrying it in my pocket, the case already had light scratches. The case also features an LED status light for pairing mode and a USB-C charging port on the side.

• Dimensions: 54.7 x 54.7 x 22.9mm
• Weight: 43 grams for the case, 4.5 grams per earbud

Earbuds

The CMF Buds fit comfortably with medium-sized ear tips and stayed secure during long listening sessions. The earbuds have touch controls on the top, offering customizable single, double, and triple tap functions via the Nothing X app. Each earbud has two HD microphones, and the case is rated IP54 for water and dust resistance. The package includes a USB-C cable and extra ear tips.

Features and Companion App

Despite their budget price, the CMF Buds come loaded with features such as Bluetooth 5.3, ANC, transparency mode, dual device pairing, and wear detection sensors. The 12.4mm bio-fiber drivers are tuned by Nothing and Dirac, and Ultra Bass Technology 2.0 can be customized or disabled via the Nothing X app.

The Nothing X app is sleek and minimalist, using a dot matrix font, and works with Android 5.1+ and iOS 13+ devices. If you own a Nothing phone, there’s a bonus low latency mode that syncs with the phone’s Game mode.

However, the CMF Buds only support AAC and SBC Bluetooth codecs, with no high-bitrate options like LDAC or AptX. This is a trade-off expected with budget earbuds.

• ANC Performance: The ANC blocks up to 42 dB of noise across a frequency range up to 2,900 Hz. Four microphones also provide AI-based noise cancellation for calls, while holes at the earbud stems reduce wind interference.
• Additional Features: The earbuds support Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair, and include in-ear detection to pause and resume media when they are removed and reinserted.

Performance and Sound Quality

The CMF Buds deliver a lively soundstage with powerful bass, following the pattern of Nothing’s other earbuds. The 12.4mm drivers provide solid audio out of the box, though the bass may be overpowering for some listeners. Thankfully, the Nothing X app allows for custom EQ settings to achieve a more balanced sound.

• Sound Profile: While the bass is strong, the mids can feel recessed, making vocals and instruments sound thin. The highs are slightly muted, but overall, the soundstage is vibrant and particularly suited to electronic and hip-hop music. The treble complements the deep bass well.
• Volume and ANC: The earbuds are capable of high volumes, and the ANC effectively blocks low-frequency background noise. However, transparency mode sounds muffled and doesn’t effectively enhance surrounding noises. Turning ANC off slightly improves sound clarity in the lows and mids.

The dual device pairing feature worked well during testing with an iPhone 15 Pro and a MacBook Pro 14, allowing easy switching between devices. Call quality automatically transferred to the phone when needed. However, the Nothing X app occasionally required re-pairing when switching devices, a bug that may be resolved in future updates.

Touch controls were responsive, though the default setup lacks volume control. You can assign volume adjustments, but it’s not the most intuitive configuration. Call quality is adequate in quiet environments but struggles in noisy surroundings. In-ear detection worked well but sometimes paused tracks during workouts if the fit was loose.

• Bluetooth Range: Works up to 15 meters from the source device, similar to other wireless earbuds.

Battery Life

Each CMF Bud has a 45mAh battery, with the case housing a 460mAh battery. Charging is done via USB-C, with no wireless charging option.

• Playback Time: Up to 8 hours with ANC off and 5.6 hours with ANC or transparency mode on.
• Total with Case: Up to 35.5 hours with ANC off and 24 hours with ANC or transparency mode.
• Charging: A full charge takes about two hours, with 7 hours of use with ANC off and 4.5 hours with ANC on. A 10-minute charge offers around 4 hours of playback.

Verdict

CMF Buds by Nothing are a fantastic choice for budget-friendly wireless earbuds, offering much more than expected for their price. They boast a fresh design, a comfortable fit, and effective noise cancellation, paired with solid battery life, dual device pairing, and a well-designed app.

While the bass-heavy sound profile may not appeal to everyone, at $39/€39/£39/₹2,500, the CMF Buds offer excellent value, easily making them one of the top picks in their price range.