I haven't paid much attention to Nothing's CMF sub-brand, but I like the sound quality (and design) of the Ear 1 and Ear 2, so I decided to try out the CMF Buds to see how they measure up. I tend to prefer IEMs with a neutral sound, but I will admit that the convenience that you get with wireless earbuds is unmatched.
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The key attribute of the CMF Buds is their accessibility; the earbuds retail for just $29 in the U.S., and they're just as affordable in India, where they sell for ₹2,499 ($28). That's considerably less than the $99 retail price of the Ear 2, and you don't miss out on many features: the CMF Buds get fast pair, low latency mode, IP54 ingress protection, ANC, and Bluetooth 5.3.
Obviously, the Buds don't have the same see-through design that's distinctive to the Ear 2, but I think the design is eye-catching in its own right — particularly with the Clear Orange variant. The vibrant hue makes the earbuds stand out, and at 4.57g, they're light enough that you don't notice you're wearing them at all.
Nothing retained a similar overall structure as the Ear 2, so you get a bulbous shell and a short stalk. The shell has a glossy coat, but the stalk has a matte texture that makes it easier to trigger gestures. The fit is exquisite, and I didn't see any issues in this regard even with extended use.
The case is easily pocketable as well, and it has a dial that doesn't serve any utility; you just twirl it around if you're bored and want something to do. The build quality is decent, but the case has managed to pick up a lot of scratches in the two months I used the Buds — so in that sense, it is entirely too similar to the Ear 2.
Thanks to fast pair, you can connect the buds to your phone without any hassle whatsoever, and I got a stable connection with the Pixel 8 Pro, Xiaomi 14, Zenfone 11 Ultra, and the Magic 6 Pro. The Buds integrate with Nothing's X utility, and you can tweak the sound profile, set up gestures, and change EQ modes with relative ease.
And while I didn't use it as much, there's a low latency gaming mode that comes in handy if you've got the Phone 2a or another Nothing phone. A big talking point is the presence of ANC, and it does a great job tuning out ambient noise. In my testing, it wasn't as effective as the Ear 2, but it is definitely useful if you're in a noisy environment.
What I also like is that the Buds have a lot of extras that you don't usually see in this segment; there's IP54 ingress protection, multi-device pairing, and in-ear detection. The only downside to the design is that the gesture controls are still finicky, and that's been an issue on all Nothing earbuds I used up to this point.
The biggest reason to buy the CMF Buds is the sound quality, and there is a lot to like in this area. The earbuds have a distinctly bass-focused sound that delivers an energetic low-end — so much so that it spills over into the mid-range. The bass is heavy and domineering, but on the bright side, the earbuds sound fantastic with bass-heavy tunes. So if that's the sort of sound signature you're after, you should just get these; I liken the CMF Buds to the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 in this regard.
If you don't like the low-end to dominate the sound, you can tweak the sound signature (to an extent) via Nothing X, and doing so creates a slightly more balanced sound that lends itself well to most mainstream music. You don't quite get the same tonality or refinement as the Ear 2, but for what you're ultimately paying, the CMF Buds are among the best-sounding earbuds in this segment.
The battery life isn't quite on par with other earbuds; in my usage, I got just under five hours of playback before having to charge the Buds. That's at least an hour less than the standard in this category, but to Nothing's credit, it added fast charging, and a 10-minute charge gives you an hour's worth of battery.
The CMF Buds are Nothing's most affordable earbuds yet, and while I haven't used the Buds Pro, I think the regular Buds are a great starting point into the brand's ecosystem. With Nothing set to announce a CMF-branded phone in the coming weeks, it is clear that the entry-level segment is where the brand sees the biggest differentiation. For now, if you need budget earbuds with a good design and bass-heavy sound, you'll like what the CMF Buds have to offer.
Combining a terrific design with bass-heavy sound and plenty of useful extras, the CMF Buds deliver everything you need in budget earbuds.
