CMF Buds 2 Plus Review: Are These Budget Wireless Earbuds Worth It?
Nothing’s sub-brand, CMF, has recently launched a trio of affordable wireless earbuds, all boasting active noise cancellation (ANC). This includes the CMF Buds 2a at $49, the CMF Buds 2 at $59, and the CMF Buds 2 Plus at $69. While offering multiple options is understandable, the reviewer suggests it might be a bit overwhelming for the average consumer, potentially requiring assistance from AI tools to differentiate between the models.
The review focuses primarily on the CMF Buds 2 Plus, the most expensive option in the lineup. The author spent a few hours testing the earbuds, something AI can’t replicate, to give a user’s perspective on these budget-friendly audio devices.
CMF’s marketing materials heavily emphasize technical specifications, such as driver size, decibel levels, ANC frequencies, and magnet types. The reviewer believes this might be an attempt to distract from the fact that these are, after all, budget products. While specs are important, the most crucial factor is the actual sound quality, which is hard to assess based solely on technical jargon.
One key difference between the three models lies in battery life. With ANC disabled, the Buds 2a offer up to 8 hours of listening time (35 hours with the case), the Buds 2 provide up to 13.5 hours (55 hours with the case), and the Buds 2 Plus boast up to 14 hours (61.5 hours with the case). When ANC is enabled, the Buds 2a last up to 5 hours (23 hours with the case), while both the Buds 2 and Buds 2 Plus offer up to 7.5 hours (32 and 33 hours with the case, respectively). It’s notable that CMF hasn’t officially released battery life figures with ANC turned on for all models, a crucial piece of information for potential buyers.
Another significant differentiator is call quality. The Buds 2a feature four HD microphones and an older voice processing technology, potentially resulting in less clear calls compared to the Buds 2 and Buds 2 Plus. These latter models have six HD microphones and utilize a more advanced voice algorithm, supposedly leading to better wind noise reduction during calls.
Lastly, there’s the matter of sound quality, including spatial audio support and ANC performance. The Buds 2a lack spatial audio, while the Buds 2 and Buds 2 Plus offer it. As expected, the ANC quality improves as you move up the price range, from good on the Buds 2a to better on the Buds 2 and best on the Buds 2 Plus. The reviewer questions whether the difference in noise cancellation will be noticeable in real-world scenarios like busy streets or noisy commutes.
Having tested the $69 Buds 2 Plus, the reviewer acknowledges their budget nature. The plastic case and the overall design, specifically the blue color of the test unit, clearly indicate its entry-level positioning. CMF seems to have taken design cues from Nothing’s more expensive Ear wireless earbuds and stripped them down to reduce costs. Even the customizable "smart dial" found on last year’s Buds Pro 2 has been replaced with a mostly non-functional dial that only rotates. While it can be used as a fidget toy, its lack of volume control is a missed opportunity.
The earbuds have touch-sensitive controls on their stems that can be used to activate settings like launching the voice chatbot, controlling audio playback, and adjusting noise cancellation. These settings are managed through the Nothing X app, which the reviewer praises for its user-friendliness.
The Buds 2 Plus are comfortable to wear, at least for the reviewer. They stayed securely in place for up to four hours of continuous listening with ANC turned on. The lightweight design also contributes to the comfort. The battery life seemed to hold up to around six hours of listening with ANC on during testing.
The sound quality of the Buds 2 Plus is decent for $69 wireless earbuds. Bass-heavy music, such as Linkin Park’s "Unshatter", reproduced well without significant distortion at various volume levels. Pop tunes also sounded good, although the reviewer notes that this is a fairly low bar for wireless earbuds to clear.
However, the active noise cancellation is where the Buds 2 Plus show their limitations. The ANC is noticeably less effective at blocking out loud noise compared to more expensive earbuds. For example, the reviewer could still hear keyboard clicks and colleagues fidgeting even with ANC turned all the way up and the volume above 50%. During a subway commute, the Buds 2 Plus did little to suppress the screeching of the train wheels, a task easily handled by Nothing’s $150 Ear (2) and Apple’s $250 AirPods Pro 2. Of course, these more expensive options come with a significantly higher price tag.
Ultimately, the reviewer acknowledges that you generally get what you pay for with budget audio. The Buds 2 Plus sound good enough for the price, but the key question is how much better they sound compared to the cheaper Buds 2 and Buds 2a. It’s hard to say how significant the improvement in sound quality is between the three models, especially when the price difference is only $10 or $20. The reviewer suggests that it would be best to wait for more comparative reviews before making a decision. The additional spending may or may not be worth it.
