CMF Buds by Nothing review: Cheap and cheerful

The wireless earbud market is extremely crowded. There are seemingly endless options, and more seem to be constantly popping up from a vast array of brands far beyond the standard household names most of us are used to. Nothing is a relatively new player in the earbud game but has impressed us so far. Pocket-lint previously reviewed two of Nothing’s first earbud offerings, the Nothing Ear (Stick) and Nothing Ear (a).

The CMF Buds are yet another addition to the company’s growing lineup, bringing a pop of red to the table. These earbuds fall in the budget category, coming in around $40 at the time of writing. I had a chance to test these affordable buds out and was quite surprised by what I heard.

CMF Buds by Nothing

Recommended

The CMF Buds by Nothing are affordable Bluetooth earbuds that provide far more than their price suggests. They offer active noise cancelation, quality audio with lots of bass, and plenty of customization, all in a durable and long-lasting package. 

Pros

• Compact and lightweight case
• Very affordable
• Lots of bass
• Sound is very customizable
• Great call quality

Cons

• Included ear tips are all on the small side
• Have to sit just right for effective noise-canceling

Price, specs, and availability

The CMF Buds by Nothing are available on Amazon, not through the company’s own website. They are available in orange, white, or black for $39.

Design

Simple, colorful, and durable

Nothing is no stranger to colorful products, and the CMF Buds continue the tradition. The earbuds themselves, as well as the case, are a vibrant orange. They ditch the company’s typical clear styling, opting instead for a solid, mostly matte finish with some gloss on the ear portion of the buds. They are also available in black and white, though, if you’d prefer something a bit more subtle. I really enjoyed the orange color as something a bit different since most headphones tend to be black. It also helps them stand out to prevent losing them.

0:58

Related

Soundcore’s clip-on earbuds are a cheaper Bose Ultra Open dupe

Bose’s Ultra Open earbuds are some of my favorite open-ears, and the Soundcore C30i delivers the same awareness for only $70.

The case for the CMF Buds is very small, easily fitting in my pocket. It’s much smaller my other workout headphones and thus fit much better in my tiny Moment sling, which is what I take to the gym with me. The circular piece on the top of the case rotates to expose holes you could use to attach a lanyard, making it easier to hang on to. It’s also nearly weightless, so I don’t even notice when I have them in my sling.

Inside the case, the buds magnetically attach to their outlined slots. The buds themselves are IP54-rated, so they can handle sweaty workouts. Like Nothing’s other earbuds, there’s no right or left on the buds. Instead, a subtle solid circle signifies the right, and an empty circle is on the left. There’s nothing on the case to identify right from left, so if you aren’t putting them in straight from your ears, it may take some trial and error to get them in the right spot.

Related

Why the Nothing Ear are my designated Tortured Poet’s Department earbuds

Nothing dropped numerical nomenclature with its Nothing Ear earbuds, which in name and performance is simple, yet makes a statement.

The earbuds are equally as light as the case, and I barely notice them in my ears. It comes with three different sizes of silicone tips, though the difference between the sizes is incredibly subtle, and all seem to be on the smaller size. I have quite small ear canals, and most earbuds are too big for me, causing pain after a bit. However, the CMF Buds, even with the largest tips, were pretty loose in my ears. That made them comfortable to wear, but they also didn’t stay in position all that well. They weren’t falling out by any means but weren’t sitting snuggly in the right position for effective noise cancelation (more on that later).

Sound quality and settings

The quality punches well above its weight

For being budget earbuds, I was really blown away by all the features available. They pair with the Nothing X app, which allows you to customize the sound. The Equalizer menu provides six different presets for different types of content, including rock, electronic, classical, and pop. Plus, there’s an HD Dirac Opteo option and even an enhanced voice setting for podcasts. You can also opt for a custom profile with the ability to adjust treble, mid, and bass.

Speaking of bass, these budget buds pack a serious punch. I was shocked by how good the bass was. There’s much more oomph than some of my more expensive earbuds. That’s partly a result of the Ultra Bass feature, which you can turn on or off and adjust between five levels. That’s beyond the bass you can adjust in the EQ settings menu. I really like some heavy bass for hip-hop music during my workouts, so I turned it up to level five, and it was just right. I wouldn’t want it that high for other genres of music, so it’s nice I can adjust that so much.

Related

6 reasons to buy the Nothing Ear (a) over OnePlus Buds 3

OnePlus Buds 3 are some of my favorite budget buds, but there are some things that the Nothing Ear (a) do better.

Beyond the bass, I found the overall sound quality to be excellent. It’s rich, warm, clear, and detailed. I’ve been truly surprised by the sound quality of such affordable earbuds. The different profiles do make a difference, and I find myself switching between them based on what I’m listening to. That said, I gravitate towards the Dirac Opteo setting for most genres and the enhanced voice is excellent for podcast listening.

It’s also surprising to see active noise cancellation (ANC) on such cheap buds. You can choose to have this all the way on or off or opt for a transparency mode to let some noise come through. While the ANC was overall effective, it does require the earbuds to sit in just the right position in your ear so that they are sealing off outside noise. Unfortunately, since the buds fit so loosely in my ears, they rarely stay in that magical position. I either have to adjust them constantly to keep getting effective noise cancellation or accept hearing ambient noise. But when they are in position, they do a nice job of blocking out my gym’s late 90s rock music coming over the speakers and the grunting of the noisy guy working out.

Call quality

Clear sound on both ends of the line

The CMF Buds feature four HD mics and Clear Voice Technology to enhance calls. As a result, the call quality is truly excellent on both ends. I was using them to chat with my mom while on a walk on a windy day next to a busy road, and she didn’t even realize I was outside. All that noise was very effectively blocked out so that she could hear me and not the world around me. I also found the sound quality from the person on the other line to be quite good, with plenty of clarity and no feedback.

Battery life and charging

Long-lasting and fast-charging

The battery life of these budget buds is also very impressive. Nothing promises 8 hours of life for the earbuds on a single charge. The case doubles as a battery and extends that to 35.5 hours. I’ve been using them for an hour or so every day for my workouts for about a week and a half, and other than the charge when I first got them, I haven’t had to plug the case in yet. When I do, Nothing promises 6.5 hours of life on just a 10-minute charge, so I could be back to listening very quickly.

Verdict

Lots of value for the price

When I saw the price of the CMF Buds by Nothing, I wasn’t expecting much. Budget headphones and speakers tend to reflect their price. That is not the case with these, however. The sound quality is well beyond the price point, as is the feature set. I love having the ability to customize my sound profile based on what I’m listening to, and I appreciate the deep bass. My primary issue with these comes down to the fit and the effect that has on noise cancellation. But everyone’s ears are different, so that could be a non-issue for some.