So, I’ve been using the new CMF by Nothing Buds Pro for the past week as my daily earbuds, and I’ve got a lot to share about them. There are no unwanted details, just a simple 7 straight review with pros and cons. I won’t add any extra fluff because we focus on the earbuds, not the brand. I’ll also quickly compare them with Nord Buds 2, Oppo Enco Air 3 Pro, JBL Beam, and Realme Buds Air 5, so you can clearly understand which TWS earbuds under 3000 Rs might be the best for you.
CMF By Nothing Buds Pro
CMF by Nothing Buds Pro Specifications
| Colors | Black, Orange, White |
| Drivers | 1- |
| Bluetooth codecs | SBC, AAC |
| ANC | Yes, 45db |
| Mic | 6-mics array |
| Water-resistance | IP54 |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 |
| Support | Android 6.0+, iOS 12+ |
| App Support | Yes, Nothing X |
| Battery | 55mAh (earbuds) / 450mAh (charging case), 7-8h (single charge) / 30h (with charging case) |
| Charging time | 1.5h quick charge |
| Other Features | Touch control customizes, In-Ear Detection, 6 Audio Modes, Custom EQ, Low Latency Mode |
| Weight | 58G |
Box Content
- Earbuds
- USB Type-C Cable
- Two Different Size Ear Tips
- User Guide
Is the Nothing Buds Pro Comfortable, Well Design?
Starting with the design, the Nothing Buds Pro has a simple circular shape design with a compact build, making it look elegant and unique. It has minimalist branding and a matte finish on the charging case and earbuds, enhancing the hand’s look and feel. I am reviewing the black variant, but you have orange and white options.
The earbuds also have the same finish as the charging case. They are stem-designed, with the top part acting as a touch control that is quite responsive. You can also customize the controls via the app, and yes, there’s even touch-enabled volume control.
Comfort-wise, Nothing Buds Pro is pretty good. They are very lightweight, with each bud weighing only 4 grams. The ear tips are designed with a 180-degree tangle, making for a comfortable and secure fit. You can easily wear this earbuds for a longer duration without any issues. The Nothing Buds Pro has IP54 dust and waterproof ratings, so they’re somewhat protected from dust, sweat and light rain.
However, there are a few downsides to the design. The charging case is lightweight but not thin, which could be a concern when carrying it in a tight jeans pocket. The build quality is average, not the best in its price range, and the buds can get scratched easily.
What About Connectivity and Features?
In terms of connectivity, the CMF Nothing Buds Pro doesn’t disappoint. It comes with the latest Bluetooth 5.3, pairs easily with any device and supports Google Fast Pair and Windows Swift Pair. A slight drawback is the lack of dual pairing; you have to use the pairing button in the charging case to switch devices, which isn’t a deal-breaker as its competitors have similar limitations.
You’ll need to download the Nothing X app to use Nothing Buds Pro, available on both Android and iOS. The app is well-designed with a good user interface, offering features like ANC settings, custom audio modes, a custom equalizer, a low latency mode for gaming, wear detection, and touch control customization.
ANC
The ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) is a standout feature, offering up to 45 dB of noise cancellation, which is the highest in this price segment. While you can’t compare it with premium options like Apple AirPods or Galaxy Buds, the ANC is better than Nord Buds 2 and similar to the Enco Air 3 Pro and Realme Buds Air 5.
I found the low latency gaming mode is not that impressive. It didn’t make a substantial difference, so expect some latency during gaming. However, it should be fine for normal casual gaming; professional gamers wouldn’t typically use TWS earbuds anyway.
How Long Does the Battery Last On the Nothing Buds Pro?
The battery life of Nothing Buds Pro is really good. The charging case has a 460 mAh battery and each earbud features a 55 mAh battery. In my tests, I got about 9-10 hours of playback time without ANC and around 5-6 hours with ANC, which are excellent results for the TWS earbuds. Yes, it also supports quick charging.
Can you use the Nothing Buds Pro for phone calls?
The Nothing Buds Pro microphone quality is average—not the best, but not terrible either. It has seen some improvement after the recent update, but it still tends to pick up some background noise. It’s not too noticeable indoors, but outdoors, especially in traffic, the background noise is audible during calls. Compared with Nord Buds 2, Enco Air 3 Pro, and Realme Buds Air 5, all of these earbuds will inevitably pick up some background chatter, but I found the microphone performance to be slightly better in those models than in these Nothing Buds 2.
How Does the Nothing Buds Pro Sound?
When it comes to sound quality, the Nothing Buds Pro supports SBC and AAC codecs, but there’s no support for any hi-res codecs. The overall tuning of these earbuds has a V-shaped tuning, which most users typically prefer. The tuning is quite similar to other Nothing TWS earbuds. The overall audio output is very clear, and there’s a deliberate effort to keep the lows, highs, and mid frequencies at a proper range.
Diving into more detail, let’s talk about the low frequencies or bass. The bass is quite good. It’s not as strong as the Nord Buds 2, but I consider that a good thing because the bass amount is just right—it doesn’t overpower the other frequencies. According to Nothing, an intelligent bass enhancement algorithm automatically adjusts the bass according to the music signal. The bass may be strong on some tracks, but it’s not so overpowered which is a good sign of good tuning.
The mid-range frequencies don’t seem clear to me—sometimes they can feel quite narrow. This is usually noticeable with certain mid-range instruments, particularly male vocals, and it’s even evident during dialogue while watching movies. When ANC is on, this becomes more apparent; with ANC off, it’s slightly better. I think the mid-frequencies could have used a bit more space.
Higher frequencies, or treble, on the other hand, have been made to be somewhat sharp and bright, which is good. It helps balance the bass in high-bass tracks and contributes to an overall pleasant listening experience. So, overall, for a price of 3,000 Rs, the sound quality of the Nothing Buds Pro is quite good, with clear and well-balanced audio that should appeal to a wide range of users.
One significant drawback I noticed is that the audio modes in the app aren’t very impressive, and only a three-band equalizer is available. In my opinion, this is practically useless. I can’t understand why nothing didn’t include a parametric equalizer, as they have one in all their other earbuds, and they use the same app. It’s puzzling why they would disable it here.
In fact, competitors like Nord Buds 2 and Realme Buds Air 5 come with a parametric equalizer. To be honest, even though the Nord Buds 2 has a high-bass tuning, you can easily achieve better audio quality with a bit of customization in the equalizer. So, I think Nothing should have paid more attention to the audio side within their app.
Should You Buy The CMF Nothing Buds Pro?
For the 2699 Rs, the Nothing Buds Pro are definitely a good choice. They deliver clear, balanced audio quality with powerful ANC and a stylish and unique design, and they come with all the basic features one would need, including a good battery backup. So, you can definitely consider buying them.
Comparison
If we do a quick comparison with its competitors, we can’t really compare it to the Oppo Enco Air 3 Pro and the Realme Buds Air 5 Pro because there is a 2,000 Rs difference in price, and without a doubt, both of those are significantly better then Nothing Buds Pro. When looking at direct competitors, we have two good options: the Nord Buds 2 and the Realme Buds Air 5. The Realme Buds Air 5 are priced about 500 Rs higher, but overall, they seem to be a slightly better option to me regarding sound quality and ANC.
The main competitor of these earbuds is the Nord Buds 2, which is priced the same as the Nothing Buds Pro, there isn’t much difference in terms of sound quality, but the Nord Buds 2 does have a significantly stronger bass. So, if you’re a bass lover, you might prefer the Nord Buds 2. However, the Nothing Buds Pro offers very clear and balanced audio. Also, as I mentioned before, you could achieve similar clarity with the Nord Buds 2 by adjusting the equalizer.
The decision ultimately rests with you. It’s worth mentioning that the Nord Buds 2 does not offer wear detection, Google Fast Pair, or as powerful ANC as the Nothing Buds Pro. Plus, the Nord Buds 2 are not particularly recommended for iPhone users.
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