CMF Buds Pro 2 killed the budget TWS market 😯 - vs NOTHING ear 2024 vs NOTHING ear (a)
In a way, the CMF Buds Pro 2 is the most unique budget TWS earbuds I’ve tested. The standout feature is its case, which includes a volume dial that also controls music playback. It’s incredibly satisfying to roll my thumb over it, making a ‘click click’ sound. Pressing it allows to skip tracks, pause and play your music. This feature works on both Android and iOS devices, you just have to activate this feature in the Nothing X app. Additionally, you can customise the gestures to prevent accidental press when the case is in your pocket, or disable the feature entirely. Either way, this makes the case a far more useful companion, rather than just something extra to bring along.
The case’s unique control scheme sets the CMF Buds Pro 2 apart, but they also are one of the most full featured earbuds in the budget range. For example, they support ChatGPT on supported Nothing phones, allowing you to use it as a voice assistant. It’s also Hi-Res certified and support streaming over LDAC codec. The headphones feature an ULTRA Bass mode, DIRAC Opteo sound optimisation and Spatial audio. I’ll get more into the sound features later.
But everything can be accessed via the Nothing X app, along with EQ presets and custom controls for both iOS and Android. Multipoint pairing is also available, and you can stream over LDAC while connected to multiple devices, which is awesome.
With such bases covered, how do they perform? First let’s test their microphone pickup in both quiet and noisy conditions using loud cafe noise and wind noise from a fan.
Microphone Quality Comparison
In terms of microphone quality, the CMFs are quite comparable to the Ear and the Ear(a) in both quiet and noisy, windy conditions. However, as demonstrated in my food court demo, the CMFs will apply heavier noise gating in extremely noisy conditions, which could cut into my voice. Same issue goes for the Ear and Ear (a).
👉 Have a listen to the mic quality samples.
Active Noise Cancelling Comparison
In terms of active noise cancelling, the CMF Buds Pro 2 are comparable to the Nothing Ear, which has the best noise cancelling among this group. In the following samples, you can hear that the CMF Buds cancel more effectively in the upper mids, while the Ears perform better in the lower mids, but the decibel meter shows them neck to neck. The Ear (a) seems to have the weakest noise cancelling.
Do note that this assessment is based on an ideal scenario with a snug, secure fit. Since these earbuds are AirPods style with glossy surfaces, they tend to sit loosely on the ear canal and don’t always plug in securely. You might have to use larger sized ear tips or even foam tips to get maximum noise cancelling. This has been my experience after using the CMF Buds Pro 2 for a week.
Transparency Mode
In terms of transparency, the CMF actually seems to be the clearest transparency to me, allowing much of the upper mids and highs to pass through. The Nothing Ear (a) felt a bit darker in the lower mids, causes voices to sound a bit veiled, although this has improved with the latest firmware update. Surprisingly, the more expensive Nothing Ear has most occluded transparency among this group, even though it’s the most premium one.
Sound Quality Comparison
In terms of sound quality, the CMF Buds Pro 2s are great for 2 things - bass and volume. It is one of the most bass heavy buds I’ve ever tested and is about 5% louder than the Ear and Ear (a). That’s because by default, it’s set to level 3 ULTRA BASS mode. Some users may appreciate this, while some might prefer to turn off bass boosting and just have a flatter sound. However, if you are looking for extra gravity and thump, you’ll be pretty impressed by the Buds Pro 2. They also have bright, airy highs, making the crispness of string instruments more noticeable than even the Nothing Ear.
Frequency sweeps show about the Buds Pro 2 being louder in the sub bass range than the Nothing Ear on their default sound settings and having a more excited V-shaped tuning than the Nothing Ear (a). In fact, you can hear this in the samples later on, with the Ear (a) having a flatter, less dynamic signature in the bass and highs. However, the Buds Pro 2’s bass can easily overpower the mids, causing vocals and instruments to sound a little darker.
👉 Have a listen to the sound quality samples.
About DIRAC Opteo...
Moreover, I want to discuss DIRAC Opteo a bit. I can see their intention with it, this tuning emphasises the vocal clarity and soundstaging accuracy, increased focus on the different instruments and tracks, which is great. However, it also changes the tonality of the upper mids, making string instruments sound more tinny and constrained. Personally, I prefer to stick to the default custom settings, even the Pop presets sounds better to me. As for spatial audio, it doesn’t try to relocate the audio phasing but adds a layer of reverb to simulate spaciousness. I do like the way it sounds because it’s more true to source, but it isn’t like Dolby surround sound at all, let alone Dolby Atmos.
Apart from being a bass beast, its case is more than simply a charging accessory, which I find appealing. That being said, it has a minor drawback, not necessarily limited to the Bud Pro 2. For example, it lacks single touch gestures. That may not seem like a big deal, and can actually be a benefit because this reduces accidental taps, it also makes it slightly harder to manage all controls on one earbud when the case is not with me.
Buy CMF Buds Pro 2 or Nothing ear (a)?
Besides that, between the CMF Buds Pro 2 and the Nothing Ear (a), which one should you buy? At first, the Nothing Ear (a) may seem more compelling due to its stylish, premium appearance, smaller case size, and similar specs to the CMF, except for the fact that its battery life is a little better. But I have to say, the CMF buds are the easier choice for me, because of the very useful case which allows expanded controls. It also has better noise cancelling and brighter, airier highs, giving you the sensation of an expanded soundstage. Furthermore, it’s priced lower than the Ear(a), making them compelling indeed.
Buy CMF Buds Pro 2 or Nothing ear 2024?
Choosing between the CMF and the Nothing Ear becomes challenging if price isn’t the primary concern. Here’s why: the iconic design of the Nothing Ear, superior mic pickup, and advanced sound customization options with Sound Personalization Auto-EQ and Advanced Equalizer, which including superior parametric EQ that even comes with Q-factor settings, compared to the CMF’s 3-band graphic EQ. Additionally, for users with comparable devices, the Ear supports LHDC V5 codec for higher bitrates streaming than LDAC. And the last reason why the Nothing Ear is superior is their drivers being of the ceramic type instead of the more common TPU type. The benefit of that is a faster, tighter sound with less bloat in the bass and cleaner track separation.
However, the CMF Buds Pro 2 has lots to offer for the price in terms of performance, for example its noise cancelling is pretty close to the Ear. The control case also makes it compelling for its uniqueness, because I don’t think other brands have anything similar, except for some offerings from JBL that uses a screen instead of tactile controls. Tactile feedback from the CMF’s case is more satisfying. Just listen to that click again…
Anyway guys let me know in the comments what you think of this control case.
Check latest price:
CMF Buds Pro 2 - SGD 99 (US Price TBA)
NOTHING ear - https://amzn.to/4aQCgXp
NOTHING ear (a) - https://amzn.to/3UloJzQ
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