CMF by Nothing introduced its new CMF Buds wireless earbuds in India priced at ₹2,499 alongside the CMF Neckbank Pro and the Nothing Phone (2a) a few weeks ago. The features and highlights of the CMF Buds include 42 dB ANC, 12.4 mm dynamic drivers, IP54 water-resistant design, up to 35.5 hours battery life, Ultra Bass Technology 2.0, Dirac Opteo, Spacial Audio Effect, 10-minute quick charging, and more. Here’s more about the wireless earbuds in our CMF Neckband Pro review.
CMF Buds Specifications & Features
- Driver: 12.4 mm Dynamic drivers with Bio-fibre + custom TPU diaphragm
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3, USB Type-C
- Wireless Range: 10 meters
- Bluetooth Codec Support: AAC, SBC
- Protection: IP54 dust and water-resistant design (buds only)
- Features: 42 dB Active Noise Cancellation, 4-mic Clear Voice Technology, Dual Device Pairing (Bluetooth 5.3), Ultra Bass Technology 2.0, Dirac Opteo, Spatial Audio Effect, Transparency Mode, Google Fast Pair, Microsoft Swift Pair, Low Lag Mode, custom EQ, and compatibility with the Nothing X App.
- Battery & Charging: 45 mAh (bud), 460 mAh (case), up to 35.5 hours of music playback (ANC off), up to 24 hours of music playback (ANC On), up to 8 hours without ANC (buds only), up to 5.6 hours with ANC (buds only), up to 24 hours of talk time (ANC Off), and up to 21 hours of talk time (ANC On), up to 5.2 hours without ANC (buds only), up to 4.7 hours with ANC (buds only), up to 6.5 hours (ANC Off) or 4.3 hours (ANC On) in 10 minutes quick charging (USB Type-C)
- Colors: Orange, Dark Grey, and Light Grey
- Dimensions: 32.6 mm x 20.4 mm x 24.4 mm (bud), 54.7 mm x 54.7 mm x 22.9 mm (case)
- Weight: 4.57 grams (bud), 43.7 grams (case), 52.84 grams (buds + case)
- Price: ₹2,499
- Availability: 8th March 2024 at 12 PM on Flipkart, Myntra, Croma, and Vijay Sales
- Offers: ₹2,299 introductory price (limited period)
In terms of looks, the CMF Buds is an eye-candy, it offers a distinctive design as you can see. We have the Orange color unit which looks amazing while you can find two more color variants to choose from – Dark Grey, and Light Grey. The case is a square-shaped matte finish with curved edges and a round aluminum alloy dial that’s used as a latch for CMF Lanyard (sold separately) or any other you have. Although the dial doesn’t do anything with the volumes or any control for the buds (like the 3-in-1 Smart Dial on CMF Neckband Pro), you can use it to play all day for fun.
The case opens seashell flaunting two glossy finished earbuds that are lightweight and handy. With the Lanyard, the CMF Buds are easy to carry, and can be fastened to a hook clasp or anywhere you like to your keys or jeans. It comes with an IP54 dust and water-resistant rating (buds only), weighs about 4.57 grams for each bud and the case weighs about 43.7 grams.
The side of the case offers a USB Type-C port for charging with a 10-minute quick charging feature and a pairing button alongside for connecting to Bluetooth devices or resetting the earbuds. The front offers an LED indicator that shows the status of the battery, charging, and pairing.
Hardware, Audio Performance, & Features
The CMF Buds are equipped with custom 12.4 mm dynamic drivers with Bio-fibre + custom TPU diaphragm using copper coils to deliver enhanced low-frequency performance and impressive sound. The earbuds are also aided by the 42 dB ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) feature for noise isolation.
In our usage, the CMF Buds delivers exceptional audio quality for this price, the overall sound quality is great in this segment. The earbuds come with a Spatial Audio Effect feature that delivers cinematic spatial sound, offering a 360-degree listening experience. It uses AAC and SBC audio codecs for transmission while no Hi-Res audio like aptX HD, LDAC, or LDHC is supported.
It connects via Bluetooth 5.3 with dual device pairing and comes with 4 HD mics with Clear Voice Technology for AI call noise cancellation. Other features include Dirac Opteo, Ultra Bass Technology 2.0, Spatial Audio Effect, Transparency Mode, Google Fast Pair, Microsoft Swift Pair, Low Lag Mode (<120 ms), In-ear detection, Gesture Controls, custom EQ, and compatibility with the Nothing X App.
It uses touch gesture controls, a simple double tap will skip music forward or answer/hang up calls, a triple tap will skip music back or reject calls, tapping and holding will switch between Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency Mode, while the single tap will play pause the music. You will find more options in the Nothing X app.
The Nothing X app allows you to use all the available features via an interface on your smartphone. It helps you connect CMF Buds, use its features, as well as, update the firmware. The app displays battery information, controls for noise cancellation, equalizer, and more. The app is available for Android and iOS platforms (compatible with Android 5.1 and above and iOS 13 and above).
Battery Runtime & Charging
On the battery side, the CMF Buds comes with a 45 mAh (buds) and 460 mAh battery (case) delivering up to 35.5 hours without ANC (with case), 24 hours with ANC (with case), up to 8 hours without ANC (buds only), and 5.6 hours with ANC (buds only). For talk time, the earbuds last up to 24 hours without ANC (with case), 21 hours with ANC (with case), up to 5.2 hours without ANC (buds only), and 4.7 hours with ANC (buds only). This is on continuous usage, it depends on how frequently you use ANC on the earbuds and set the volume levels. You are most likely getting longer battery runtimes if you have mixed usage.
The CMF Buds support a 10-minute quick charge via the USB Type-C charging port delivering up to 6.5 hours of battery life without ANC and 4.3 hours with ANC/Transparency. You get 35+ hours of battery life on the CMF Buds which means if used ~4 hours a day, the earbuds can easily last at least for 8 days on a single full charge and about 6 days with ANC On. The overall battery performance of the CMF Buds is impressive in this segment offering a great battery performance.
Verdict – CMF Buds Review
CMF Buds is a great package all-together with its impressive set of features and audio performance for the price of ₹2,499. With 42 dB active noise cancellation, an attractive design, longer battery runtimes of up to 35.5 hours, dual device pairing support, and exceptional sound quality in this price range, the CMF Buds remains to be among the best wireless TWS earbuds given the price and great choice for users seeking ANC-enabled wireless earbuds in the midrange segment under ₹2,500.
CMF Buds Price in India – Where To Buy?
The price for the CMF Buds is ₹2,499 and is available on Flipkart, Myntra, Croma, and Vijay Sales.
