 "CMF by Nothing Buds Pro review: No-frills but capable earbuds on budget")
London-based consumer technology start-up Nothing recently debuted its sub-brand CMF with the launch of three accessories, including Buds Pro. At Rs 2,999, these budget wireless earbuds boast premium design and active noise cancellation. On paper, the earbuds are all about design and audio quality. While audio is essential in any wireless earbuds irrespective of the price bracket, it is the design that the CMF by Nothing Buds Pro has going for it.
Design
The CMF Buds Pro boasts a distinctive circular case design with a matte finish that looks nothing like any other wireless earbuds available in the market. The case is not particularly compact, but it is lightweight. It has sharp edges on the circumference that hampers the in-hand experience and makes it uncomfortable to slide into pockets.
As for the earbuds, these are in-ear type with a stem. Made of plastic, the earbuds have a mix of glossy (buds) and matte (stems) texture. Unlike the case, the earbuds are comfortable to use and have snug fit. However due to the glossy texture, they are prone to lose sheen quickly and need regular cleaning.
Sound
The Buds Pro excels in the sound department, delivering a rich and dynamic audio experience with an expansive range. Even when listening to complex music, such as live rock band performances, it is easy to differentiate individual sound profiles and instruments across a wide frequency spectrum. The earbuds maintain audio quality consistently across different volume levels. If you prefer heavy bass, the earbuds support Nothing’s “Ultra Bass Technology” that lifts the low frequency for enhanced bass effect.
Noise cancellation is effective, and together with the hybrid system the earbuds deliver good experience without causing any discomfort. Important to note, however, the hybrid ANC system struggles at times.
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Voice call quality
The Buds Pro auto enables ANC during calls, even if these are being used in the transparency mode. It seems by design, and works well in most situations. However, there is no way to disable auto switching to ANC in the settings. The noise-cancelling feature works well for the user, but the environmental noise cancelling is not as strong in cancelling background noise on the calls. Nevertheless, the earbuds have a six-mic setup (three mics on each earbud) and the stem design allows for clear and natural conversations.
Pairing and connectivity
Pairing process for the Buds Pro is quick and easy on the Android devices with Google Fast Pair, but pairing them with an iPhone and Windows devices is somewhat challenging – especially if the buds are previously paired with an Android device. Since there is no support for multi-device connectivity, the earbuds need to be unpaired first and put to pairing mode to connect with other devices.
App and Utility
The Nothing X app offers customisation options, allowing users to configure touch controls on both earbuds and switch between ANC modes: noise cancellation and transparency. The app also features equalisers with four presets available — Balanced, More Bass, More Treble, and Voice. Users can further fine-tune the equaliser to suit their personal preferences.
Battery
While the Buds Pro's battery life is not extraordinary, it is modest. A 55mAh battery powers each earbud, and there is an additional 460mAh battery in the case. With ANC activated, the Buds Pro delivers about four hours on-battery time in one go. Notably, the buds support fast charging, and a 10-minute charge provides about four hours of usage.
Verdict
The CMF Buds Pro is not loaded with features that many of its peers offer in the same price segment such as multi-point connectivity, but it is the design and sound quality that it has going for it. That said, the earbuds are not the best but these are among the best in terms of acoustics and design.