Nothing has recently launched its latest addition under the CMF brand. The company unleashed new Buds by the sub-brand which has garnered attention and has been considered one of the best earbuds which are available under Rs 3,000 price tag, which deliver great sound quality along with appreciable active noise cancellation (ANC) at an affordable price point.
Here is our detailed review after using the earbuds for more than a month to let you know if you should buy these buds for yourself or not.
Look and feel
CMF buds are available in three colour variants- Light Grey, Dark Grey and Orange variants- and we at India TV got the Orange variant which looked certainly very unique and attractive. The Buds have a square box design- just like Nothing Ear (1) with curved edges. The major difference between the buds is the transparent and opaque body.
The vibrant orange shade comes with a sturdy plastic case with a CMF logo on the top and a rotatable grey wheel for attaching a lanyard.
This is a must to mention that though the buds are made up of plastic construction, the case feels premium and durable with a matte finish.
Sound quality and performance
The Buds feature 12.4mm drivers, that deliver rather great sound quality with great bass- for music lovers. The buds come with Bluetooth 5.3 support which connects with any device very smoothly and faster.
Furthermore, the 4-mic array ensures clear audio during calls- reducing the ambient noise- making it easy to talk over the call with enhanced clarity.
ANC- Active Noise Cancellation
This is to my surprise that the CMF Buds come with a decent ANC feature, which offers up to 42 dB of noise cancellation- certainly surpassing expectations for earbuds which are available at this price point. The ANC functionality helps to cut you off from the other ambient sounds which are around you and might disturb, you and provide an immersive listening experience.
Talking about the comfort and long-wear function, the buds are ideally designed to stay for a long session- if a user is using it for various activities- running, dancing, walking, exercising and more- majorly ensuring an uninterrupted ANC performance.
Companion App and touch controls
The touch controls are very convenient and smooth, especially for the volume adjustment. The buds could be paired with the accompanying app which enables the user to personalise their listening experience and gives the options for equalizer settings, bass adjustment and noise control. Additionally, features like low lag mode for gaming and in-ear detection enhance usability.
Battery life
The buds have a 45 mAh battery (on each bud) which can last for 3-4 hours easily, and the case comes with a 460 mAh battery which could last for up to 3-4 days with heavy usage.
The buds further support fast charging capabilities with minimal downtime, by making them suitable for on-the-go use.
Verdict
Overall, at Rs 2,499, the new CMF Buds (from Nothing) are certainly a value for money, as they come with a stylish and attractive design, great sound delivery, decent battery life, good ANC and a perfect long-wearing experience at an affordable price point.
Although we think the earbuds could have been better with the heavy bass sound, overall the audio quality and ANC capabilities work well with good ambient sound cancellation during the calls- making it one of the good choices in the sub-3,000 category. But this is a must to mention that the buds are going to have some stiff competition with other buds like the OnePlus Nord Buds 3, Honor CHOICE Buds, some of the boAt buds and Noise buds which are available at the same and lower price tags.
But for those who need budget-friendly earbuds with a premium look and good sound quality, the CMF Buds could be the right fit which will certainly catch the sight of so many people.
ALSO READ Dyson Purifier Cool Gen1 Review: Combating pollution with style
ALSO READ OnePlus Buds 3 Review: Everything nice!
