CMF Buds Pro 2 Review [WORTH IT in 2026?]

In this article, I’m going to share my HONEST CMF Buds Pro 2 review for those who are wondering whether they are WORTH IT. I’ll also be comparing the CMF Buds Pro 2 vs EarFun Air Pro 4+, Anker Soundcore Liberty 5, Liberty 5 Pro, AirPods Pro 3, and Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro.

I’m going to do my best to share whether these earbuds are worth it, and ideally who these earbuds are for. I bought these earbuds with my own money, and was NOT sponsored, paid, or received a free copy for review. All thoughts are my own.

I’ll be sharing my critical opinion with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, audio engineer, and tech journalist. I also run the RecordingNow YouTube channel with over 25,000+ subscribers and over 5 million views.

Let’s dive right in!

CMF Buds Pro 2 Review in Short

Holding CMF Buds Pro 2 wireless noise cancelling earbuds in hand

The CMF Buds Pro 2 is a seriously impressive sub-$50 earbud with sound quality that rivals earbuds costing 3-4 times its price. The noise cancelling is relatively good for the price as well. Competes with EarFun Air Pro 4 Plus, Soundcore Liberty 5, Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro, Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, AirPods Pro 3, Soundcore Liberty 4 NC, Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, Google Pixel Buds Pro 2, and AirPods Pro 2.

Pros and Cons

8.3

CMF Buds Pro 2

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PROS

Sound quality 3-4x its price
Comfortable fit
Unbeatable value under $50

CONS

Mic quality is mediocre
Noise cancelling can be improved

Order HERE for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):

CMF Buds Pro 2 Wireless Earbuds with Smart Dial, 50dB Hybrid Noise Cancelling Earbuds

$39.00

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08/20/2026 05:02 am GMT

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Comfort + Features

Comfort

The CMF Buds Pro 2 has a “stem” design that is similar to Apple AirPods and Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro line.

I would say the design is closer to the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, as the eartips don’t go as deep into the ear canal like the AirPods Pro 3.

I find the Buds Pro 2 to be very comfy and easy to get the physical seal without having to be lodged so firmly into the ear canal.

That said, there are some more secure-fitting designs if you plan to use these with a lot of movement like running or going to the gym.

Features

The CMF Buds Pro 2 was originally released in July 2024, so it has many modern wireless earbud features:

IP55 dust and water resistance rating (dust-resistant and water-jet resistant)
“Smart Dial” charging case
Built-in microphones for taking calls
Bluetooth 5.3
LDAC support
Multi-point connection
Adaptive Noise Cancelling
Transparency Mode
Native apps for both iOS and Android

Microphone Quality

Being a sub-$50 budget earbud, how does the CMF Buds Pro 2 mic quality compare to the $200+ flagships?

I would say mic quality is probably the least impressive aspect of this otherwise excellent budget earbud.

From a technical standpoint, there is a 6-microphone array used for both calls and noise cancelling.

The flagships tend to incorporate bone conduction sensors in addition to multiple mics, so the CMF Buds Pro 2 is a bit underpowered from a hardware standpoint.

It attempts to make up for this with AI and software, but there’s only so much that can do. Plus, the flagships are also using arguably superior AI (like Apple and Sony) in addition to better hardware.

Because of these differences, the CMF Buds Pro 2 has serviceable mic quality but not true “flagship” level like the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro, AirPods Pro 3, Sony WF-1000XM6, etc.

Battery Life

With ANC on: 6.5 hours of battery life on a single charge
With ANC off: 11 hours on a single charge / 43 hours total with charging case
Fast Charge: 10 minutes = 3 hours of playback

This battery life is currently slightly above average, which tends to be around 6 hours with noise cancelling turned on, and 24-30 hours with the charging case.

Comfort + Features Score: 9.5 out of 10

Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) Performance

Holding CMF Buds Pro 2 inside charging case with smart dial

I’ve tested many CMF / Nothing audio products including all of their headphones, and typically noise cancelling performance is average as a whole compared to Apple, Sony, Bose, etc.

Now the CMF Buds Pro 2 is a budget earbud under $50, so it faces even more challenges on paper.

That said, I actually find the noise cancelling to be average compared to the entire class of 40+ pairs tested, which is a pretty respectable feat considering its price.

There is some decent noise cancelling strength in the lower frequencies especially, but the AI algorithm is not as effective for spikes in the mid to high frequencies like the flagships.

Also one slight annoyance is hearing an audible hiss when ANC is turned on, while others are more “transparent” sounding.

For about $40 however, I’m not complaining too much about the CMF Buds Pro 2’s noise cancelling, which gets the job done with music playing at a moderate volume.

Noise Cancelling Score: 7.5 out of 10

Sound Quality

CMF Buds Pro 2 and Nothing Ear 3 side by side comparison

Starting with the technicals, the CMF Buds Pro 2 supports the hi-res codec of LDAC and are powered by a dual-driver architecture consisting of an 11mm bass driver coupled with a 6mm micro-planar tweeter.

For reference, multi-driver earbud setups tend to be featured in more audiophile products, so this is pretty impressive on paper for a sub-$50 product.

Now how does that translate to sound quality?

Upon first listen, I’m immediately impressed by the combination of massive bass response with treble detail.

The stock sound profile is quite V-shaped, but is executed nicely due to a combination of the dual-driver setup handling bass and treble separately, but also the “DIRAC Opteo” tuning.

The “DIRAC Opteo” tuning is professional and gives the CMF Buds Pro 2 a unique advantage over the pretty poorly-tuned budget earbuds in the class.

I think this combination leads to the CMF Buds Pro 2 absolutely excelling for bass-heavy digital music like Pop, Hip Hop, and EDM.

The bass can get too overpowering at times, but it is quite fun and satisfying for those genres specifically.

However, this also causes the Buds Pro 2 to sound less stellar for the more organic instrument and vocal genres like Rock, Metal, and Classical.

It still sounds punchy and detailed, but it’s really lacking the warm timbre, body, and male vocal fullness.

So in short, it’s not “natural” sounding, but fun and detailed with very impressive sub-bass.

Surprisingly, I think the CMF Buds Pro 2 is fairly competitive with some of the more expensive flagships like AirPods Pro 3 and Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro.

In the sub-$100 budget class, I find the EarFun Air Pro 4+ to match the sound quality, which also features a dual-driver setup and LDAC.

Overall, I don’t put these earbuds in the “audiophile” tier alongside Sony WF-1000XM6, Technics AZ100, and Status Pro X, but this also costs a fraction of their price.

Sound Quality Score: 8.0 out of 10

Value

CMF by Nothing Buds Pro 2 charging case with smart dial

The CMF Buds Pro 2 retails for $49.00 USD, but can be found on sale for as low as $39.

At under $50, I’m genuinely blown away by the CMF Buds Pro 2.

I think the sound quality is up there with AirPods Pro 3, Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro, and maybe the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro.

The noise cancelling is average for the class, but pretty good for under $50. It could be a lot worse.

I’d say the mic quality is probably where these get exposed as a “budget” earbud the most, but it’s still serviceable in quieter environments.

Value Score: 10 out of 10

Overall Scoring Breakdown

Comfort + Features (15% of score): 9.5 / 10

Noise Cancelling (25% of score): 7.5 / 10

Sound Quality (50% of score): 8.0 / 10

Value (10% of score): 10 / 10

Total: 8.30 out of 10

8.3Expert Score

Excellent (for under $50)

The CMF Buds Pro 2 is a seriously impressive sub-$50 earbud with sound quality that rivals earbuds costing 3-4 times its price. The noise cancelling is relatively good for the price as well.

Is the CMF Buds Pro 2 Worth it?

CMF by Nothing Buds Pro 2 next to original box packaging

I bought this pair of CMF Buds Pro 2 for $39, and I can’t overstate how impressed I am by its sound quality.

On paper this makes sense, as the dual-driver architecture and LDAC is geared towards audiophile-friendly products.

(Not to mention, the CMF Headphone Pro is one of the best-sounding headphones under $100, so it’s not the first time I’ve been impressed by the brand for its value.)

The only caveats are that the noise cancelling is closer to average for the class (but still good for the price), and the mic quality isn’t flagship level.

But at under $50, this is arguably the best earbud we’ve tested in this price bracket to date.

Some very strong alternatives in this class of wireless earbuds are:

Order HERE for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):

CMF Buds Pro 2 Wireless Earbuds with Smart Dial, 50dB Hybrid Noise Cancelling Earbuds

$39.00

Buy Now

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

08/20/2026 05:02 am GMT

Disclosure: These affiliate links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to keep this website 100% independent to ensure honest unfiltered reviews 🙂

How We Tested and Our Methodology

RecordingNOW.com is a 100% independent publisher with over 10 years of experience testing and reviewing consumer electronics and headphones.

We currently purchase the products we test with our own money, and are not paid by any company or manufacturer to influence our opinions or decisions.

After purchasing the product, we conduct up to hundreds of hours of detailed hands-on testing in a controlled, acoustically-treated environment.

ODi Productions is our resident expert and author of this article, with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, tech journalist, and audiophile.