Nothing has changed in its line of in-canal TWS headphones — CMF Buds: Buds 2, Buds 2 Plus, and Buds 2a. Here are the main innovations of the CMF Buds 2 Bluetooth headphones compared to the previous generation:
- Sound system: 11 mm dynamic driver instead of 12.4 mm
- Built-in voice assistant: Powered by ChatGPT 3.5
- Battery life: Up from 8 to 13.5 hours on the earbuds; total time with the case up from 35 to 55 hours
- Noise cancellation: 48 dB depth instead of 42 dB
In terms of design and some features, the new CMF Buds 2 closely resemble the higher-end CMF Buds Pro 2 — and in some respects even surpass it.
The CMF Buds 2 Plus essentially builds on the Buds 2 by adding and enhancing several key features. Developed in partnership with Audiodo, its new personalized sound technology conducts an audiometric test to gauge your hearing sensitivity across different frequencies, then dynamically tailors the audio for optimal performance. Inside each earbud sits a 12 mm dynamic driver, and the buds support the high-resolution LDAC codec. Active noise cancellation delivers up to 50 dB of reduction across frequencies up to 5,400 Hz. When it comes to battery life, the Buds 2 Plus lead the new lineup: you’ll get 14 hours of playback from the earbuds alone (61.5 hours with the charging case) in standard mode; enabling ANC cuts that to 7.5 hours (33 hours with the case); using LDAC extends it to 8 hours (36 hours with the case); and running both LDAC and ANC together yields about 5.5 hours on the buds and 25 hours total with the case.
The CMF Buds 2a are the most budget-friendly option in the lineup and, in terms of features, align more closely with the first-generation CMF Buds. They use a 12.4 mm dynamic driver and support SBC and AAC codecs. Four built-in microphones leverage software-based noise reduction—Clear Voice Technology and Wind Noise Reduction 2.0—to deliver up to 42 dB of active noise cancellation across frequencies up to 2,900 Hz. Playback runs about 8 hours on the earbuds alone (35.5 hours with the charging case), dropping to 5 hours (23 hours with the case) when ANC is enabled.
In the CMF Buds 2, the manufacturer overhauled the sound system by swapping the 12.4 mm dynamic driver for an 11 mm unit. While some specs echo those of the higher-end CMF Buds Pro 2—whose driver design served as the reference—the key changes lie in the diaphragm materials. The supported audio codecs remain unchanged (SBC and AAC).
The CMF Buds 2 step up to six microphones—up from four—using Clear Voice Technology 3.0 for crystal-clear calls and Wind Noise Reduction 3.0 to block out gusts and ambient distractions. Their ANC depth jumps from 42 dB to 48 dB, and the cancellation bandwidth extends from 2,900 Hz to 5,200 Hz. By comparison, the CMF Buds Pro 2 delivers 50 dB of ANC at up to 5,000 Hz with six mics running Clear Voice Technology and second-generation wind reduction—so you can expect the Buds 2 to match or even exceed Pro 2 in noise-cancelling performance. We’ll know more once we test them—our CMF Buds 2 review units are on the way. Let us know in the comments which Wireless headphones you’d like us to compare them against.
Control is touch-sensitive and fully customizable via the proprietary Nothing X app on Android and iOS. In the app you can tweak the EQ, enable Game Mode—which promises under 110 ms of latency—and summon the ChatGPT 3.5–based voice assistant. New features include spatial audio for a simulated 3D soundstage and an ear-mold fit test alongside standard in-ear detection. Bluetooth has been bumped to version 5.4 (still with multipoint), and Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair remain available for quick Android and Windows pairing.
The CMF Buds 2 deliver a marked boost in battery life: in standard (no-ANC) mode they run for up to 13.5 hours on a single charge—versus 8 hours before—and offer 55 hours total with the charging case (up from 35 hours). With ANC turned on, you’ll get 7.5 hours of playback per charge (compared to 5.6 hours) and 32 hours total with the case (versus 24 hours). By way of comparison, the CMF Buds Pro 2 manage 11 hours (43 hours with the case) without ANC and 6.5 hours (26 hours with the case) with ANC. In other words, the new Buds 2 outlast both their predecessor and the older Pro 2 model.
The CMF Buds 2 share the same look and feel as the CMF Buds Pro 2—with only tenths of a millimeter difference in dimensions—but you can spot the new model by its redesigned case’s rotary handle. The earbuds’ ingress protection has been bumped from IP54 to IP55 (the case itself is rated IPX2), and they come in three colors: light green, dark gray, and orange. The CMF Buds 2 are already available on AliExpress, while the CMF Buds 2 Plus and Buds 2a will launch in Europe on May 5, 2025.
What are you interested in comparing this model to? Write in the comments.
Source – official website of nothing
