The CMF brand has refreshed its lineup of wireless earbuds with the CMF Buds: Buds 2, Buds 2 Plus, and Buds 2a. Compared to the previous generation, the CMF Buds 2 wireless earbuds bring a few key updates, including an acoustic system with an 11 mm dynamic driver instead of a 12.4 mm one, plus a built-in voice assistant powered by ChatGPT 3.5. Battery life is up, taking the earbuds from 8 to 13.5 hours, while total runtime with the charging case climbs from 35 to 55 hours. Meanwhile, active noise cancellation depth reaches 48 dB up from 42 dB. Across design and select specs, the new CMF Buds 2 edge close to the higher-end wireless earbuds model, the CMF Buds Pro 2, and even pull ahead in a few areas.
The CMF Buds 2 Plus take the base Buds 2 and add several feature enhancements. They introduce personalized sound tech built alongside Audiodo, which runs an audiometric test to map out your sensitivity across different frequencies before dynamically tuning the audio for optimal output. These in-ear earbuds feature a 12 mm dynamic driver and support the LDAC Bluetooth codec. Active noise cancellation hits a depth of 50 dB across a 5400 Hz frequency range. Among the three new options, the CMF Buds 2 Plus offer the longest music playback battery life: 14 hours for the earbuds and 61.5 hours with the charging case, or 7.5 and 33 hours with ANC turned on. Turn on LDAC and you get 8 and 36 hours, while running both LDAC and ANC drops those numbers to 5.5 and 25 hours.
The CMF Buds 2a serve as the budget-friendly entry in the lineup, aligning more closely with the first-generation CMF Buds on specs. They pack a 12.4 mm dynamic driver along with SBC and AAC Bluetooth codecs. You get four microphones backed by software noise reduction and processing features like Clear Voice Technology and 2nd-generation Wind Noise Reduction. Active noise cancellation depth sits at 42 dB across a 2900 Hz frequency range. For music playback, you can expect 8 hours from the earbuds and 35.5 hours total with the charging case, or 5 and 23 hours with ANC enabled. Dust and water resistance comes in at IP54 for the earbuds and IPX2 for the case.
Inside the CMF Buds 2, the manufacturer swapped out the acoustic system for an 11 mm dynamic driver rather than the previous 12.4 mm unit. Given certain spec similarities with the CMF Buds Pro 2 — and checking out the review is worth your time — the brand clearly used the driver from that higher-end model as a starting point, with the main differences coming down to diaphragm materials. Bluetooth codec support stays with SBC and AAC. It is worth noting that the CMF Buds Pro 2 hold the 8th spot in our ranking of affordable wireless earbuds under $100, and rank 2nd in the under $50 category. The new CMF Buds 2 Plus can go toe-to-toe with the pricier flagship model, while the standard Buds 2 and Buds 2a are destined for our wireless earbuds rankings for under $50 or under $30.
Microphone count is up from 4 to 6, utilizing software noise reduction paired with Clear Voice Technology 3.0 for calls, alongside Wind Noise Reduction 3.0 to cut down on wind and environmental sounds. Active noise cancellation depth rises from 42 to 48 dB, while the frequency range expands from 2900 to 5200 Hz. For comparison, the CMF Buds Pro 2 hit 50 dB and 5000 Hz, while packing 6 microphones with 2nd-generation Clear Voice Technology and Wind Noise Reduction. You can consequently look forward to active noise cancellation performance that matches or beats the higher-end CMF Buds Pro 2. We will have a clearer picture once our review unit finishes testing and arrives at our office. Let us know in the comments what you would like to see us compare them against.
You manage playback using touch controls, and you can customize the layout via the Nothing X companion app for Android and iOS. The app lets you adjust the EQ, toggle Game Mode — which claims audio latency under 110 ms — and summon the ChatGPT 3.5 voice assistant. Spatial Audio is now included to simulate a three-dimensional soundstage, alongside an ear tip fit test and wear detection. Bluetooth 5.4 replaces version 5.3 and brings multipoint pairing along for the ride. Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair return unchanged for quick connections to Android and Windows gear.
The manufacturer boosted battery life on the CMF Buds 2. Without ANC, the earbuds now run for 13.5 hours compared to 8 previously, while total case battery life jumps from 35 to 55 hours. With ANC turned on, you get 7.5 hours from the earbuds instead of 5.6, backed by 32 hours of total case power rather than 24. By comparison, the CMF Buds Pro 2 deliver 11 hours without ANC and 43 hours with the case, dropping to 6.5 and 26 hours with ANC active. That means the new model comfortably outlasts both its predecessor and the pricier flagship version.
The physical design of the earbuds and charging case mirrors the CMF Buds Pro 2, with measurements varying by only a few tenths of a millimeter. You can spot the new model by the revised design on the case’s rotary dial. Dust and water resistance for the earbuds bumps up from IP54 to IP55, while the case stays at IPX2. Color choices include light grey, dark grey, and orange.
What would you be interested in comparing this model with? Let me know in the comments.
