The new headphones from CMF by Nothing are even more affordable than the first pair
It’s only been five months and CMF, the affordable sub-brand of Nothing, has officially unveiled its second wave of products: a new, even cheaper pair of earbuds alongside an entirely new device, the Neckband Pro.
Neckband-style earbuds haven’t been a popular headphone design for a while, so we were surprised, to say the least, when we first heard about the Neckband Pro. But if there’s a company that can bring neckband earbuds back into fashion, it’s definitely CMF by Nothing.
CMF is not the only one wanting to revive the design. Last year we saw Beyerdynamic launch the Blue Byrd, which we fell in love with, especially because of their super affordable price tag. But the new CMF Neckband Pro and Buds both undermine it immensely. The Buds cost $39 in the US and £39 in the UK (about AU$60 in Australia), while the Neckband Pro is even cheaper at $35/£35.
CMF of Nothing Buds and Neckband Pro: key specs
Let’s start with the Neckband Pro. When CMF by Nothing first teased this new headphone style, it said these were the “first 50dB hybrid ANC device in its category,” which we suspect refers to the best running headphones – many of which don’t support active noise cancellation ( ANC).
This alone makes the Neckband Pro a standout among the best workout headphones we’ve reviewed that offer ANC, such as the Beats PowerBeats Pro, JBL Reflect Aero and Amazfit Powerbuds Pro – hybrid ANC that intuitively adjusts the level of ANC, is, after all, a feature increasingly found in the best headphones.
On top of this premium ANC feature, you get an IP55 rating for water and dust resistance, multi-device pairing, Bluetooth 5.3 support, Spatial Audio Effect, and a fantastic 37-hour battery life. There are also five microphones built in with a dual-channel design to help reduce wind noise and make call quality exceptionally clear.
Finally, there are also the new Buds, which are a more affordable alternative to the Buds Pro that were released last September. The new model is also available in the same three colors: dark and light gray and the striking orange. It also uses a dynamic driver, although CMF lists it as 12.4mm (it doesn’t provide details on the size of the driver in the Pro).
Unlike the Buds Pro, the more stripped-down Buds model uses four microphones instead of six and offers support for voice assistants. Apart from this, the buds are very similar in terms of specifications. Both have an IP54 rating, support for Bluetooth 5.3, touch controls and access to the Nothing X app and ANC up to 45db.
Both products will have a staggered international rollout. Nothing Buds’ CMF will launch in the US on March 28, but will be available earlier on March 9 at the Nothing store in Soho, London. Otherwise, those based in the UK can pre-order a pair from March 12 with shipping expected by March 18.
Meanwhile, the CMF Neckband Pro will be available in the US in April. The earbuds will also initially be available from the Soho store in London on the same day in March, with online sales starting March 18 in the UK.