Nothing Buds CMF Buds 2

The CMF Buds 2 are a strange beast: absolutely elite call quality and ANC paired with just average music playback. The mic performance is best-in-class, and the 55-hour battery life is a standout. If you find them for under $50, they're a steal for call-heavy users.

The call quality is a genuine standout, landing in the 97th percentile of our database. That's best-in-class stuff for the price. Battery life is similarly ridiculous, with the case holding enough juice to get you through a week of commutes without hunting for a cable. The hybrid ANC is effective, clocking in at the 94th percentile, which means it silences a surprising amount of the outside world. The weak spot is music playback. The 11mm drivers deliver sound that's just okay, sitting in the middle of the pack. It's perfectly listenable, but don't expect the rich detail you'd get from pricier Sony or Samsung buds.

Stacked against the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro, the CMF Buds 2 actually win on raw ANC and battery life but get absolutely smoked on sound quality and overall polish. The Sony WF-C700N offer a more balanced, musical sound signature but can't touch the CMF's call quality or battery endurance. The EarFun Air Pro 4+ is a closer rival, trading blows on features, but the CMF's mic performance is in a different league. If your priority is taking calls in noisy places, the CMF Buds 2 embarrass most of the competition.

Pricing on these is a rollercoaster. We've seen them listed anywhere from a very reasonable $30 all the way up to a baffling $1271. If you can snag them near the lower end of that spectrum, the value is incredible. You're getting elite-tier call quality and ANC for pocket change. Just don't pay anything close to the high end, because at that point you're in flagship territory where the Buds 2's mediocre music performance becomes a dealbreaker.

CMF by Nothing is back with the Buds 2, and they're swinging hard at the budget ANC market. You get hybrid noise cancelling rated at 48dB, a frankly absurd 55 hours of total battery life, and an IP55 rating that can handle sweat and splashes. On paper, it's a spec sheet that punches way above its weight class.

Audiophiles and music-first listeners should look elsewhere. If you care deeply about rich, detailed sound for your playlists, the mediocre music score here will leave you disappointed. Grab a pair of Sony WF-C700N instead.

These are the perfect buds for remote workers and commuters who live on phone calls and need ANC to survive. The mic quality alone makes them worth the price of admission, and the battery means they won't die on you mid-meeting. Just don't buy them expecting an audiophile experience for your playlists.