CMF BY NOTHING Buds Pro 2

The CMF Buds Pro 2 deliver sound and noise canceling that embarrass earbuds triple the price. The build is all plastic, but at $49, you'll forgive it the moment you hit play.

We plugged these in expecting 'decent for the money.' Instead, we got ANC that swallows office chatter and low-end rumble almost on par with earbuds costing four times as much. The 11mm dynamic driver plus 6mm tweeter combo delivers clear treble and thumping bass that doesn't muddy the mids, and the LDAC codec means you're actually getting high-res detail over Bluetooth. Call quality surprised us too—the six-mic array with Clear Voice 3.0 made us sound natural even with street noise in the background. Battery life is a marathon: 11 hours in the buds and 43 total with the case, plus Qi wireless charging. The only performance hiccup is a slight hiss in transparency mode when it's very quiet, but for most people that's nitpicking.

The Sony WF-1000XM6 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra both offer more polished builds, waterproofing, and slightly more refined apps, but they cost four to five times as much and don't actually outperform the CMF in ANC or battery. The Technics EAH-AZ100 and Google Pixel Buds Pro come closer in polish, yet the CMF's dual-driver sound and smart dial give it an edge. If you're willing to trade a bit of app sophistication for raw performance per dollar, the Buds Pro 2 are the clear winner.

At the $49 street price, these are an absolute steal. You're getting ANC, sound, and battery life that handily beat many earbuds in the $150 to $200 range. Unless you absolutely need a premium metal build, there's no reason to spend more.

The CMF Buds Pro 2 are the kind of earbuds that make you question every dollar you've ever spent on audio. For around $60, you get a dual-driver setup, LDAC high-res streaming, and 50dB adaptive noise canceling that lands in the top 3% of all earbuds we've tested. The sound is crisp, bass-forward, and customizable through the Nothing X app, and the case has a genuine party trick: a clickable smart dial that handles volume, playback, and ANC modes without pulling out your phone. Yeah, the plastic build feels a bit hollow, but the feature set here is borderline absurd for the price.

If you're rough on your gear and want a metal unibody feel, skip these. The plastic shell and occasional pocket dial misfires will annoy you. Grab the Sony LinkBuds Fit for a tougher build, or the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro if you're deep in that ecosystem and willing to pay the premium.

These are the budget earbuds to beat right now. The sound is lush, the ANC is best-in-class for the price, and the battery just keeps going. At $49, it's not even a conversation. Unless you're particularly rough on your gear and need a tank-like build, buy these without a second thought.