The CMF Buds 2 Plus are priced at only $69, yet they still provide a range of features typically found on far more expensive earbuds, including active noise cancellation, LDAC codec support, and an eye-catching design. We wish the EQ were more customizable and that Nothing included a USB-C cable for charging, but these are minor gripes in the face of a feature-packed set of earbuds. The CMF Buds 2 Plus earn our Editors' Choice for affordable noise-cancelling earphones thanks to their balanced performance and even better value.

Design: Attractive, With a Novel Case

Most wireless earbuds in this price range look alike, but not the CMF Buds 2 Plus. Their trend-bucking design starts with the charging case. It's square with rounded corners and features a rotating dial that serves as a hole for connecting a lanyard, but also functions as a fidget spinner. There's a CMF logo at the bottom right corner of the lid, and a USB-C port is located on the right-hand edge.

(Credit: Christian de Looper)

The earbuds are a little less out there but feature thoughtful design touches, such as a solid, glossy circle on the top of the right earbud stem and an outline of one on the left earbud, making them easy to distinguish at a glance.

Each earbud measures 1.32 by 0.82 by 0.89 (HWD) and weighs 0.16 ounces, while the charging case dimensions are about 2.10 by 2.10 by 0.90 inches and 1.50 ounces. Nothing chose a stem design for the earbuds, which I like; they fit well and are incredibly comfortable. The earbuds are rated IP55, so while you won’t want to submerge them, they should withstand exposure to sweat and rain. The earbuds are available in two colors: blue and light gray. We received the former.

The stem has a touch surface for controlling the buds. By default, each bud has the same controls: a double-tap skips forward to the next track, and a triple-tap skips back to the previous track. You can assign other controls to each bud, including playing or pausing audio and activating your phone's voice assistant. You can also assign an action that triggers when you double-tap and hold one of the buds.

(Credit: Christian de Looper)

The earbuds feature 12mm LCP drivers, but Nothing doesn’t disclose the frequency range they can deliver. They connect via Bluetooth 5.4 and support Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair. They don't have true Bluetooth multipoint support; however, they have what Nothing calls Dual Device connectivity, which allows you to connect them to two devices. The earbuds support an impressive selection of codecs, including the basic AAC and SBC options, as well as the high-resolution LDAC, which is unusual at this price point.

In addition to the earbuds and the charging case, Nothing includes two additional pairs of eartips (for a total of three). A pair of medium-sized eartips comes preinstalled on the buds. You'll need to supply your own USB-C cable and wall charger.

Battery: Decent Stamina and Fast Charging

The battery life is quite impressive. You get 7.5 hours of continuous listening with noise cancellation on from the earbuds alone and up to 33 hours with the charging case. The case doesn’t support wireless charging, so you’ll need to charge via USB-C. However, the case does feature fast charging and will provide 4.5 hours of playback (with noise cancellation off) after just 10 minutes of charging.

For comparison, the EarFun Air Pro 4 earbuds can also last up to 7.5 hours with noise cancellation turned on, and their case provides up to 35 hours of total listening time.

App: Full of Features, But a Basic EQ

The CMF Buds 2 Plus work with the Nothing X app (available for Android and iOS), the same app that the Nothing Ear and Nothing Ear (a) use. It's feature-packed and intuitive, and provides access to a range of helpful tools and settings.

From the main screen, you can quickly access features like noise modes and spatial audio settings. You can also explore other settings, such as Personal Sound Profiles, which adjust audio according to your hearing.

(Credit: Nothing/PCMag)

The built-in EQ is rudimentary, with six presets and Pop set as the default. While there’s a custom option, it only allows you to tweak bass, midrange, and treble, and it doesn't indicate which frequencies each represents. It lacks Advanced EQ, however. 

Noise Cancellation: Impressive for the Price

The noise-cancellation tech on these earbuds isn’t as effective as on Nothing's more expensive products, but that's to be expected. Nonetheless, it does an excellent job for such affordable earbuds. In addition to three levels of noise cancellation to choose from (Low, Medium, and High), the earbuds feature a smart adaptive active noise-cancelling (ANC) mode that adjusts based on ambient audio conditions.

(Credit: Christian de Looper)

The earbuds effectively block noise from consistent sources, such as plane engines. They cut much of the low-end rumble and mid frequencies from a plane, and while some noise still gets through, it is easy to block out with audio. They aren't quite as good at dialing back higher-pitched or inconsistent sounds, such as the noises on a bus; thankfully, they still lower the ambient volume significantly. The noise cancellation is impressive at reducing a lot of the background chatter in a busy cafe, blocking most of the voices from far away and leaving only quieter sounds from closer voices. It's the best implementation I've experienced at this price point.

The transparency mode is less impressive, but it is still usable. It isn't adept at reproducing higher frequencies, which makes things sound unnatural. Additionally, it introduces some background hiss. Still, it is adequate for short sessions, but I wouldn't want to leave it on all the time. 

Sound: Excellent, Especially With High-Res Audio

The CMF Buds 2 Plus deliver outstanding audio quality even at their default setting, which features the Ultra Bass option turned on, the EQ set to the Pop preset, and noise cancellation set to off. You can make them sound even better by working through the EQ presets or adjusting the custom EQ. The earbuds sound especially good when connected to a source that supports the LDAC codec.

With the default settings enabled, tracks like The Knife's “Silent Shout” sound full and rich. It's not a neutral sound, but it's responsive and exciting, with deep bass and clarity in the high end. The deep bass is particularly helpful with this test track, as it relies heavily on sub-bass content for much of its depth and richness. The earbuds handle it brilliantly.

(Credit: Christian de Looper)

The bass response is also impactful on "Loyalty." by Kendrick Lamar. This track features an abundance of sub-bass, primarily from a deep bassline that runs throughout the verse and chorus. The earbuds can produce all but the lowest of the notes (which is common for wireless earbuds). And even where they can’t pump out the full bass depth, they still deliver a satisfying rumble. Other aspects of the track sound excellent, including both Lamar's and Rihanna’s vocals, which are rich and present.

The buds' limitations start to show up on a track like “Drover” by Bill Callahan, where they don’t give the acoustic guitar the sparkle it deserves. The drums still sound punchy, and Callahan’s baritone vocals have plenty of depth, but I long for more detail in the higher frequencies. Enabling the Rock EQ, which provides more high-end emphasis, helps somewhat.

On orchestral tracks, such as the opening scene to John Adams' The Gospel According to the Other Mary, the earbuds demonstrate sufficient soundstage width for the complex arrangement with numerous instruments. The frequency response ensures the bass strings sound full without being overpowering, and the brass is punchy and bright. 

(Credit: Christian de Looper)

The earbuds support spatial audio and can apply the effect to non-spatial tracks. Usually, I don't like it when earbuds do this, but it's subtle and effective on the Buds 2 Plus. The tracks feel roomier, and the effect isn't as jarring as it often is with other earbuds. I wouldn't leave it on all the time for music, and might limit my use of it for watching videos. However, it's a pleasant surprise to have decent spatial audio available from such affordable earbuds.

The microphones sound decent when recording through the Voice Memos app on an iPhone. My voice isn’t particularly rich in recordings, but the microphones easily pick up every word I say, making them suitable for calls or voice notes.