I am using the new Nothing CMF Buds 2 Plus from last one month, and in this time I also tested it side by side with Realme Buds Air 7, Realme Buds Air 7 Pro, OnePlus Buds 4, Nord Buds 3 and CMF Buds 2 Pro. After trying all these earbuds, I feel if your main priority is sound quality, then in budget of around ₹3000, this one is easily the best option you can buy right now.
Why I am saying this? Well, let me quickly share my experience with you in this review.
CMF Buds 2 Plus Specifications
Design & Build Quality
One thing that really makes the CMF Buds 2 Plus stand out in this price range is the design. CMF Buds 2 Plus comes with a unique and minimalist look that honestly gives a premium vibe. On the top of that, both the earbuds and the charging case have a smooth matte finish, which makes the overall look even more classy.
If you compare, design wise these are almost similar to CMF Buds 2 Pro or even the Nothing Buds 2. But yes, one thing will little bit disappoint you – like Buds 2 Pro, here also you don’t get Smart Dial. The dial is just there as a showpiece, you can attach a lanyard to it or maybe use it as stress relief toy when you are bored 😅, but honestly I really wish CMF had included the smart dial feature.
Another complaint is about color options. You only get two colors here – Light Gray and Blue. I really feel they should also give a Black option or that signature CMF Orange color, because those look more stylish. The light gray one specially, sometimes gives a bit of old or used feeling. And because of the matte finish, dust and dirt sticks very easily, so after some months it may start looking dull or older than it is.
Apart from that, the build quality is solid. The case feels strong and durable, and the earbuds themselves are very sturdy in hand. Honestly, I don’t think you need to worry about durability at all – even if you use them daily, these buds can easily last 4-5 years without problem.
Comfort & Fit
Talking about comfort, I found CMF Buds 2 Plus really good. In fact, compared to Realme Buds Air 7, these are slightly more comfortable for me. In this price range, I can easily say these are among the most comfortable earbudsyou can buy.
I even used them a few times during my morning walk, and never felt any fitting issue. The buds offer a tight and secure fit, so they won’t fall out easily while moving or running. On top of that, you also get IP55 rating, which means the earbuds are safe from dust, sweat and even light rain. But sadly, like most earbuds in this price, the charging case has no waterproof rating, so that part is still missing.
Features & ANC
The main highlight feature here is definitely ANC (Active Noise Cancellation). You get up to 50dB adaptive ANC, and honestly, it works pretty well. For example, fan noise or car engine noise reduces almost 80%, which is really good for under ₹5000. On paper, Realme Air 7 ANC looks a bit stronger, but in real world use, both feel almost the same – maybe 1–2% difference only.
You also get 3 level ANC adjustment plus adaptive mode. But honestly, I didn’t find much difference between normal ANC mode and adaptive ANC, so that part is kind of average. Still, overall ANC performance is solid for the price.
Other features include:
- 360 Spatial Audio mode
- Ultra bass on/off and adjustment option
- Personal sound profile – adjusts audio as per your hearing and ear fit. This is actually useful and improves the overall sound experience. In this price segment, no other earbuds offer this right now.
- Custom EQ with preset modes – presets are fine, but the UI for custom EQ is still the same old one, Nothing should really update it.
- Low Latency Gaming Mode (105ms) – number looks high, but at least brand is honest. In real life, many earbuds claiming 50-70ms actually feel much higher. Here also it might be a bit more than 105ms, but still, for casual gaming it works fine. Yes, if you are a pro gamer or play tournaments, then you will need a wired option.
- Dual pairing support
- Wear detection
- Touch control customization
- Earbud fit test
- Find my buds
- Google Fast Pair
So overall, feature-wise there is no shortage. In fact, under ₹3000 I don’t think any other earbuds are offering this many features right now.
Battery Life
Battery backup is decent here. I don’t want to waste time repeating the company’s promised numbers, because in real life story is always different. Based on my own usage – with LDAC on and volume around 50-60%, I got around 4 to 5 hours playback from the earbuds. Of course, this was with ANC off. If you keep ANC on, then expect around 3 hoursonly. And if both LDAC and ANC are off, then it can go above 5 hours easily.
With the charging case, you can expect around 30 hours total battery life. Some people might think these numbers are little low, but honestly, they are not. For this size earbuds, this is kind of average and what most brands give. So no, battery is not amazing, but it’s good enough. For normal users, I don’t think there will be any problem in daily use.
Microphone
One area where CMF Buds 2 Plus really improved compared to older CMF earbuds is the microphone. This time you get a total of 6 mics, and the call quality is quite good.
Indoors, the mic captures clear voice without distortion and it sounds quite natural. Of course, in text form I can’t show you the demo like in my video, but still you can imagine – your voice comes out clean and easy to understand for the other person.
Outdoors also, performance is decent. It is able to cut down traffic or background noise to a good extent. Yes, some noise will always be there, but that’s normal with all TWS mics.
So overall, the microphone quality is solid on these buds. For daily calls, meetings, or even outdoor use, it will not disappoint you.
Sound Quality
Finally, let’s talk about the most important thing – sound quality. CMF Buds 2 Plus comes with 12mm drivers and support for LDAC codec with Hi-Res audio. I like that CMF went with LDAC, because in this price range, most Realme or OnePlus earbuds use LHDC. No doubt LHDC is also good, but the problem is, phone support for LDAC is much wider, so it’s more practical choice.
Overall audio experience here is really good. The tuning is slightly V-shaped, which means you get punchy bass and clear highs with enough details in mids. This type of tuning works for most music styles and most users, so I think it’s kind of perfect balance.
The bass is at the right level – not too much, not too low. It never feels overpowered, so the mids remain clear. Vocals, whether male or female, sound natural and detailed. Mid instruments also get good amount of space, which makes the soundstage feel wider than many earbuds in this segment.
The treble is also handled nicely – not too sharp, so even at full volume you don’t feel harshness. Yes, in some complicated tracks with too many instruments, few of them fade little bit in background. But honestly, that happens with almost every earbuds in this price bracket.
What I really like is that the sound feels natural and enjoyable. Bass is good but not over-boosted like OnePlus Buds 4or Realme Air 7. And if you are someone who wants extra bass, you always have the custom EQ option in the app, where you can boost it as much as you like. But by default tuning itself is very balanced and fun.
So overall, in this price point, I can say CMF Buds 2 Plus delivers one of the best audio quality you can get right now under ₹3000.
Worth Buying CMF Buds 2 Plus?
So yes, there are 1–2 small complaints and compromises here, but still overall in this price range, CMF Buds 2 Plus is a really good option. If your budget is around ₹3000 and you mainly want the best sounding earbuds, then definitely you can go for this one.
Quick Comparison
CMF Buds 2 Plus vs Realme Buds Air 7
Now – the biggest competitor here is Realme Buds Air 7. Price and features are almost same, and sound quality is also very good. But Realme Air 7 has a boosted bass by default, which some users will love. But because of that extra bass, the mids get little compromised, vocals don’t sound that clear. Yes, you can adjust through equalizer, but still the issue remains a bit. This problem is not there in CMF Buds 2 Plus, so for me, sound quality is slightly better on CMF.
CMF Buds 2 Plus vs CMF Buds 2 Pro vs OnePlus Buds 4
If we look at OnePlus Buds 4, Realme Air 7 Pro, or CMF Buds 2 Pro, yes, those are little better in terms of audio clarity and details. But don’t forget, all three cost around ₹2000 more. Feature-wise they are almost same, only difference is dual drivers, which give extra detail in highs and mids. So if you have budget, sure, go for them, you will get little better sound. But in my opinion, that upgrade is not fully worth extra 2000 – unless you find them in a sale with good discount.
Otherwise, if you buy CMF Buds 2 Plus, you are already getting one of the best options under 3000 rupees right now.
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