Nothing CMF Buds Pro 2 review: A physical dial brings so much joy, and so does the sound

A rotary dial that feels fun and interesting

The dial can be used to control volume and music (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)

Most earbuds these days have touch-sensitive controls, which have become the industry standard. While it works perfectly fine for some, I’ve always found it slightly uncomfortable to control the music, as I end up pushing the earbud deeper into my ear when trying to use the touch zone. The CMF Buds Pro 2 offers a novel solution (or alternative) that works well. Although the buds still have touch controls, Nothing adds a rotary dial in the corner of the case.
The circular knob is the buds’ most notable and unique feature. It’s a key part of how you control the music and can also be used to navigate parts of its user interface. The physical dial is sturdy, smooth, and has a satisfying sound as you move the knob. It reminded me of the old-school Philips boombox that used to have a physical dial to adjust the volume. The physical knob on the buds’ case is an odd input method that differentiates these TWS from just about everything else on the market.

What’s also interesting about the dial is that it is fully customisable and can have different assignments using the Nothing X app. In fact, there are five ways you can customise the dial. For example, you can rotate the dial to adjust the volume, or a single press can activate the Voice Assistant. The dial itself is very responsive and works well for the most part. That said, I’d also like to highlight that while the rotary dial on the case is cool and fresh idea, once the case is in your pocket, you would still be managing playback either through the phone or using the touch-sensitive volume control on the stems.

Speaking of the case, it comes in a plastic square with rounded corners and has a matte feel that does not attract fingerprints at all. The case isn’t slippery like the AirPods case, and its small size means it easily fits in my pockets. It can snugly fit in my jeans or shorts pocket. When opening the lid of the charging case, the earbuds sit fully exposed — held in place only by magnets. You simply need to lift them away from the magnets. Putting them back is even easier — simply bring them within a few millimetres of their assigned charging spots, and those magnets snap them back in place. Like most earbud cases, the status of things like pairing is indicated by a light on the charging case.

Fit nicely in ears

The buds offer a snug fit, which also helps with noise isolation (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)

I have ears that don’t always like the fit of earbuds. In fact, I have struggled with the fit of earbuds in the past so much that I have returned them due to the uncomfortable designs of the stems. Thankfully, the CMF Buds Pro 2 fit comfortably in both of my ears. The earbuds generally stay securely in place during normal activities throughout the day, even during brisk walking. I stress this because I have seen a lot of earbuds in the budget segment that either don’t feel secure or, due to poor quality, hurt the ears.

Fast and reliable pairing

The Buds Pro 2 support Google Fast Pair (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)

I have had no issues pairing the Buds Pro 2 to the CMF Phone 1 (review). The pairing was instant, thanks to the fast-pair Bluetooth 5.3 version. Another thing I would like to mention is that you can also pair these earbuds with an iPhone. You can do that through the Nothing X app (available on iOS and Android — I paired them with my iPhone), which also lets you further configure the controls on the earbuds. You can tweak the settings of the equaliser and noise control and figure out how to control it through the earbuds themselves. The touchpad is at the top of the stem, where you can simply touch to pause, play, fast-forward, and repeat songs. They aren’t as sensitive as I’d like them to be, but that’s okay.

Good sound quality for the price

I am not an expert or an audiophile. I can’t tell you the difference in audio quality between different headphones; that is a very subjective call. You and I both have different opinions on audio, and that’s how it should be. That being said, I like the sound of these. They are more than good enough for most genres. The audio is clear, feels natural, and has oomph and clarity, but it’s not super bass-heavy. Of course, you can change the intensity of the music using the built-in equalizer, which can make the sound very neutral. Listening to songs like Adele’s “Hello,” feels more impactful in your ear, I’d say.

Active noise cancellation is okay

The earbuds offer excellent battery life (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)

My listening experience in noisy environments tells me that the Buds Pro 2 could be better at noise cancelling. Yes, I was not blown away, and I did not expect them to be exceptional in noise cancellation at this price point. I did not notice a significant impact when ANC was activated, whether walking alongside roads, at a cafe, or commuting on the metro and auto. However I found the call quality very good on these headphones and have had no reports of people on the other end of the call having trouble hearing me.

Solid battery life

The Buds Pro 2 have a solid amount of battery life. On a single charge, they will give you six hours of playback (without ANC on) and another 25 hours or so of battery life with the case. There are three sizes of ear tips in the box, which should meet most users’ needs. Another feature I appreciate is auto-pause when you remove an earbud. It works well and the feature detects when they are taken out of your ear.

Final thoughts

The CMF Buds Pro 2 is a good budget earbuds with a good set of features (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)

The CMF Buds Pro 2 are interesting wireless earbuds because of the physical dial. It simplifies managing music on earbuds and brings a nostalgic experience to mainstream tech products. Overall, the Buds Pro 2 are promising, especially since they only cost Rs 4,299. I think there is an audience for tech products that are quirky and experimental. That set will love this one.