Emilcar discovers that 16-euro CMF Buds Pro cancel noise just as well as his 250-euro AirPods Pro 2.
The episode begins with Emilcar announcing there will be no podcast on Thursday due to exhausting urban planning assembly meetings he must lead. He then references a previous episode where he discussed his 'addiction' to noise cancellation and associated health concerns. Listeners on Discord responded, some recommending the affordable CMF earbuds. This prompts Emilcar to search for them, finding the discontinued CMF Buds Pro model for 15-18 euros on AliExpress, not Amazon. He explains the current Nothing/CMF earbud lineup, from the 149-euro Nothing Ear 3 down to the 37-euro CMF Buds 2. The review focuses on the CMF Buds Pro. He describes the packaging, the distinctive round charging case, and its somewhat awkward one-handed operation. Battery life is noted as modest. The earbuds fit his ears well with the default tips. He pairs them with the Nothing X app, which offers noise cancellation (claimed 45dB), transparency mode, and an off mode. He finds the noise cancellation surprisingly comparable to his AirPods Pro 2, though lacking adaptive features. Sound quality is worse but adjustable via a graphic equalizer in the app. Controls are based on tap gestures (double-tap, triple-tap, tap-and-hold) configurable per earbud, with volume control assigned to a tap-and-hold gesture. He praises the ingenuity of the control scheme given the price. A key advantage is faster Bluetooth connection compared to AirPods, which negotiate with multiple iCloud devices. He mentions features like in-ear detection and a 'find my earbuds' beep function. Emilcar is so impressed he uses them throughout the day, not just as intended nighttime backups. He ends by strongly recommending purchase, even suggesting buying multiple pairs for family, and muses about more expensive Nothing models.
