1 hour ago
4
ZDNET's cardinal takeaways
- The CMF Headphone Pro are disposable successful 3 colors for $100, and are often discounted to $75
- They present a large audio, design, and sound cancellation acquisition for their price
- People looking for much premium accessories and show should look elsewhere.
Follow ZDNET: Add america arsenic a preferred source on Google.
CMF started retired arsenic a Nothing sub-brand focused connected affordable products. In its little lifetime, it has separated from Nothing and carved retired a property of its own. While the absorption connected worth hasn't changed, CMF has delivered immoderate of my favourite designs connected fund products (Phone 2 Pro) successful caller years. The CMF Headphone Pro are nary different.
Also: These fashion-forward headphones person nary concern sounding this bully for the price
It retains the company's signature amusive vibe, borrows immoderate utile elements from the Nothing Headphone 1, and costs little than $100. I utilized them for a week, and here's wherefore I deliberation they're the champion $75 headphone woody close now.
Best headphone deals of the week
Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and whitethorn beryllium unrelated to this article.
An exciting, amusive vibe
I emotion having buttons connected my headphones and the CMF Headphone Pro has plentifulness of them.
The champion portion astir the CMF Headphone Pro is their design. They look much premium than their terms tag suggests and don't shy distant from looking bold. They travel successful Dark Grey, Light Green, and Light Grey, with matching modular receptor cushions included by default. However, if you're similar maine and privation your headphones to look antithetic with added colour contrast, you tin regenerate the receptor pads with an casual twist. I person the Dark Grey model, and I interchanged the darker receptor cushions with orangish pads (costs $25 extra). I emotion the new, chiseled look.
Also: I replaced my AirPods Pro with Sony XM6 earbuds for a period - and I'm astir sold
Modular user devices are hard to execute. Multiple companies person tried modular phones and smartwatches successful the past, but nary succeeded due to the fact that modularity adds a interaction of inconvenience. Heck, I'd usage the aforesaid instrumentality arsenic everyone other if it takes maine 5 to 10 minutes to personalize it. That's wherefore I emotion CMF's approach. It took maine little than 2 minutes to twist and interchange my receptor cushions erstwhile I tried it for the archetypal time.
Both the receptor cushions and the headband person capable padding for hours-long wear. However, the headband feels a spot flimsy. It hasn't affected my wearability, and it won't interruption if you flex it much than required (don't inquire however I cognize this). But I had to notation it due to the fact that it mightiness not instill assurance successful the archetypal impression.
I emotion carnal controls connected my headphones, and I'm gladsome to study that, similar the Nothing Headphone 1, the CMF Headphone Pro offers respective fastener types.
Also: Why I urge these wireless headphones implicit pricier flagship models
On the near side, it houses a powerfulness and Bluetooth pairing fastener and a bass slider that you tin usage to set the… (you guessed it!) bass. I didn't deliberation I'd beryllium touching this control, but it was amusive to boost the bass connected stone tracks without having to interaction my phone. On the right-hand side, you get a measurement knob that besides toggles ANC connected and off, and a fastener to trigger Google Gemini. These controls are intuitive, nice-to-have, and casual to use.
Sound good. ANC good. Battery life? Also good.
The CMF Headphone Pro features customized 40mm drivers and supports high-res audio via the LDAC codec connected compatible devices. It switches to AAC connected the iPhone and SBC connected Android phones that don't enactment LDAC. I tested these headphones with my Vivo X100 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Also: I replaced my QuietComfort Ultra with these midrange headphones - and I'm sticking with them
The CMF Headphone Pro delivers a wide soundstage. Its dependable is connected the bassy broadside (not thumpy), but it doesn't bleed into the different frequencies. That's until you summation the bass with the slider, which muffles the higher frequencies. Other than that, vocals are clear, and the instruments dependable lively. You tin power betwixt EQ presets to tune it to your liking.
CMF's progressive sound cancellation is amended than expected. Like the CMF Buds 2 Plus, the Headphone Pro muted ambient postulation sound connected my commute precise good and is awesome astatine little frequencies, specified arsenic the buzz of the bureau aerial conditioner. The ANC isn't arsenic bully arsenic my ageing Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones, but it's decidedly amended than I expected for little than $100.
The institution says its caller headphones tin past up to 100 hours of listening with ANC disconnected and 50% to 70% volume, though you are improbable to scope that fig with LDAC on. With each features working, ANC enabled, and measurement astatine 70%, you tin expect up to 45 hours of artillery life, which is large for a brace of wireless headphones.
ZDNET's buying advice
The CMF Headphone Pro are an casual recommendation, particularly erstwhile they're connected sale. These headphones initially launched for $99 but are presently selling for $75 connected Amazon. So, adjacent if you take to walk connected the $25 interchangeable receptor cushion, you're getting a large woody for the archetypal motorboat terms of $100.
There's not overmuch to responsibility here, but I'd emotion the earcups to fold inwards for amended portability, and person a hard lawsuit for storage. The CMF Headphone Pro are comfy to wear, sounds nice, offers awesome ANC performance, has intuitive controls, delivers bully artillery life, and looks cool. If you are successful the marketplace for a brace of headphones nether $80, the CMF Headphone Pro are hard to beat.
English (US) ·