CMF by Nothing Headphone Pro Delivers Big Battery and Real Controls on a Budget

Affordable over-ear headphones usually force compromises. You accept weak noise cancellation, short battery life, or plastic that feels temporary. CMF by Nothing’s Headphone Pro refuses most of those trade-offs at a price that still sits under one hundred dollars, or $55 to be exact.

The headphones have round earcups and a cushioned headband, giving them a clean, modern design. They come in three colors: dark gray, light gray, and light green, but you can change the ear cushions for a rainbow of other colors, including vivid orange. The supple vegan leather and 283 gram weight provide a comfortable fit even after hours of wear. The design prioritizes functionality and use, with solid buttons replacing fussy touch surfaces.

A small roller on one earcup allows you to control the volume and playback; simply press and you’re ready to go. The other earcup features an Energy Slider, which allows you to adjust the bass and treble on the fly. It’s all set up via the app, and you can choose how much low or high end you want. You also get a dedicated button for activating your voice assistant or switching modes. Bluetooth 5.4 connects quickly, and it works seamlessly with Google’s Fast Pair and Microsoft’s Swift Pair. In addition, the headphones may connect to two devices at the same time, which is useful when sharing with a friend. If you prefer wired headphones, the cord includes a 3.5mm jack. The LDAC codec and high-resolution certification meet all of your listening needs.


The 40mm drivers and nickel-plated diaphragms produce a warm, robust bass sound that is ideal for everyday listening. Then there’s the associated app, which includes a hearing test to create a personal sound profile, as well as spatial audio choices to make it feel like the entire band is playing in your living room. Hybrid adaptive noise cancellation is rather effective, with reductions of up to 40 decibels, allowing you to turn it down in noisy environments such as the bus or a busy office. The louder voices and piercing sounds are still audible and crisp, as one would expect at this price point. There is also a transparency mode, which allows you to hear the outside world without producing excessive noise.


The battery life of these headphones is particularly impressive, as they can last up to 100 hours on a single charge with noise cancellation turned off. Turn on ANC and you’ll still get roughly 50 hours with the AAC codec or 38 hours with the sophisticated LDAC. What’s the best bit? Five minutes of charging will give you a couple extra hours of listening time. A full charge takes about two hours over USB-C. The IPX2 rating means they can withstand minor wetness, so you can throw them in your luggage with confidence.


The trade off is that these headphones do not fold flat, and the included soft pouch only provides basic protection against bumps and scratches. At the upper end, the call quality and super-high frequencies could be improved slightly. Still, with an extremely long battery life, usable tactile controls, swappable cushions, strong noise cancelation, and a sound that allows you to modify the parameters to your heart’s content, the Headphones Pro established a high standard.