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CMF, the budget-friendly sub-brand from Nothing, has launched its first pair of over-ear headphones. At $99, the CMF Headphone Pro are Nothing’s answer to fans looking for an affordable alternative to the popular Headphone 1 (which will cost you $299). Though Nothing has a reputation for odd-looking tech, the CMF Headphone Pros look a little more traditional, but also appear to be highly customizable, potentially making them a better value overall.
Here’s what we know now about how the CMF Headphone Pros compare.
What the CMF Headphone Pros offer
Today’s launch marks the release of CMF’s first over-ear headphone, designed to integrate seamlessly with the broader Nothing/CMF ecosystem that includes smartphones, watches, and other audio products.
The design includes a round power and Bluetooth button on one side, paired with a customizable action button on the other that can be programmed through the Nothing X app. There’s more room for customization via $25 replacement ear cushions, available in vibrant orange or light green, allowing you to dramatically alter the headphones’ appearance to match your mood or style.
The standout control feature is the multi-function roller on one side, with an “Energy Slider” on the other. The multi-function roller handles volume adjustment, playback control, and ambient sound, while the Energy Slider allows you to tune your sound in real-time, instantly adjusting the treble and bass balance. Normally you’d have to dive into your headphone app’s EQ settings to get that sort of control. As someone who always prefers tactile controls over sensitive touch-screens, I’m particularly excited by this design.
And as you’d hope to find in a quality pair of over-ear headphones, the Headphone Pro has Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) to block ambient noise. Perhaps most impressive is the battery life: allegedly, these headphones will offer a staggering 100 hours of playback on a single charge (reduced to up to 50 hours with ANC turned on). That’s 15 more hours than you’ll get from the Headphone 1 with ANC active, and much better performance than the highly rated Sony WH-1000XM6, which top out at 40 hours.
The bottom line
This is a promising product launch from Nothing. The CMF sub-brand appeals to budget-conscious segment of the market while still delivering on the aesthetic and technical appeal that drew fans to Nothing in the first place.
The CMF Headphone Pro launches today in the EU and UK, but eager US customers do have to face a brief wait until Oct. 7 to get their hands on a pair. Whether these headphones will satisfy fans who have been requesting a more affordable option remains to be seen, but on paper, they appear to deliver exactly what was asked for: Nothing’s design philosophy and build quality at a price that won’t break the bank.
