CMF Buds 2 review: The 40 euro miracle

I have spent the better part of a decade testing gadgets that promise to revolutionize my life and end up gathering dust in a drawer. When I saw the CMF Buds 2 hovering around the 40 euro mark, my inner cynic immediately braced for impact. Usually, at this price point, you get earbuds that sound like they were recorded inside a tin can at the bottom of a swimming pool. But here we are, staring at a product that actually manages to perform without making me want to throw my wallet at a more expensive brand.

The aesthetic here is classic Nothing group philosophy: transparent bits, clean lines, and a certain industrial chic that makes you feel like you are using something far more expensive than it actually is. The case is small, the buds fit reasonably well, and for once, the spec sheet is not lying through its teeth about the basic functionality. You get decent isolation, a functional app, and enough battery life to get you through a week of miserable public transit commutes.

Of course, let us not get carried away. When you pay under 40 euros, there is always a catch. The sound signature leans heavily into the bass, which is great for pop music or drowning out the sound of your own existential dread, but it is not going to satisfy anyone who insists on hearing the subtle intake of breath from a cellist in the third row. It is punchy, it is fun, and it is entirely unpretentious.

Some users have reported the occasional Bluetooth hiccup, which is the inevitable tax you pay for going budget. If you are the type of person who needs perfect, rock-solid connectivity in a dense city environment, you might find yourself occasionally cursing the air when your podcast stutters. But for the price of a fancy dinner for one, I find it hard to hold these minor stability issues against them too harshly.

The real win here is that CMF has created something that feels complete. It is not an engineering marvel, but it is a masterclass in compromise. They kept the features that people actually use every day, decent noise cancellation, a nice case, and long battery life, and cut out the fluff that usually drives up the cost of premium alternatives. It is exactly the kind of gadget that makes the overpriced stuff look ridiculous.

Let us talk about the noise cancellation, which is usually the first thing that fails in sub-50 euro buds. The CMF Buds 2 offer 48 dB of hybrid noise reduction, which is quite frankly a bold claim for this price point. Does it turn your train ride into a silent monastic sanctuary? No. Does it muffle the chaotic symphony of a busy office or a noisy street enough that you can actually enjoy your music? Absolutely. It is a competent implementation that punches well above its weight class.

The 11 mm drivers, combined with the Dirac Opteo tuning, do a decent job of keeping things lively. They rely on the Ultra Bass 2.0 tech to push those low frequencies, and while it does sometimes muddy the waters, it is a sound signature that works for most modern genres. The inclusion of spatial audio is the kind of marketing buzzword feature I usually roll my eyes at, but in this specific case, it adds just enough depth to make videos and games feel slightly more immersive without trying to mimic a full surround-sound setup.

The call quality is another area where these things surprise. With 6 microphones and AI-enhanced voice isolation, they manage to get the job done for the odd work call or the 'I am at the grocery store, what do you need?' check-in. It is not going to replace a studio microphone, but you will not sound like you are speaking through a walkie-talkie from the 1980s, which is a massive upgrade over most budget competitors. The IP55 rating also means you can sweat on them or get caught in the rain without triggering a catastrophic electrical failure.

If you are looking for an affordable, reliable pair of daily drivers that do not look like a piece of cheap plastic, the CMF Buds 2 are a total steal. They are perfect for students, commuters, or anyone who keeps losing their earbuds and refuses to spend 200 euros on replacements. However, if you are a true audiophile or you demand absolute, industrial-grade wireless stability, you should probably skip these and look at the higher-end Nothing offerings or invest in more expensive alternatives. For everyone else, this is the ultimate why-pay-more flex.