The latest CMF Headphone Pro brings some interesting features to the table. Check out the review to know more.
CMF, the sub-brand of Nothing, often makes products that are both colourful and affordable, which is different from the usual Nothing products. Whether it's smartphones or earbuds, the CMF surely stands out when it comes to bold colours or interesting features. And the CMF Headphone Pro is no different. The first headphones from CMF follow these ethos: offering a unique design language, great features, and an affordable price tag.
The latest over-ear headphones come with a price tag of Rs. 7,999, and you can get them for Rs. 6,999 as part of a special launch price. That being said, does it really make sense to go with these headphones? Let's find out in the review.
The first and foremost thing you will notice about the headphones is the colours. The headphone is available in Dark Grey, Light Grey, and Light Green colour options. I got the latter one for review, and it surely looks premium. The soft-touch finish on the earcups and headbands, along with the pastel colour options with a hint of modular elements, gives it a playful identity.
The CMF Headphone Pro is available in three different colour options.
The CMF Headphone Pro is primarily constructed from plastic. However, it does not come from any angle. The design looks clean, and everything on the headphones that touches your head is well-cushioned. You get padded ear cups and a headband that look and feel premium and are comfortable for prolonged use.
With just 283 grams of weight, these are some of the lightest headphones that you can buy in this price segment. The one thing I liked about the headphones is how the R and L are clearly written on the inside of the cushion, which makes it easier to hear them correctly. On the flip side, these cannot be folded, meaning that they will take up more space in your bag.
The headphones come with changeable ear cushions.
The controls are all physical and feel tactical. The right side offers a roller for volume controls that also acts as a button. You also get a multi-function button along with a USB Type-C port. On the left side, you have a bass slider, a power button, a 3.5mm audio jack, and an LED power indicator. The microphones are present on both the earcups in silver colour.
Interestingly, the headphones have an IPX2 rating, which means they can withstand a bit of sweat, but don't go overboard with it. This is one thing that could have been slightly better, and it would have been a sweet deal if the brand opted for a higher IP rating on the headphones.
The CMF Headphone Pro comes with an IPX2 rating.
However, the most interesting part of the headphones is the ability to change the ear cushions. Simply twist to remove the cushion and add a new one. The whole modularity concept feels quite refreshing, and it also makes it easier to clean the headphones, which you don't usually see at this price point.
The CMF Headphone Pro comes with a companion app that lets you control multiple functions. The Nothing X app is available on Android and iOS platforms, which is good. The app interface is quite easy to use, and you get important information on the home screen, such as the battery percentage, noise cancellation options, spatial audio, equaliser, and more.
You can also customise the controls using the Nothing X application, which is a good thing. One can customise the multi-function with tap and tap-and-hold features. The energy slider can be configured for bass and treble tuning. At the same time, the wheel can be customised for different features as well.
The headphones come with the Nothing X companion application.
I also liked the fact that you can get personalised sound by following the simple instructions. The result sure feel different and more personalised to your listening needs. That being said, I thought that the EQ options are quite limited here. You only get five different presets, including Pop, Rock, Electronics, Enhance Vocals, and Classical. Moreover, with Custom mode, you can tweak bass, treble, and mid, which feels limited for those who love fiddling around with the EQ settings.
The whole pairing process is quite simple and easy-to-use. You can either download the Nothing X application on your Android or iOS device and pair the Headphone through it. All you need to do is press the power button for 3 seconds to activate the pairing process.
Let's start with the noise cancellation performance of the CMF Headphone Pro. The headphones come loaded with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), which is quite effective. You get different levels of ANC, including Low, Mid, High, and Adaptive.
The noise cancellation works well in most conditions, which is a good thing. The earcups usually provide the usual passive noise cancellation as they fully cover your ears. And with ANC on, it can cut the loud aeroplane noise with ease.
The headphones offer a good soundstage for this price range.
Coming to the performance, the CMF Headphone Pro offers an airy, robust soundstage. The headphones provide good sound separation. So, while playing Eminem's The Way I Am, the headphones delivered good sound separation. The vocals were clear and loud, while the bass was so on point. With Kendrick Lamar's loyalty, the headset handled the sub-bass quite well during the chorus.
The mids and highs are decent as well. So, if you are someone who loves to listen to a lot of instruments, then you might have to tweak the EQ settings and keep the bass in negative so that the mids and highs are more defined. More importantly, the energy slider sure works as intended, giving you more bass when you get into a track.
The device also offers good battery life.
Coming to battery life, the CMF Headphone Pro offers great battery life. The company claims you can get 50 hours of battery life with ANC on, and, true to its claims, I got around 44 hours of backup during the testing period. The device can be fully charged in almost two hours. Moreover, 5 minutes of charging nets you several hours of playback.
The call quality is good as well. The microphone on the CMF Headphone Pro is decent enough to capture my voice and filter out unnecessary background noises.
To conclude, the CMF Headphone Pro can be considered as one of the best options you can get under Rs 8,000. The design feels premium and colourful despite offering a more plastic feel, matching the brand ethos. The sound quality is decent for budget headphones, offering good detail in separation and spatial width. The energy slider and multi-function button work as intended. The battery life is decent as well. So, if you are looking for funky-looking headphones that can also deliver good sound output, then you can surely consider CMF Headphone Pro.
Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.