The CMF Buds 2 is a continuity of Nothing’s mission to make technology democratic for the world. It’s affordable and won’t cost you a kidney; the earbuds sound decent, so long as you check off a couple of things and I perform some specific rituals before sticking them into my ears.

More on that in the following sections.

What Am I Looking At?

Available in three colours – Light Green, Dark Grey, and Orange – my CMF Buds 2 come in the latter colour. This colourway is in no way subtle and even under a shadow, it sticks out like a sore thumb, making it easy to spot in the event I lose track of it or misplace it.

The charging cradle features a different but not groundbreaking design. Thanks to its cubic shape, CMF Buds 2 rest nearly horizontal, as well as angled with their stems back to back, in order to fit.

Outside, the CMF Buds 2’s USB-C is located to the right side, while the LED light is at the front. The casing has a wheel at the top left that serves as an anchor, where you can thread the loop through it. That, and it can also act as an impromptu fidget spinner but honestly, it serves no other purpose.

What’s Good About It?

Again, the CMF Buds 2 are cheap. At RM199, it’s one of its main attractions and for that price, it can punch above its weight, with some caveats. Allow me to explain that last part.

Another party piece of the CMF Buds 2 is that, like the AirPods Pro, it supports Spatial Audio. The feature, flanked by the Dirac Opteo equaliser, allows the earbuds to deliver clear and warm highs and mids. Listening to Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton, you can hear the warmth of each pluck of his guitar. Vocals are clear most times, with Strange Fruit by Nina Simone sounding a little underwhelming, more so with Caislean Oir by Clannad, even with Spatial Audio active.

On that note, turn off Spatial Audio, and nothing (no pun intended) stands out. Seriously, without the feature on, everything sounds…muddy, flat. Moving on, the lows on these earbuds are strong, to the point that the CMF Buds 2 purposefully bringing them out to the front. I mean, I like tracks that focus on bass deliveries as much as anyone else, but with these earbuds, it gets a tad bit overwhelming, and that’s with any enhancement to the pitch disabled.

What’s The Catch?

My gripe with the Buds 2 is its dependency on delivering heavy, punchy lows, and how it indirectly perpetuates the stereotype of cheap audio products. The default strength of the lows (read: bass) is so strong, it sometimes overpowers and, dare I say it, drowns out the other two pitches. No, really, songs like Edwin McCain’s I Could Not Ask For More lose all the emotions, just because these earbuds like to artificially pump up the bass.

Mind you, and as I mentioned in the section above, that’s before you turn on the Ultra Bass mode, of which there are five levels you can choose from. At level one, the lows feel even more forced. And if you crank it up to level five? God help you, because the experience isn’t a rattle behind my skull but the equivalent of putting your head right next to a bass drum and having the drummer step on its pedal really hard, along with an immense desire to make you deaf.

While its bright orange aesthetics make it stand out, there is a price to be paid in the build quality. For instance, the LED light doesn’t just shine through the dedicated hole, but it can also be seen through the casing. As in, the plastic cover is thin enough and the light equally bright that it partially penetrates it. But, to be fair, this isn’t the priciest of products and it’s clear where Nothing cut down on build quality.

Should I Buy It?

For RM199, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised at what Nothing is offering with the CMF Buds 2. At the end of the day, the heavy and deep thumping lows, however artificially enhanced they are, are one of its key-selling points, a USP even.

If you’re a fan of heavy bass-thumping rhythmic tracks, EDM, and Dubstep (do folks still listen to this genre anymore?), you may want to consider these earbuds. Otherwise, there are other options out there that far kinder to your eardrums, albeit at a slightly higher price point.

 

Photography by John Law.

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