Nothing has been on a hot streak lately.
In June, CMF released its Flagship buds and thesuccessor to the Buds Pro, the Buds Pro 2.
These earbuds look like they came straight out of a Teenage Engineering studio.
Photo:© Artem Golub
The analog dial on the charging case adds to the retro look that alotofproductsare going for these days.
Pros
Cons
CMF Buds Pro 2 Review: Design
The dial is a nice addition.
I guess bright orange is the color of the year.
Photo: Artem Golub / Gizmodo
Sorry,Peach Fuzz.
Theres also a Dark Grey, Light Grey, and a navy blue kind of Blue on these buds.
The case is an unassuming 46g plastic box that neither looks nor feels expensive.
Photo: Artem Golub / Gizmodo
Though the buds look cheap, the case doesnt feel flimsy.
It is well-made and without any moving parts (throwing shade atSamsungs recent budshere).
My only struggle with the charging case was locating the pairing button.
Photo: Artem Golub / Gizmodo
It took me a while to look for it because of how well it was camouflaged inside the case.
CMF Buds Pro 2 Review: Controls
The on-bud gestures arent very well thought out.
When I slid the case into one of my pockets, it led to a big, ugly bulge.
Photo: Artem Golub / Gizmodo
The dial on the charging feels like just a frill.
Its something that would only be useful if Im in bed watching YouTube on my phone.
Sadly, the controls on the buds themselves arent that great.
Photo: Artem Golub / Gizmodo
There isnt a single tap gesture at all.
If the volume controls were better, I couldve lived with double-tapping for playback.
Double tapping and holding is the only way to tweak volume… which is a lot of work.
Photo: Artem Golub / Gizmodo
The not-so-sensitive touch interface doesnt help either.
I wouldve much rather preferred sliding up and down for volume control.
CMF Buds Pro 2 Review: ChatGPT Integration
Occasionally glitchy and not entirely hands-free.
Then, you perform the action youve assigned voice assistance to.
I set mine to double-tapping and holding the right bud, but that never worked.
So, I changed it to double-tapping the left bud, which was slightly better.
I asked ChatGPT a bunch of questions, including what the 10 Commandments are and whether it loves me.
The response time was appropriate and close to what youd get typing on the app or web app.
The only way to interrupt Breezy (the voice I picked) was to tap on my phones screen.
Breezy also glitched out quite a few times, resulting in a bit of a stutter pretty often.
CMF Buds Pro 2 Review: Sound and ANC
Painfully average.
The buds boast an 11mm bass driver and a 6mm tweeter for treble.
Even at $60, it is still a pretty barebones audio experience.
Listening to Black Spur by Ooyy, I initially felt the sound was more bass-heavy and lacked brightness.
I also felt the vocals werent emphasized enough.
Overall, there was not much space in the orchestra, and I often couldnt tell the elements apart.
The tweaking helped, and the increased treble helped add brightness to the sound profile.
As expected, it didnt inject the orchestra with enough space.
I wasnt a massive fan of the Buds Pro 2s ANC.
CMF Buds Pro 2 Review: Battery
Enough to last you more than a week.
The buds alone promise 11 hours if youre listening to music and 6 hours of talk time.
Turning ANC on will reduce those figures to 6.5 and 4.5 hours, respectively.
Wireless charging isnt supported, but quick charging is.
A 10-minute recharge provides them with enough juice to last seven hours.
Multipoint connectivity for up to two devices allowed me to test these with my laptop and phone simultaneously.
The setup was simple, and there were no stutters.
But these buds arent great in any department except for battery life.
The Galaxy Buds FE excels if your biggest priorities are a secure fit and simple controls.
Both these budget alternatives offer excellent ANC and a long-lasting battery life.
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