When CMF announced they were making over-ear headphones, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Nothing’s sub-brand has mostly focused on quirky budget devices and modular designs, not exactly where you would look for serious audio gear. But the Headphone Pro seems like a genuine attempt at something more ambitious.
With swappable earcups, adaptive ANC, spatial audio, and battery life that puts most competitors to shame, CMF is taking a shot at brands like Sony and Bose (and to some extent, its own recently launched Nothing Headphone 1).
At AED 346, they are promising premium features without the premium price. The question is whether they actually deliver, or if this is just good marketing. But if you read our scoreboard above, it’s mostly the former.
The CMF Headphone Pro delivers exceptional comfort, absurd battery life, and solid ANC in a playful modular package that punches well above its AED 346 price tag, even if the audio quality doesn’t quite match the ambition.
- Long 100hrs of battery life
- Sleek design with modular elements
- Very comfortable with plush earcups
- Solid ANC performance
- Intuitive physical controls
- Good audio quality for the price
- All-plastic build smudges easily
- Narrow soundstage
- Earcups get warm during extended sessions
Design, Features and Comfort
The CMF Headphone Pro is pretty easy on the eyes. Nothing revolutionary or weird in terms of design – as Nothing and CMF usually tend to go towards – but it’s…err, cute. The grey colorway I got is sleek and minimal without being boring. It’s all plastic, which is fine for the price, and the finish is smooth. The downside is it picks up smudges pretty easily. Nothing a quick wipe can’t fix, but if you are particular about fingerprints – and use headphones in the gym – you will be whipping these down regularly.
The main design feature here is the swappable earcups. They click into place with a satisfying snap, and you can mix and match colors – Dark Grey, Light Grey, Light Green – depending on what you are feeling. Is it necessary? No. Is it fun? Yeah, actually. It’s nice to have headphones that feel a bit more personal without having to commit to one look forever – however, you will be paying around AED 110 for a pair, which is a quarter of the price of the headphones itself.
The physical controls are where things get interesting. You have what they call an Energy Slider, a physical slider that adjusts bass or treble in real time; a Multi-function Roller, which controls volume and when clicked, playback and ANC; and a Customizable Action Button, which you can map to shuffle spatial audio and call up the AI assistant.
Connectivity is straightforward. USBC for charging, a 3.5mm jack for wired use, and Bluetooth 5.4 with AAC, SBC, and LDAC support. Fast pairing works well on Android and Windows, and you can connect to two devices at once, which is handy for switching between phone and laptop or a tablet.
As for comfort – this is where the Headphone Pro actually impressed me. The earcups are really soft, like properly cushioned. They wrap around your ears gently and at 283g, they are light enough that you forget you are wearing them. I wore these for 2-3 hour sessions multiple times (including a gaming session wired to the PS5), and never felt uncomfortable. The clamp force is a bit tight, but the cushions are soft enough that it doesn’t hurt. If anything, the snug fit helps with blocking out noise.
The only issue is they get warm after a while. Not painfully hot, but definitely stuffy. If you run warm or it’s a hot day, your ears will need a break eventually.
Audio Quality and ANC
The CMF Headphone Pro has 40mm drivers with all the usual tech specs. It supports Hi-Res audio via LDAC on Android, and there’s a hearing test in the Nothing X app that customizes the EQ for your ears.
The sound is good but not amazing. It’s warm with a bit of a V-shape – decent bass, smooth highs, and mids that are fine but nothing special. If you are listening to hip-hop, electronic, or anything bass-heavy, these sound pretty good. For rock, pop, and acoustic stuff, they are solid. But they don’t have the detail and clarity as some of the more premium headphones, along with the Nothing Headphones 1. The tuning is well balanced for the price, however, and for most users that are not looking for precise analytical audio, they will be more than happy.
The soundstage is a bit narrower than I would have liked even from a closed-back headphone like this one. Things can feel a bit crammed when there’s a lot going on in track but you should be able to distinguish different instruments quite well – just don’t expect an expansion aural experience.
The Cinema Mode spatial audio is interesting. I tried it while watching a movie and after getting used to it, it actually made things sound wider and more immersive. Dialogue stayed clear and action scenes felt bigger. For music though, it’s not great. It just sounds weird – especially on tracks you have listened to a thousand times before.
The Adaptive ANC is solid. CMF claims 40dB of noise reduction, and while I can’t verify that exactly, it does a good job in everyday situations. The tight seal helps with passive isolation, and when you turn on ANC, the world gets noticeably quieter. It’s probably not as good as the Sony WH-X1000XM6 or even the Apple Airpods Pro 3 – you will still hear some stuff if you are not playing music or watching something in low volume – but with audio at normal volumes, it blocks out most distractions. Office noise, traffic, gym music all get knocked down pretty well.
The adaptive part works smoothly too. The headphones adjust ANC based on where you are, and the changes aren’t jarring. It’s not groundbreaking, but it works well for the price.
Battery Life
The battery life is nuts. 100 hours with ANC off, and 50 hours with ANC on. That is some impressive numbers, especially for a headphone at this price point.
I wore these for three days straight – calls, music, YouTube and some movies – and barely touched the battery. I stopped checking the battery level because it just didn’t matter. You could easily go a full week of heavy use without charging these cans.
Fast charging is supported – you can get around 4 hours of charge on a 5min top-up. Full charge is under 2 hours via USBC.
The Verdict
The Headphone Pro is a solid first attempt from CMF. It doesn’t exceed competition in any department but what it does is finely honed and well executed. The modular design is fun, the comfort is genuinely excellent, the battery life is absurd, and the ANC works well for daily use. The sound is tuned well for the price, even if it’s not going to blow you away. The controls and app are polished, which is rare at this price point.
This isn’t going to replace Sony or Bose flagships for anyone, and it’s not trying to. It’s proof that you can get premium features without paying premium prices. If you want comfortable, customizable headphones with battery life that lasts forever, the CMF Headphone Pro is easy to recommend. It’s not the best-sounding option out there, but it’s one of the most interesting.
