Apple Buds Buds 2A

The CMF Buds 2A pack a 12.4mm driver with DIRAC tuning that throws out genuinely fun bass, and the 42dB hybrid ANC is fine for rumbly commutes but not stellar with voices. Battery life is a solid 8 hours with a quick 5-minute charge rescue, and the connectivity is best-in-class. At a realistic price of $29 to $50, they're incredible value, just be ready for a limited app and so-so build quality. If deep bass and reliable pairing matter more than premium features, grab them.

CMF by Nothing is quickly becoming the go-to for affordable earbuds that don't feel cheap, and the Buds 2A might be their most confident swing yet. You're getting a 12.4mm bio-fiber driver, hybrid ANC up to 42dB, and Bluetooth 5.4 with multipoint, all in a quirky little case that looks like it belongs in a concept store. Our database puts the connectivity at the 97th percentile, meaning these pair faster and stay locked in better than almost anything else we've tested, which is pretty wild for a budget pair. The target here is clear: someone who wants big, fun sound and solid noise cancelling without spending triple digits. And you can throw in some surprisingly good call quality too, our mic tests landed at the 90th percentile, so your voice won't sound like you're shouting from the bottom of a well.

Comfort is supposedly award-winning, but let's be real, ear shape is personal. The buds come with multiple tips and a sporty little lanyard loop if you want to clip them to a bag. We found the fit secure for casual walks and desk work, but the overall comfort percentile hovers around 70th, which is decent but not class-leading. The IP54 rating means sweat and light rain are fine, so you won't wreck them on a jog. Just don't expect them to stay put through a HIIT class, our fitness score of 47.1 out of 100 tells the real story: these are not gym warriors. That said, the design nods to Nothing's playful industrial vibe with translucent plastic and a bold dark grey finish that stands out from the sea of black blobs.

The real surprise is the DIRAC tuning. DIRAC usually shows up in luxury car audio, not $50 earbuds, and it gives the 12.4mm driver a warm, wide soundstage that makes hip-hop and electronic music feel huge. Bass is seriously thumpy out of the box, though you can tweak it in the app. Which brings us to the first catch: the Nothing X app is functional but limited, a 3-band EQ is pretty barebones, and there's no single-tap gesture. You'll be double-tapping to pause, like it or not. Still, the overall user sentiment score of 85 out of 100 (with over 8,400 ratings) suggests most buyers walk away pretty happy. For the price, the Buds 2A land squarely in that sweet spot where you forgive the rough edges because the core experience punches way above its weight.

When we ran these through our testing suite, the connectivity numbers were off the charts, Bluetooth 5.4 is doing serious work here. Pairing is instant, range is solid, and the multipoint genuinely works without hiccups when swapping between a phone and laptop. The ANC ranking is in the 92nd percentile, which sounds impressive on paper. Real-world use, though, is a mixed bag. The 42dB hybrid ANC does a good job hushing air conditioner hum and train rumble, but it struggles with higher frequencies like office chatter. Multiple owners echo this in their feedback, calling it effective but not exceptional, and we think that's fair. If you want absolute silence, look elsewhere. But for daily commuting, it's more than adequate and a huge step up from having nothing.

Battery life is a genuine highlight. The buds themselves last 8 hours, and with the case you get 35.5 hours total. That puts them in the 82nd percentile, well above average, and the 5-minute quick charge for 2 extra hours is a lifesaver when you forget to plug them in. Sound is solidly in the 80th percentile, with the 12.4mm driver delivering a lively V-shaped profile that's immediately appealing. Mids aren't lost in the bass, and the DIRAC co-tuning gives vocals a bit of space. Call quality, as mentioned, lands at the 90th percentile, the quad-mic setup with wind noise reduction makes a noticeable difference outdoors. The gaming low-lag mode, accessible in the app, is fine for casual titles but don't expect it to rival wired latency. Overall, the performance is heavily skewed toward strengths in connectivity, battery, and calls, while the build quality (33rd percentile) is the glaring weak spot. The plastic feels light in a way that some will call "cheap" and others will call "portable."

Here's where the Buds 2A get a little confusing. The price spread we're seeing across vendors is wild, anywhere from $29 to a suspicious $5,400 (someone probably fat-fingered a listing). The real street price for these sits comfortably in the $29 to $60 bracket, and at that level, the value is outstanding. You're getting hybrid ANC, DIRAC-tuned sound, and class-leading connectivity for less than a dinner for two. We've seen similar spec sheets from brands like EarFun and Soundcore, but the Buds 2A often undercut them by 10 to 20 bucks. If you can snag them closer to $29, it's a no-brainer. Even at $50, they're a strong contender.

The catch is the software experience. Cheaper earbuds often lean on a robust app to make up for hardware compromises, but here the Nothing X app feels like an afterthought. The 3-band EQ won't satisfy tinkerers, and the ambient mode is mediocre. So while the hardware value is high, the total package might leave you wishing for a bit more polish. Still, when you compare them to the Nothing Ear (a), which costs quite a bit more and only offers incremental gains, the Buds 2A make a strong case for staying in the budget lane.

Against the EarFun Air Pro 4+, the Buds 2A trade blows. EarFun typically offers a more refined app and sometimes wireless charging, but the CMF buds win on raw connectivity and that distinctive DIRAC sound signature. The Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro is in a different league, premium ANC, crystal-clear transparency, and a sculpted fit, but you'll pay three to four times the price. If you want the best ANC and don't mind spending, go Samsung. The Soundcore P31i is a closer rival with a massive battery and a better app, but its sound can feel bloated next to the CMF's more controlled bass. JBL Live Pro 2 brings better call quality and a more mature design, though it's pricier and lacks that funky Nothing aesthetic.

The sibling rivalry with Nothing Ear (a) is interesting. The Ear (a) gives you slightly better ANC, a more premium case, and a better app experience, but the Buds 2A deliver nearly the same core sound for significantly less. For most people, the Buds 2A are the smarter buy. If you're already in the Nothing ecosystem with one of their phones, the ChatGPT integration on the Buds 2A is a neat party trick, but honestly, it's not a reason to choose these over another pair. The real decision boils down to how much you value bass-heavy fun and whether you can live with the app's quirks.

If you demand best-in-class active noise cancelling that blocks out everything, these aren't it. The ANC is good for the money, but it won't hush a busy office the way premium Sony or Samsung buds will. Also, if you're a gym rat who needs earbuds that lock in place during burpees, the Buds 2A will probably fall short, with a fitness score of just 47 and no wing-tip design, they're better for walks and commutes. Look at the Soundcore P31i or JBL Live Pro 2 for a more secure workout fit. And if you're a tweaker who loves endlessly sculpting EQ curves and controlling every gesture, the barebones app experience will drive you nuts. The Nothing Ear (a) offers a much deeper software suite for a bit more cash. Finally, if wireless charging is a must, move along, there's none here.

If you're after budget earbuds that make your playlist thump and your calls sound clear, the CMF Buds 2A are a safe bet. They'll excel for commuters, students, and anyone who just wants to hit play and enjoy their music without fiddling. The battery life is generous enough that you can forget the case for a full workday, and the quick charge means you're never really stranded. The connectivity is so reliable that you'll forget pairing was ever a hassle, and the multipoint might actually change how you use earbuds day to day.

But they're not for perfectionists. The build quality won't impress your friends, and the app experience might frustrate you if you like to customize every nuance. If you're a podcast junkie who lives in transparency mode, the mediocre ambient hear-through will eventually annoy you. In that case, stretching your budget to the Nothing Ear (a) or a Soundcore pair with a full app might be worth it. For everyone else, these are easy to recommend, especially at the lower end of their price range. They're proof that cheap earbuds no longer have to sound cheap.