Nothing Headphone Pro CMF by Headphone Pro Active Noise Canceling Wireless Review
The Nothing Headphone Pro delivers shockingly good sound and battery life for under $100. We found it's one of the best value audio buys of the year, plastic build and all.
The 30-Second Version
Insane value. The sound quality competes with $300 headphones, and the battery lasts forever. The build is the only real compromise. For around $80, it's an easy recommendation for most people.
Overview
The CMF by Nothing Headphone Pro is a budget-friendly over-ear that punches way above its weight class. It's not just another cheap pair of cans. For around $80, you're getting sound quality that can genuinely hang with headphones costing three times as much, plus killer battery life and strong ANC.
Nothing's design philosophy is clear here: strip away the fluff and focus on what matters. You get Hi-Res LDAC support, a customizable app, and those signature transparent accents. It's a straightforward package that delivers where it counts, though you can feel where corners were cut if you look closely.
Performance
Let's start with the star of the show: the sound. It's in the 99th percentile, which is frankly ridiculous for this price. The 40mm drivers deliver a clean, detailed, and surprisingly balanced profile right out of the box. The bass and treble sliders in the app let you tweak it to your taste without muddying things up. The ANC is a standout too, blocking out a solid chunk of ambient noise. The 50-hour battery is best-in-class, and the mics are clear for calls. The trade-off? The build quality is just okay. It feels light and a bit plasticky, landing it in the middle of the pack for durability. It's comfortable for long sessions, but you won't mistake it for a luxury build.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Strong sound (99th percentile) 99th
- Strong battery (97th percentile) 97th
- Strong anc (94th percentile) 94th
- Strong mic (93th percentile) 93th
Cons
The Word on the Street
Specifications
Full Specifications
Design
| Form Factor | Over-Ear |
| Weight | 0.3 kg / 0.6 lbs |
| Ear Cushion | Memory Foam |
Audio
| Driver Size | 40 |
| Hi-Res Audio | Yes |
| Codecs | CMF by Nothing Headphone Pro Active Noise Canceling Wireless Headphones Bluetooth 5.4 Over The Ear Headset, 50H ANC Playtime, Bass&Treble Slider, Custom EQ&Spatial Audio, Hi-Res LDAC, Dark Grey |
| Surround | Spatial Audio |
Noise Control
| ANC | Yes |
| Transparency | Yes |
Connectivity
| Wireless | Yes |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 |
Battery
| Battery Life | 50 |
Microphone
| Microphone | Yes |
| NC Mic | Yes |
Value & Pricing
At its typical street price of around $80, the value here is exceptional. We saw prices listed from $63 to an absurd $15,800 (likely a placeholder error), but you should aim for the $70-$90 range. For that money, you're getting performance that shames most mid-tier options. You're sacrificing a bit of premium feel and some accessories, but the core audio and tech experience is what you'd expect from a product twice the price. If your budget is tight but you refuse to compromise on sound, this is one of the best deals going.
vs Competition
Stacked up, it makes the competition sweat. Against the Sony ULT Wear or Sennheiser Momentum, you lose some polish and brand prestige, but you keep about 90% of the performance for less than half the cost. The Soundcore Life Q30 is a direct budget rival; the Nothing Headphone Pro typically beats it on sound quality and mic performance, though the Q30 might be more comfortable for some. The Bose QuietComfort still has the ANC crown, but you pay a massive premium for it. For most people, the Nothing offers the best performance-per-dollar ratio in this group.
| Spec | Nothing Headphone Pro CMF by Headphone Pro Active Noise Canceling Wireless | Sennheiser Momentum Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Noise-Canceling Wireless | Sony ULT Wear Sony ULT WEAR Wireless Over-Ear Noise-Canceling | Apple iClever BTH12 Kids Bluetooth Headphones,Colorful | Bose QuietComfort Bose QuietComfort Wireless Over-Ear Active | Soundcore Life Soundcore - Life Q30 by Anker, Hybrid Active Noise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Form Factor | Over-Ear | Over-Ear | Over-Ear | Over-Ear | Over-Ear | Over-Ear |
| Driver Type | - | Dynamic | Dynamic | Dynamic | Dynamic | Dynamic |
| Driver Size (mm) | 40 | 42 | 40 | 40 | - | 40 |
| Impedance Ohms | - | 470 | 314 | 32 | - | 15.829999923706055 |
| Wireless | true | true | true | true | true | true |
| Active Noise Cancellation | true | true | true | true | true | true |
| Open Closed Back | - | Closed | Closed | - | Closed | - |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.1 | 5.0 |
| Battery Life Hours | 50 | 60 | 30 | 55 | 24 | 50 |
| Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare |
| Product | Anc | Mic | Build | Sound | Battery | Comfort | Connectivity | Social Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nothing Headphone Pro CMF by Headphone Pro Active Noise Canceling Wireless | 94.4 | 92.6 | 48.1 | 99 | 96.6 | 82.3 | 89.3 | 89.3 |
| Sennheiser Momentum Noise-Canceling Wireless Over-Ear Compare | 99.5 | 99.3 | 48.1 | 99 | 98.3 | 72.9 | 98.5 | 89.3 |
| Sony ULT Wear Wireless Over-Ear Noise-Canceling Compare | 87.7 | 92.6 | 48.1 | 99.1 | 94.7 | 69.1 | 99.8 | 99.6 |
| Apple iClever BTH12 Kids Compare | 87.7 | 92.6 | 98.3 | 93.8 | 97.7 | 99.7 | 94.9 | 94.3 |
| Bose QuietComfort Wireless Over-Ear Active Noise-Canceling Compare | 87.7 | 92.6 | 48.1 | 88.2 | 94.4 | 91.6 | 98.1 | 89.3 |
| Soundcore Life Q30 by Anker Compare | 94.4 | 92.6 | 98.3 | 97 | 96.9 | 82.3 | 96.8 | 99 |
Common Questions
Q: How is the call quality?
Very good. The triple ENC mics rank in the 93rd percentile, so your voice comes through clearly even in noisy environments.
Q: Does it work well with iPhones?
Yes, it supports AAC for iOS and has Google Fast Pair for Android. You get full functionality with both, though Android users can unlock the highest quality LDAC codec.
Q: Is the noise cancellation good for flights?
It's strong. The ANC is in the 94th percentile, so it handles engine drone and general travel noise very effectively for the price.
Who Should Skip This
Skip these if you need studio-grade accuracy for critical mixing or production. That's its weakest area. Also, if you demand ultra-premium materials like metal and leather, you'll be disappointed by the plastic build. Look at the Sennheiser Momentum or Sony XM5 series instead, but be ready to pay up.
Verdict
Buy this if you want amazing sound and great features without breaking the bank. It's perfect for students, commuters, or anyone who wants a single pair of do-it-all wireless headphones for music, calls, and travel. The app customization is a bonus for tinkerers, and the battery life means you'll rarely have to think about charging.