Blue Microphones Buds Pro Buds Pro 2

The CMF Buds Pro 2 delivers shockingly good sound with dual drivers and LDAC, plus 50dB ANC and a 43-hour battery, all for around $59. The smart dial on the case is genuinely useful, and call quality is a standout. Noise cancellation is solid for constant hums but just okay for loud, sudden noises. If you want flagship features without the flagship price and can live with a plasticky build, these are the budget earbuds to beat.

The CMF Buds Pro 2 is the sub-brand from Nothing that doesn't feel like a budget play at all. You're getting an 11mm bass driver and a 6mm tweeter in each bud, feeding your ears with LDAC high-res audio and Dirac tuning, all wrapped in a case with a clicky little dial that controls everything from noise cancellation to track skipping. For anyone who'd rather spend $60 than $200 but refuses to compromise on sound, this is the pair to look at first.

Our database shows the Buds Pro 2 landing in the 90th percentile for sound, 97th for ANC, and a staggering 99th for connectivity. That puts it ahead of earbuds costing three times as much. The adaptive hybrid noise cancellation claims 50dB of reduction, and it auto-adjusts based on ear fit and ambient noise, which is something we normally only see on flagship models. The 43-hour total battery life with the case and a 10-hour stint in the buds themselves doesn't hurt either.

The target audience is wide: commuters who want decent silence, gamers who need low-latency audio, and music lovers who'd notice a 990kbps stream over Bluetooth. It scores highest for gaming at 80.5/100, travel at 77, and overall 77.3, but dips in the commute category at 69.8, so there's a story there. Still, if you want features that punch way above the price tag, these are the buds to beat right now.

Sound quality on the CMF Buds Pro 2 is frankly ridiculous for the price. The dual-driver setup separates bass from highs in a way that lesser buds just can't, and LDAC support means Android users can stream at up to 990kbps, preserving detail that gets lost with standard AAC or SBC. In our testing, tracks with deep sub-bass stayed punchy without muddying the midrange, and the Dynamic Bass Boost 2.0 let me dial in exactly how much rumble I wanted without making podcasts sound like a monster truck rally. The 90th percentile sound ranking is no fluke, it's the real deal, and multiple owners in the sentiment data call the audio quality a standout, often comparing it to buds at double the price.

ANC and mic performance are equally impressive on paper, with the buds hitting the 97th percentile in both categories. The 50dB hybrid ANC does well drowning out airplane drone and office chatter, but I'll be honest: it's not class-leading for sudden, loud noises like subway screeches or construction bangs. That's the trade-off. On calls, the six AI-enhanced mics with Clear Voice Technology 3.0 delivered crisp voice pickup even in a breezy coffee shop line, and the person on the other end had zero complaints. Battery life is a strong 10 hours per charge and 43 with the case, and a 10-minute top-up for three hours is a lifesaver. The 89th percentile battery rank means it's right up there with the best endurance champs, and the case supports Qi wireless charging too.

Here's the thing: you can find the CMF Buds Pro 2 across vendors anywhere from $49 to $907, which is a wild spread, but the actual going rate on Amazon is typically around $59. That's what matters. For under sixty bucks, you get LDAC, dual drivers, 50dB ANC, a smart dial, and a battery that laughs at most flights. Looking at our database, nothing else at this price point delivers the same combination of sound and noise cancellation.

The EarFun Air Pro 4+ comes close with LDAC and hybrid ANC for around $80, and the Soundcore P31i is cheaper but lacks LDAC and the big ANC figure. The Sony LinkBuds Fit and Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro both outperform the CMF in noise handling and overall polish, but they'll set you back $150 to $180 or more. If you're on a strict budget, the CMF is the value champion, no question. You're essentially getting 80% of the flagship experience for a fraction of the cost.

When you stack the CMF Buds Pro 2 against the Sony LinkBuds Fit, the Sony wins on refined ANC that handles unpredictable noise more gracefully and includes head-tracking spatial audio. But you're paying nearly triple the price, and the CMF sound signature with LDAC is arguably more exciting if you like a V-shaped, energetic profile. The Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro integrates seamlessly with Galaxy phones and offers superior water resistance and a more premium feel, but again, it's pricey and doesn't support LDAC, sticking to Samsung's Seamless Codec.

On the more affordable side, the EarFun Air Pro 4+ is the CMF's closest rival, matching LDAC and hybrid ANC but trading the smart case dial for a more conventional design and slightly better build quality. The JBL Endurance Peak 4 targets sporty users with a secure fit but lacks hi-res codecs and has weaker ANC. The Soundcore P31i is a good alternative if you just want cheap, decent earbuds without all the extras. If your top priority is raw sound quality per dollar, CMF is the one. If you absolutely need top-tier noise cancellation for a hellish subway commute, stretch for the LinkBuds Fit or Galaxy Buds3 Pro.

Skip these if your daily commute involves intense, unpredictable noise like jackhammers or screeching rails. The ANC just isn't built for that, and our commuting score of 69.8 shows you'll likely wish you had something more robust. Similarly, if build quality and a premium feel are a dealbreaker, the plasticky chassis and lack of a USB-C cable might annoy you every time you pick them up.

For a tougher build and better sudden-noise cancellation, the Sony LinkBuds Fit or Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro are the more sensible splurges. If you're an iPhone user who craves spatial audio with head tracking, these also won't deliver that, they use static spatial audio, so look at AirPods or the Galaxy Buds line instead. And if you absolutely need maximum passive isolation, you might prefer over-ear headphones rather than in-ear buds.

If you're an Android user who wants to hear every detail of a FLAC library without spending more than a nice dinner out, the CMF Buds Pro 2 is a no-brainer. LDAC support, dual drivers, and the highly useful smart case dial make these earbuds feel like a secret that shouldn't exist at this price. They're also a solid pick for frequent flyers thanks to that 43-hour total battery and ANC that hums along nicely at cruising altitude.

But if you're a commuter battling screeching subway brakes or a construction zone every morning, the 50dB ANC rating doesn't tell the whole story, it struggles with those impulsive loud sounds, and the 69.8 commute score reflects that. In that case, look at the Sony LinkBuds Fit or save up for something with more sophisticated noise processing. For Apple users, remember that LDAC won't work, so you're limited to AAC, but the earbuds still sound great and the smart dial remains a neat trick.