When you're shopping for quality headphones without breaking the bank, you've probably wondered if budget options can actually deliver. After testing over 100 headphone models over three years, I can confidently say the CMF Headphone Pro stands out as one of the best value headphones you can buy right now—even competing with options that cost three times the price.
What Are CMF Headphone Pro?
The CMF Headphone Pro is Nothing's sub-brand's first over-ear headphone offering, and it's making serious waves in the budget headphone market. Priced around $100, these headphones prove you don't need to spend $300+ to get a solid listening experience.
Design: Simple, Elegant, and Refreshingly Not Generic
The first thing that strikes you about these headphones is their design philosophy. While Nothing's premium Headphone One went for a bold, boxy 90s tech aesthetic, the CMF Headphone Pro takes a completely different approach with rounded edges and curves throughout.
Here's what caught my attention:
Everything from the ear cups to the cushions and padded headband features smooth, rounded lines. Rather than looking generic (which is the risk with soft designs), they manage to strike that perfect balance of "not trying too hard"—which ironically makes them more appealing.
The headphones come in three thoughtfully designed colors: light gray, dark gray, and a light green-teal shade. CMF even matched the color palette with their foam options, showing attention to detail at this price point.
Build Quality: Solid Without the Premium Price Tag
Build quality is impressively solid for mostly plastic construction. There's no cheap flex, no creaking, and everything feels assembled with care. The only minor nitpick is that the glossy finish on the light gray ear cups feels slightly cheaper compared to the matte dark gray version, but honestly, it's a very minor detail most people won't notice or care about.
Comfort: Where These Headphones Really Shine
Here's where the CMF Headphone Pro truly excels—comfort is exceptional right out of the box.
I've worn countless headphones for reviews, and these are genuinely some of the most comfortable daily-wear headphones I've tested. They're noticeably lighter than the AirPods Max and Nothing Headphone One, making them easier to wear for hours during flights or daily commutes.
I'd actually rank them as more comfortable than the Sony WH-1000XM6 (despite Sony's unfortunate naming choices).
For gym enthusiasts: These stay incredibly snug without sliding off, even during intense workouts. They only shift slightly during explosive movements, but never actually fall off—a huge advantage for day-to-day usage.
The only downside is a slight clamping force straight out of the box, but this loosens up after about a month of normal use. It's a small adjustment period that pays off with superior comfort.
Replaceable Ear Cups: Brilliant Long-Term Value
One of the smartest design choices here is the interchangeable ear cup system. You can easily remove and replace them, and Nothing plans to sell replacements in different colors for customization.
But here's the real genius: this dramatically improves repairability and longevity. Cushions degrade over time, especially if you use these at the gym where sweat buildup happens. Being able to clean or swap out cushions means you'll get years of reliable use rather than watching your investment deteriorate.
The big question is whether Nothing will maintain steady supply of replacements long-term. That's worth monitoring.
Controls and Features: Thoughtfully Designed
The control layout shows real consideration for user needs:
Left ear cup: 3.5mm headphone jack, power/pairing button, and CMF's customizable energy slider
Right ear cup: USB-C charging port, customizable button, and a tactile volume wheel that handles all playback functions
The Energy Slider: A Nice Touch (With One Caveat)
The energy slider lets you adjust whether it controls bass or treble through the Nothing X app, and both options sound tastefully tuned. I'd love to see a V-shaped option that boosts both simultaneously, but that's not critical.
The catch: The slider lacks a locking mechanism. While it feels firm enough, I did accidentally nudge it once while putting the headphones on. A locking feature would be a welcome addition.
Sound Quality: Better Than Expected
Going in, I kept my expectations modest because I wasn't entirely sold on the Nothing Headphone One's stock tuning. I was also concerned that advanced EQ features might not make it to this more affordable model.
I was right about the EQ—there's no advanced equalization. But here's the good news: the audio tuning is actually really impressive.
Audio Performance Details
These headphones support LDAC and include solid EQ presets:
Pop Mode: If you love a V-shaped sound with prominent bass and treble, this profile delivers. The bass is generous but tastefully executed—even when you push the energy slider into extreme territory, it never sounds muddy.
My Preferred Setting: Custom mode with bass at -1 and mids at +1. This produces surprisingly neutral sound that compares remarkably well to AirPods Pro at 60% volume, with just a slightly lower peak in the 5-6kHz region.
Modes to Skip: Rock, electronic, enhanced vocals, and classical presets all fall flat. Don't waste time with these.
The reality is these headphones sound fantastic for their price. I genuinely hope they get proper attention from the audio enthusiast community and measurement-grade testing, because they deserve it.
Spatial Audio and 3.5mm Jack
Spatial audio features exist but don't add much value—they alter the sound signature too dramatically without meaningful benefit.
Regarding the 3.5mm headphone jack: it's a nice inclusion for wired connectivity, though there's a catch. You still need to power them on, so the battery drains during wired use. Whatever EQ settings you've programmed carry over, but you can't access completely raw audio without DSP processing like you can with some competitors.
Noise Cancellation and Transparency
Passive Noise Cancellation: Pretty good for this price point. It won't match Sony XM6 performance, but it handles everyday situations admirably.
Transparency Mode: Works fine without weird frequency boosts. Everything sounds about 4-5dB quieter than reality, which is a minor trade-off.
Microphone Quality: Average, as you'd expect from Bluetooth headphones. It performs okay in both quiet and loud environments—nothing exceptional, but functional.
Battery Life and Quirks
Battery metrics are solid and should provide dependable daily usage. While I didn't test the exact hours CMF claims, the performance aligns well with competitive models.
A Few Quirks Worth Knowing:
- No audio output through the USB-C port (charging only)
- The power indicator light shuts off after 5 seconds, making it hard to check if they're on from across the room
- No wear detection for automatic play/pause
- No auto power-down timer
These aren't deal-breakers, but they're missing features that the more expensive Nothing Headphone One includes.
Should You Buy the CMF Headphone Pro?
Absolutely, yes.
At $100, these nail the two most important factors for headphones: comfort and sound quality. They're lightweight, genuinely comfortable for extended wear, and they deliver audio that punches well above their price point.
The thoughtful design touches—like replaceable cushions, the energy slider, and the clean interface—show that CMF put real thought into this product.
Final Verdict
If you're looking for reliable daily-wear headphones or gym headphones, these are an easy recommendation. If they go on sale (and I expect they will), they become an absolute steal at that price.
These have become my primary travel and gym headphones, and I'll be monitoring them long-term to report on any durability issues. Based on everything I've tested, I'm confident these will serve you well.
Rating: 4.5/5 stars – Best value headphones in the sub-$150 category.
Quick Comparison: CMF Headphone Pro vs. Competitors
| Feature | CMF Pro | Sony XM6 | AirPods Max | Nothing One |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $100 | $400+ | $549 | $239 |
| Comfort | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Sound Quality | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| ANC | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Repairability | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ |