CMF Headphones Pro Review: Gorgeous Budget-Friendly Headphones for Everyday Listening

The CMF Headphones Pro feel like Nothing’s one of the most confident audio products yet, not because they try to outdo premium headphones, but because they clearly understand what most people actually want at ₹7,999. These are big, comfortable, feature-heavy headphones that aim to deliver everyday reliability rather than audiophile perfection. I’ve been using the light green colour variant for a while now, and while it looks fantastic out of the box, it also makes one thing very clear: this is a headphone you’ll want to wipe down often. The soft-touch finish is prone to picking up dust and grime quickly, especially if you’re using it outdoors or tossing it into a backpack. From a design perspective, the CMF Headphones Pro lean unapologetically towards function over flair. They’re bulky, but not awkward, with generous earcups that distribute weight well enough for long listening sessions. Comfort is one of their strongest suits, the clamping force is forgiving, and the padding doesn’t cause fatigue even after hours of use. ALSO SEE: Dogs, Drinks And More: Viral Video Shows How Google’s New York Office Culture Differs From Bengaluru Sound quality is tuned for mass appeal. The low end is punchy and prominent, giving pop, hip-hop, and electronic tracks an immediate sense of energy. Vocals come through clearly, though they don’t always feel as forward or detailed as they could. Highs are safe rather than sparkly, which means the headphones are easy on the ears but don’t quite deliver the kind of detail you’d notice on more expensive pairs. This isn’t a bad thing, it’s a deliberate tuning choice that makes the CMF Headphones Pro enjoyable across genres without demanding attention. Active noise cancellation performs better than expected for the price. It does a solid job with steady background noise like fans, traffic hum, or office chatter, though sudden or sharp sounds still sneak through. Transparency mode is usable and natural enough for quick conversations, but it doesn’t feel class-leading. Calls are decent indoors, but outdoor call quality can dip when wind and traffic enter the picture, again, acceptable for the price, but not flawless. The AI Assistant button isn’t entirely new, it’s a rebranded take on the virtual assistant buttons long seen on headphones, now repackaged for the AI era. Its advantage lies in flexibility, allowing users to trigger Essential News on Nothing or CMF phones, manage noise cancellation, adjust Spatial Audio, or disable the button altogether. The CMF Headphones Pro lean heavily on physical controls, including an energy slider, and that’s both part of their charm and their learning curve. Each earcup is dotted with buttons and rollers that handle volume, playback, ANC modes, power, and the energy slider, which lets you quickly switch between sound profiles without opening the app. Once muscle memory kicks in, the controls feel reassuringly tactile and fast, especially for adjusting volume or toggling noise cancellation on the go. Early on, though, the sheer number of controls can feel slightly overwhelming, and it’s easy to nudge the...

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