Follow ZDNET: Add us as a favorite source On Google.
CMF began as a Nothing sub-brand focused on affordable products. In its short lifetime, it has developed a personality of its own by breaking away from Nothing. Although the focus on value hasn’t changed, CMF has introduced some of my favorite designs on budget products in recent years (the Phone 2 Pro). cmf headphones pro Are not different.
Too: The price of these fashion-forward headphones looks so good it’s no business
It maintains the company’s signature fun vibe, borrows some useful elements from the Nothing Headphones 1, and costs less than $100. I used them for a week, and that’s why I think they’re the best headphone deal right now at $75.
Best headphone deals of the week
Deals are selected by the CNET Group Commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.
An exciting, fun environment
I like to have buttons on my headphones and the CMF Headphones Pro have plenty of them.
Prakhar Khanna/ZDNET
The best thing about the CMF Headphones Pro is their design. They look more premium than their price tag and don’t shy away from looking bold. They come in dark grey, light green and light grey, with matching modular ear cushions included by default. However, if you’re like me and want your headphones to stand out with added color contrast, you can change out the ear pads with an easy twist. I have the dark gray model, and I replaced the dark ear cushions with orange pads (cost $25 extra). I like the new, distinctive look.
Also: I replaced my AirPods Pro with Sony XM6 earbuds for a month — and I’m almost sold
Modular consumer devices are difficult to execute. Many companies have tried modular phones and smartwatches in the past, but none succeeded because modularity adds a touch of inconvenience. Hey, if it takes me five to ten minutes to personalize it I’ll use the same tools as everyone else. That’s why I like the CMF approach. When I tried it for the first time it took me less than two minutes to fold and replace my ear cushions.
Both the ear cushions and headband have enough padding for hours of wear. However, the headband feels a bit flimsy. It hasn’t affected my wearability, and it won’t break if you bend it more than necessary (don’t ask how I know this). But I had to mention it because it may not inspire confidence in the first impression.
I love physical controls on my headphones, and I’m happy to report that, like the Nothing Headphones 1, the CMF Headphones Pro offer a variety of buttons.
Also: Why I recommend these wireless headphones over expensive flagship models
On the left side, it has a power and Bluetooth pairing button and a bass slider that you can use to adjust the… (you guessed it!) bass. I didn’t think I’d be able to touch this control, but it was fun to boost the bass on a rock track without touching my phone. On the right side, you get a volume knob that turns ANC on and off, and also a button to trigger Google Gemini. These controls are intuitive, easy to use, and simple to use.
sound good. ANC is good. battery life? Good Also.
The CMF Headphones Pro feature custom 40mm drivers and supports high-resolution audio via the LDAC codec on compatible devices. It switches to AAC on iPhone and SBC on Android phones that don’t support LDAC. I tested these headphones with my Vivo X100 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Also: I replaced my QuietComfort Ultras with these midrange headphones – and I’m sticking with them
The CMF Headphones Pro offer a wide soundstage. Its sound is on the bassy side (not thumpy), but it doesn’t bleed into other frequencies. That is unless you increase the bass with the slider, which muffles the high frequencies. Additionally, the vocals are clear and the instruments sound lively. You can switch between EQ presets to tune it to your liking.
The CMF’s active noise cancellation is better than expected. Like the CMF Buds 2 Plus, the Headphones Pro reduced ambient traffic noise very well on my commute and is impressive at low frequencies, such as the sound of office air conditioners. The ANC isn’t as good as my old Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones, but for under $100 it’s definitely better than I expected.
Plus: I tested Sony and Bose’s best headphones for months — how my shopping advice has changed in 2026
The company says its new headphones are capable of up to 100 hours of listening with ANC off and 50% to 70% volume, though you’re unlikely to reach that figure with LDAC. With all features working, ANC enabled, and volume at 70%, you can expect up to 45 hours of battery life, which is pretty good for a pair of wireless headphones.
ZDNET’s shopping advice
cmf headphones pro This is an easy recommendation, especially when they’re on sale. These headphones initially launched for $99 but are currently selling for $75 on Amazon. So, even if you choose to spend $25 on the interchangeable ear cushions, you’re getting a great deal for the original launch price of $100.
There’s not much to fault here, except that I would prefer the earcups to fold inwards for better portability and have a hard case for storage. The CMF Headphones Pro are comfortable to wear, sound good, offer impressive ANC performance, have intuitive controls, offer good battery life and look good. If you’re in the market for a pair of headphones priced under $80, the CMF Headphones Pro are hard to beat.
