I’ve spent the previous week with the brand new CMF Headphone Professional, and what strikes me instantly is how totally different they really feel from the standard herd of wi-fi headphones.Now, Nothing, father or mother model to CMF, has a knack for designing totally different, and similar to the premium Nothing Headphone 1, which calls again to ’70s and ’80s engineered design, CMF Headphone Professional recollects mid-century magnificence piped via ’60s kitsch.Headphone Professional isn’t simply one other slab of black plastic with a chrome accent slapped on; CMF has leaned into color, character, and luxury in a method that makes you wish to decide them up and put on them.
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(Picture credit score: Future / Nothing)A uncommon mix of favor and practicalityRight out of the field, Headphone Professional feels gentle, heat, and genuinely comfy. The cushions cradle your ears with out making use of an excessive amount of stress, offering aid for prolonged listening periods. The Gentle Inexperienced variant I examined, utilizing my Nothing Cellphone 3, is nearly pastel in tone, soothing in a method that stands out towards the usually medical, monochrome palette of mainstream audio gear. (Different colors are Darkish Gray and Gentle Gray.) The design itself carries a retro-modern vitality, located someplace between mid-century sophistication and a playful, nearly cartoonish appeal. These are just a little Jetsons, just a little Jet Set Radio.CMF goes a step additional with customisation: the ear cushions are interchangeable, coming in two colours, Orange and Gentle Inexperienced, letting you tweak each aesthetics and luxury. Past model, this can be a sensible contact, doubtlessly extending the headphones’ life if the cushions put on out. It’s uncommon to see that stage of user-friendly thought in a product below $100.The Professional’s controls are a spotlight. Not like touch-only designs that may be fiddly and imprecise, CMF affords a tactile expertise: a bass slider, a quantity curler that doubles as ANC management, and a customisable motion button. Mapping Spatial Audio, AI options, or different shortcuts to the motion button is seamless and intuitive.It’s the sort of bodily interplay that makes these headphones really feel extra alive and responsive than many rivals’ button-light choices. Although the construct high quality on the slider and curler feels just a little mild and sharp, they’re nonetheless a pleasant contact on a ‘funds’ overear.Each day design information, critiques, how-tos and extra, as picked by the editors.
(Picture credit score: Future / Nothing)Audio is greater than you’d expectThe CMF Headphone Professional punches above its worth level in the case of audio efficiency. It helps LDAC and Hello-Res audio, wired or wi-fi, and comes with 40mm customized drivers with nickel-plated diaphragms and a dual-chamber design. The result’s audio that’s sturdy, punchy, and clear. Whereas the frequency response is commonplace at 20Hz–20kHz, the personalised Audiodo sound profile, the identical you get on Nothing’s new Ear 3 buds, provides a premium contact, adapting playback to your ears, a function often reserved for rather more costly headphones.That stated, audiophiles might discover the tuning is considerably opaque, whilst you can regulate the sound within the Nothing X app, utilizing the slider for bass, notably, is just a little imprecise. For informal listeners, it really works fantastically; for these chasing precision or prolonged highs and lows, it’s a little bit of a guessing sport. However then, there’s that $99 / £79 price ticket, and I sort of shrug and love what these truly provide for the cash – and it is rather a lot.The place these headphones actually shine is in battery life. You’re as much as 100 hours with out ANC, or 50 hours with it lively. That is in response to Nothing’s information, and in my testing, it is about proper. Even LDAC streaming holds up impressively. For those who’re in a rush, a five-minute cost delivers round 5 hours of playback. On high of that, the reverse charging function lets your cellphone high up the headphones in a pinch, a small however intelligent addition.
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(Picture credit score: Future / Nothing)The place the CMF Headphone Professional falls shortNo product is ideal. The construct is generally plastic, which might have an effect on long-term sturdiness in contrast with aluminium-heavy rivals. The interchangeable cushions, whereas handy, may not really feel as stable as fastened designs. ANC is useful, and whereas it options three modes to adapt to your environment, in addition to spatial audio, it isn’t fairly on par with pricey headphones, however then, you’d count on that. Utilizing ANC additionally hits battery life, however once more, that is anticipated.The personalisation options, like Audiodo calibration, depend on the companion app. This provides a step and will restrict accessibility if the app isn’t persistently up to date. Some options, like Spatial Audio or AI features, might also lean on Nothing OS or Android, so cross-platform parity isn’t assured. However, if, like me, you are used to Nothing and Android, CMF Headphone Professional is a no brainer.I have to deliver up price, too. Whereas the headphones themselves are very reasonably priced, the customized cushions are priced at $25 / £19, which suggests they’re round 25% of the particular headphone worth – sort of Nintendo ranges of promoting. You do not want the additional cushions, but when updating the model is your factor, think about the general price.Lastly, the premium options, corresponding to LDAC help, private sound profiles, and lengthy battery life, set excessive expectations. At a sub-$100 / £80 worth level, CMF Headphone Professional doesn’t precisely compete with flagship ANC over-ears, however they ship excess of the value suggests.
(Picture credit score: Future / Nothing)Private, playful, and practicalUltimately, the CMF Headphone Professional is a uncommon funds headphone that feels genuinely private. Vibrant, comfy, and playful in design, with sensible tactile controls and sound that punches above its weight, they stand other than the generic crowd of monochrome, touch-only headphones.These received’t sway audiophiles chasing excellent constancy or ANC perfection, however for anybody who values personalisation, ease of use, and lengthy listening periods with out discomfort, CMF Headphone Professional is an unexpectedly succesful and tactile possibility.These headphones are for individuals who desire a system that feels theirs, from the color to the match to the way in which it responds in your palms. In a market flooded with lookalike tech, that alone makes the CMF Headphone Professional really feel particular. And at this worth, it’s uncommon to see this mix of character, practicality, and efficiency multi function pair of headphones.Go to the Nothing retailer for extra particulars.
