I’ve spent the better part of this year sifting through open-ear audio gear. It’s a crowded market. Most releases blur together. Not these. The CMF Clip Pro arrived and immediately shifted my perspective. These are the first truly compelling cuff-style earbuds I’ve worn all year.
At $99, they undercut the premium heavyweights. The Bose Ultra Open earbuds start at $299. The Sony LinkBuds Clip sits around $229.99. You don’t need to spend three times as much to get decent audio. As of August 4, you can grab these on the Nothing website.
I’ve worn them for a few days now. Early impressions are overwhelmingly positive. Of course, initial reviews are just the surface. But for the price point? The CMF Clip Pro punches way above its weight.
Зміст
Why the CMF Clip Pro is a Strong Budget Contender
Let’s talk value. The CMF brand is Nothing’s budget arm. Everything they make costs under $100. It’s not a surprise they’re aiming for the affordable segment. But being cheap doesn’t mean being bad. These earbuds challenge the idea that high performance requires a high price tag.
Here is what you get in the box:
- Price: $99 standard. $79 if you preorder on the Nothing site (ends before launch).
- Battery: 10 hours on a single charge. 32.5 hours total with the case.
- Charging: 10 minutes gives you four hours. Quick, right?
- Drivers: 10.8mm dual-magnetic drivers.
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.4. Multipoint support.
- Controls: Physical buttons on the earbud plus a “Smart Dial” on the case.
- Durability: IP54 rating. Dust and water resistant.
- Colors: Dark grey, light grey, coral.
- Weight: 5.9 grams each.
The specs look competitive. The battery life, in particular, stands out. Most open-ear buds struggle to hit the 10-hour mark without the case. The Shokz OpenFit Pro offers 12 hours, but those cost nearly $250. The CMF Clip Pro matches the per-charge life of the $200 Shokz OpenDots One. That’s impressive for a fraction of the cost.
Design That Prioritizes Comfort
Nothing nailed the physical controls with their standard headphones. The CMF Clip Pro carries that DNA forward. The cuff sits securely. It doesn’t pinch. It doesn’t fall out. The physical button on the rear mimics the Bose Ultra Open design, which I prefer over touch controls on open buds. Touch controls get annoying when you adjust your glasses or scratch an itch.
You can customize these commands in the Nothing X app. Double-tap? Single tap? Hold? You decide.
The case is where things get interesting. It has a Smart Dial on the front. Sounds like a gimmick, doesn’t it? It isn’t. I used it constantly to adjust volume. Long-pressing an earbud for volume tweaks is awkward and imprecise. Twisting a dial? That’s fluid. It made adjusting audio levels while working or talking to someone effortless.
The case itself is compact. That’s a challenge with larger open-ear designs. But the vertical loading mechanism takes some getting used to. The app even provides a guide for how to load them properly. It’s a bit finicky at first, but probably won’t be an issue once the routine sets in.
The physical button control mimics the best in the category, avoiding the frustrations of touch-only interfaces.
Sound Quality and EQ Settings
I’ve only listened to personal playlists so far. Lots of pop, rock, and K-pop. I can’t speak for every genre yet. But the volume levels are solid. Open-ear buds often struggle to project sound loudly without leakage. These hold their own.
There’s no obvious muddying in the highs or mids. The app offers:
- Spatial audio.
- Bass enhancement (two levels).
- Five preset equalizers.
- A custom EQ slot with three bands.
Three bands? That’s all the custom EQ offers. For some, that’s limiting. For others, it’s enough. Open earbuds aren’t designed to seal the ear canal. They don’t maximize bass response like in-ears. Expecting a deep, thumping low end is unrealistic here. What you get is clarity. The bass enhancement helps, but don’t expect a concert hall experience. It’s better than most budget options in this form factor.
Where to Buy CMF Clip Pro
The launch window is tight. Preorders are live now.
You can buy the CMF Clip Pro directly from the Nothing website or select retailers. The standard retail price is $99.
However, if you move quickly, there is a deal. The preorder price on the official site is $79. That’s a $20 discount. Availability officially begins on August 15.
Minor Annoyances
It’s not all perfect. I found a few quirks early on.
The Case Gets Dirty. The dark grey matte finish attracts fingerprints. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it’s ugly. You’ll be wiping that case down often, especially if you’re using that Smart Dial constantly.
No Wear Detection. If you pull the earbuds out of your ears, the music keeps playing. That wastes battery. There’s no sensor to detect removal. It’s a small oversight, but one that matters for battery longevity.
The Fit Takes Practice. As mentioned, loading the vertical buds into the case is weird. The app helps, but it feels unintuitive compared to traditional snap-in designs.
The Verdict
The CMF Clip Pro is a strong contender. It competes directly with the EarFun Clip, but offers better styling and attention to detail. At $99, it’s hard to beat the feature set. If you can snag the preorder price for $79, it’s a no-brainer.
I still have more testing to do. I need to see how the Clear Voice technology handles calls. I need to test the battery drain over a full week. I need to shake things around to ensure they stay put during movement. But so far, the foundation is solid.
Open-ear audio has been a niche for too long. The CMF Clip Pro might just break it into the mainstream. We’ll see if the long-term wear holds up to the hype. For now, it’s promising.
