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CMF Headphone Pro: Review and Comparison with 26 Headphones
The CMF Headphone Pro stands out as an affordable option with good build quality, long battery life, and decent sound, although with some limitations in equalizer customization and noise cancellation. It surpasses other budget headphones in call quality and offers an immersive listening experience after customization. However, it's not perfect, as it lacks folding, transparency and noise cancellation are only acceptable, and sound customization is somewhat peculiar.
1. 🏆 CMF Headphone Pro: The Best Budget Headphone of the Year
- ✅ The CMF Headphone Pro has been awarded as the best budget headphone of the year.
- ⚠️ Despite its strengths, it has some shortcomings that should be mentioned.
- ✅ The firmware has been updated to version 1.0.1.44, promising improvements in sound quality.
- The analysis is based on 10 categories, comparing the CMF Headphone Pro with 26 other headphones of various prices.
00:00 - 00:30
1. 🏆 CMF Headphone Pro: The Best Budget Headphone of the Year
- ✅ The CMF Headphone Pro has been awarded as the best budget headphone of the year.
- ⚠️ Despite its strengths, it has some shortcomings that should be mentioned.
- ✅ The firmware has been updated to version 1.0.1.44, promising improvements in sound quality.
- The analysis is based on 10 categories, comparing the CMF Headphone Pro with 26 other headphones of various prices.
00:31 - 01:50
2. 🛠️ Design, Comfort, and IPX2 Water Resistance
- ✅ Rating of 8/10 in build quality and fit.
- ✅ Soft matte finish on the headphones and protein leather pleasant to the touch.
- ✅ Smooth and firm headband adjustment, hinge without creaks.
- ⚠️ Little cushioning in the headband, although compensated by its light weight (280g).
- ✅ Balanced clamping force, suitable for training.
- ✅ Spacious earcups, although they could be taller.
- ✅ Replaceable earcups (40 Australian dollars).
- ⚠️ They do not fold and only include a soft case, taking up more space.
- ✅ IPX2 water resistance (protection against light splashes).
01:51 - 02:07
3. 🔋 Long Battery Life and Fast Charging
- ✅ Rating of 9/10 in battery life.
- ✅ 50 hours of playback with noise cancellation activated.
- ✅ 100 hours of playback with noise cancellation deactivated.
- ✅ Fast charging: 5 minutes of charging provides 4 hours of playback.
- ⚠️ Cannot be charged and listened to via Bluetooth simultaneously.
02:08 - 02:57
4. ⚙️ Touch Controls and Customization
- ✅ Rating of 8.5/10 in controls.
- ✅ Touch buttons similar to those of Nothing Headphones.
- ✅ Multifunction button to adjust the volume with audible feedback.
- ✅ Playback control and access to noise cancellation/transparency.
- ✅ Customizable button for voice assistant, noise control, spatial audio, or microphone control.
- ✅ Slider on the left earcup to enhance spatial audio (configurable for treble in the app).
- ✅ Power button on the left earcup.
- ❌ No wear detection.
02:58 - 03:35
5. 📡 Advanced Connectivity and Low Latency
- ✅ Rating of 9/10 in connectivity.
- ✅ Bluetooth 5.3, SBC, AAC, LDAC.
- ✅ Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair.
- ✅ Multipoint connection (two devices simultaneously).
- ✅ Auxiliary cable included for high-resolution playback (requires headphones to be turned on).
- ✅ Low latency mode.
03:36 - 05:03
6. 📞 Call Quality: Tests in Noisy Environments
- ✅ Rating of 7/10 in call quality.
- ✅ Tests in a quiet room, simulation of crowd noise, and simulation of a windy city with construction noise.
- ⚠️ Voice pickup is not the highest or clearest.
- ✅ Considered the best in call quality for budget headphones due to their performance in the windy city test.
05:04 - 05:47
7. 📱 App and Extra Features
- ✅ Rating of 8.5/10 in customization and extras.
- ✅ They use the Nothing X app, well optimized.
- ✅ Battery indicator, noise control options with intensity adjustment, spatial audio options.
- ✅ Personalized hearing test to calibrate the sound according to each ear.
- ⚠️ Equalizer of only 3 bands.
- ✅ Customization of controls, low latency toggle, multipoint toggle.
- ✅ "Find my headphones" function (emits a beep).
05:48 - 06:33
8. 🎧 Noise Cancellation: Performance and Adjustments
- ✅ Rating of 7/10 in noise cancellation.
- ✅ Tests with soundbar simulation, airplane noise, and crowd noise, in addition to tests in the gym.
- ✅ They block low frequencies well.
- ⚠️ Difficulty blocking mid and high frequencies.
- ✅ Intensity adjustment and adaptive mode (adjusts the intensity according to the ambient noise).
- ✅ Low wind pickup due to the location of the microphones.
- ✅ The change in equalization is barely noticeable.
06:34 - 07:14
9. 🗣️ Transparency Mode: Clarity and Noise Reduction
- ✅ Rating of 7.5/10 in transparency mode.
- ✅ Minimal occlusion (own voice does not sound muffled).
- ✅ Minimal blocked ear effect.
- ✅ Little white noise.
- ⚠️ Distant voices and sounds slightly muffled.
- ✅ Enough to hold a conversation.
- ✅ Low wind pickup thanks to the location of the microphones.
07:15 - 07:56
10. 🔊 Sound Extras: Volume, Leakage, and Listening Options
- ✅ Rating of 9/10 in sound extras.
- ✅ Maximum volume of 96.8 dB (measured without seal).
- ✅ Low sound leakage (audible from 85% of the volume).
- ✅ Listening options: auxiliary cable (with the headphones turned on).
- ❌ Cannot listen via USB-C to USB-C.
- ❌ Cannot be used while charging.
- ❌ Cannot be used with a cable if they are turned off.
07:57 - 11:27
11. 🎶 Sound Quality: Customization and Comparison
- ✅ Rating of 7.5/10 in sound quality.
- ⚠️ The factory sound is somewhat bland.
- ✅ It is recommended to perform the personalized hearing test (several times).
- ✅ After the test, it is recommended to lower the bass and treble by one decibel.
- ⚠️ Equalizer of only 3 bands.
- ⚠️ The bass is powerful but slightly "boommy" (difficult to adjust with the equalizer).
- ✅ Mids slightly recessed, but clear and well separated.
- ✅ Balanced highs, crisp and with good detail.
- ✅ Wide soundstage.
- ✅ After customization, it offers a more immersive listening experience than other budget headphones.
- ✅ Richer and fuller bass, remarkable soundstage, and slightly more detailed sound.
- ✅ Compared to Nothing Headphone One, the sound is better in the latter, especially if a more balanced sound is preferred.
- ✅ Sony Altware gets a slightly higher score, with clearer voices and crisper highs.
- ✅ Bass slider to enhance the bass (not recommended to use at maximum).
- ✅ Spatial audio (no head tracking), with music and movie modes.
11:28 - 12:51
12. 💯 Final Score and Conclusions
- ✅ Final score: 81.5/100.
- ✅ The budget headphone with the highest score in the reviewer's ranking.
- ⚠️ It is not perfect: it does not fold, transparency and noise cancellation are acceptable, and sound customization is peculiar.
- ✅ It stands out in sound, battery, comfort, call quality, and construction.
- ✅ Alternatives: Earfun Tune Pro (better noise cancellation, but sacrifices construction, comfort, and transparency).
- ✅ More expensive alternatives: Sony Altar or Nothing Headphone One (better noise cancellation and transparency, slightly better sound).
- ✅ The CMF Headphone Pro offers good value for money.