If you are serious about music, a good pair of over-ear headphones can make a tangible difference to your listening experience. On one end of the spectrum sit familiar options such as Sony’s ULT Wear WH-ULT900N and the Sennheiser Accentum Wireless. On the other is the new CMF Headphone Pro — a product from CMF, the sub-brand of London-based Nothing, which has been steadily carving out a name for itself with bold design and surprisingly capable hardware.
In a relatively short span of time, Nothing has grown popular not just for its smartphones but also for its audio products. CMF feels like a natural extension of that philosophy. These new over-ear headphones are aimed at listeners who want to lose themselves in their music... or who simply don’t enjoy the in-ear feel of earbuds. The larger drivers, compared with those found in earbuds, also help deliver a fuller, more engaging sound.
CMF gets several things right with the Headphone Pro, making it an appealing choice for younger listeners.
Build quality and design
The build quality is reassuringly solid, helped by the use of metal in the headband adjustment mechanism. The foam on the ear cups feels decent and comfortable enough for long listening sessions, while the headband has sufficient padding to rest easily on the head.
CMF Headphone Pro packs interchangeable ear cushions (separate purchase) that allow listeners make their headphones feel personal.
Visually, the headphones lean into a bubble-gum pop aesthetic. They are available in bright colours with customisable ear cups, which can be swapped out with ease. You can even mix colours between the left and right cups; just be careful not to attach them upside down or on the wrong side, as that will affect the seal around your ears.
The ear cups form a good seal and, while the headband itself feels slightly stiff, the padding compensates well. Overall, these headphones embrace a bold, unapologetic style that is clearly meant to stand out. Whether that works for you will depend on taste. Long-term durability remains to be seen, as there is a fair amount of plastic in the construction. Inside the box, you’ll find a simple cloth carry case for everyday transport.
Given the size of the headphones, the physical controls are surprisingly small. The standout here is the multi-function roller, which handles volume and can also be pressed to toggle ANC modes. The power and smart assistant buttons, however, are on the smaller side, as is the Energy Slider — a click-less switch that lets you adjust bass levels. Bass can also be fine-tuned through the companion app.
On one ear cup sit the USB-C charging port, the smart assistant button (which can be remapped using the Nothing X app), and the volume wheel. The other houses the 3.5mm jack, the power button and the bass slider. Both ear cups include microphones.
Sound strategy
For the price, the specifications are impressive. You get 40mm nickel-plated drivers, LDAC support, Hi-Res certification, up to 100 hours of playback, and even eight hours of listening from a five-minute charge. Active noise cancellation is included, along with a hyper-personalised listening experience.
Controls include an Energy Slider (lets you shape sound in real time, adjusting between bass and treble levels to match your mood), Multi-function Roller (makes volume, playback, and noise control seamless with simple scrolls and presses) and Action Button (you can access features like Spatial Audio or one touch access to AI instantly).
A 3.5mm AUX cable is bundled in the box, catering to those who still enjoy wired listening. A 16.5mm copper voice coil, precision bass duct and dual-chamber design work together to produce deeper, fuller sound with good texture and punch.
As a Nothing sub-brand, CMF relies on the Nothing X app, which is packed with features. From checking battery status to adjusting noise cancellation, everything is handled here. The app is one of the stronger aspects of the package, offering spatial audio settings, personalised sound profiles and detailed EQ options. There’s enough manual control to make the listening experience feel genuinely tailored.
What’s missing is a full parametric EQ — you’re limited to a three-band custom EQ — but that feels like a reasonable compromise at this price point.
The controls on the Nothing X app.
The app also offers two spatial audio modes: concert and cinema. Concert mode enhances the sense of space rather than depth, spreading instruments wider across the soundstage while giving vocals a more intimate presence. Cinema mode, on the other hand, pushes dialogue forward, creating the illusion that the actor is right in front of you, with the soundtrack unfolding behind.
Connectivity is handled via Bluetooth 5.4, with support for LDAC and high-resolution audio up to 990 kbps. Dual Hi-Res certification ensures consistent clarity across formats. Not everyone will hear a dramatic difference with LDAC, but it’s good to have the option. Multipoint connectivity is also supported, allowing you to connect two devices at once — and it works seamlessly.
With ANC enabled, you can expect around 50 hours of playback, depending on volume. That’s excellent for an affordable pair of headphones and easily enough for nearly two weeks of daily commuting. A full charge takes roughly two hours, while a quick five-minute top-up delivers up to eight hours of listening.
Microphone quality is serviceable. Calls sound clear in quieter environments, though they don’t quite match the performance of premium offerings from Apple or Sony. Noise reduction is effective enough for everyday use.
Active noise cancellation is another strong point. It significantly reduces external noise, particularly at lower frequencies, and does a commendable job with higher-frequency sounds such as air conditioners and aircraft engine hum.
As for the music itself, the default EQ tuning already sounds good. Bass is present without being overwhelming, and even pushing the bass slider to its maximum adds emphasis without tipping into boominess.
Make the call
Long battery life, effective noise cancellation and support for high-resolution audio make the CMF Headphone Pro a sensible and well-rounded choice. Sound quality is more than adequate for casual listening, and the overall experience feels thoughtfully put together.
With up to 40 dB noise reduction it reduces chatter and everyday distractions so every detail comes through with clarity and comfort.
The ‘Pro’ label may be stretching things slightly — a parametric EQ would have helped justify it — but CMF delivers an intuitive design, a comfortable fit and excellent battery life. For anyone looking for a convenient, long-lasting pair of wireless over-ear headphones, this is an easy recommendation.
CMF deserves credit for its inventive design and for offering above-average ANC performance at this price, paired with a robust soundstage that will appeal to a wide range of listeners.
Mathures Paul
At a glance
Device: CMF (by Nothing) Headphone Pro
Price: Will be available in three colour variants — dark grey, light green, and light grey at ₹7,999. The CMF Headphone Pro will be sold at an exclusive launch price of ₹6,999
High notes
Bold, eye-catching design
Comfortable over-ear fit
Solid build quality for the price
Long battery life
Effective active noise cancellation
Support for Hi-Res audio and LDAC
Multipoint Bluetooth connectivity
Customisable ear cups
Feature-rich companion app
Muffled notes
No full parametric EQ
Small physical buttons compared to the size of the ear cups