CMF Buds 2 Plus Review: Surprisingly Good, But Change the Ear Tips
I recently got the Buds 2 Plus, and if you're planning to buy them, read this before you make a decision.
What’s Great
- Sound: Clear vocals, punchy bass, airy presentation
- Mic: Surprisingly good for the price
- ANC & Transparency: Both work really well
- Design & Build: Premium look and feel
For the price, these are genuinely impressive.
Biggest Con – The Ear Tips
The stock ear tips are honestly disappointing. They:
- Don’t fit securely
- Feel too smooth and slippery
- Reduce ANC effectiveness
- Affect sound quality negatively
I replaced them with the ear tips from my previous Nord Buds 3, and the difference was immediate:
- Better comfort and seal
- Improved grip inside the ear
- Fuller, cleaner sound
- Punchier bass
- Better ANC performance
If you buy these, I strongly recommend investing in better ear tips.
Smaller Con – Case Finish
The case feels premium and looks amazing, but the finish is extremely smooth and picks up stains very easily. The white version especially may become hard to keep clean.
Detailed Breakdown
Sound – A-
The sound signature is balanced and airy. Vocals are clean, bass is punchy, and there’s decent detail overall.
Because of the LCP drivers, the tuning feels smoother and more balanced compared to titanium-driver earbuds that usually have sharper treble and heavier bass. Some tracks may leave you wanting slightly deeper bass, and the Ultra Bass mode doesn’t add much.
Still, the bass is:
- Punchy
- Warm and mellow
- Pleasant for long listening
Soundstage is inconsistent:
- Some tracks sound wide and immersive
- Others feel more intimate and “inside your head”
Overall, really good for the price.
ANC – A-
Actually quite effective.
- Blocks fan noise well
- Reduces background chatter
- Handles low frequencies nicely
Works best in low to medium-noise environments. It won’t completely suppress nearby voices or sharp high-pitched sounds.
Transparency – A
Very natural implementation. You can comfortably hear surroundings even while music is playing.
Mic – A
Mics are impressive indoors with very clear voice quality.
Outdoors, traffic noise affects them a bit, but they still manage to prioritize and amplify your voice reasonably well.
Battery Life – A
Battery life is solid, though not quite as advertised.
- Around 3 full case recharges
- Buds last roughly 8–10 hours in mixed usage
- Realistically 4 days of use without charging
Definitely lower than the claimed 14 hours without ANC, but still very good.
Personal Sound – B-
Makes the audio slightly fuller, but the difference isn’t huge.
Controls – B
No single-tap pause control, which feels like a miss. Thankfully:
- In-ear detection works well
- Touch controls are responsive
Equalizer – B-
The EQ is too basic. You only get broad:
- Bass
- Mid
- Treble sliders
Not granular enough for fine tuning.
The built-in presets are decent though:
- One preset gives punchier bass
- Another focuses heavily on vocals and clarity
Final Verdict
These are genuinely excellent earbuds for the price, especially in terms of:
- Design
- Mic quality
- ANC
- Overall sound balance
But the stock ear tips hold them back significantly. Swap them for better-quality tips, and the experience improves dramatically.