Alongside the CMF Buds, Nothing also launched the CMF Neckband Pro, the company’s first neckband headset, last week. This has up to 50db ANC, features Smart Dial, and has 5 mics for call noise cancellation. Are the best neckband headset under Rs. 2000? Let us dive into the review to find out.
Box Contents
- CMF Neckband Pro in Orange colour
- Different set of ear tips (Small, Medium (Installed) and Large)
- User manual
The headset has a 29.6g lightweight design. There is a small wire connecting earbuds and the neck band. The silicone band that you wear around the neck is flexible, lightweight and has a smooth finish. The bottom housing also a smooth finish even though it is made of plastic.
The back of the earbuds is magnetic that snap together when not in use and also have auto connection or disconnection feature. So, when you want to pause, you can snap the buds together, and to resume, just remove them.
You can see several microphones that are used for ANC and ENC in voice calls. The company says that it uses 5 mics for call noise cancellation.
On the right side, there is a unique Smart Dial to control ANC, play / pause and also increase or decrease volume by rotating. You can see the USB Type-C charging port on the same side, which is not covered by any flap, next to it is the LED.
On the same side there is a function button for pairing, factory reset and device switching. Overall the build quality is decent, but the life of the wire connecting the buds can’t be judged.
The headset houses a large 220mAh battery. Since it comes with IP55 ratings, it can withstand sweat and light rain, but you can’t immerse it in water.
| Function | Smart Dial |
| Play / Pause, Answer a call | Press Once |
| Next track, Reject incoming call | Double Press |
| Previous track | Triple press |
| Switch Between Noise Cancellation / Transparency | Long Press |
| Rotate | Control volume |
You can customize skip back, skip forward, switch noise cancellation mode and wake up voice assistant using the Nothing X app on Android and iPhone.
Connectivity and Pairing
The Bluetooth headset supports Bluetooth 5.3, so you can connect it to Android, iOS and others devices with Bluetooth support. It pairs to your phone quickly, just by pressing the function button for 3 seconds to enter the pairing mode.
You just have to select the CMF Neckband Pro to pair the headset. You can connect to two devices and switch between them by double-pressing the function button. There is a fast pair option which works in latest Android phones. We tested it on the iQOO Neo9 Pro and Redmi Note 13 Pro, and never faced any pairing or disconnection issues. There is also Microsoft Swift Pair to connect it to Windows.
Audio Quality
Coming to the audio quality, these headphones offer excellent audio quality with good amount of bass, thanks to 13.6 mm large dynamic PET (Titanium Plated) + Custom PU drivers.
It is loud enough for me in 60% or 70% volume. It doesn’t have LHDC or LDAC Hi-Res audio codec, and only has AAC codec.
In addition to balanced, more bass, more treble and voice modes, there is a separate ultra bass feature that lets you select the amount of bass you need. If you prefer heavy bass, then you need to try the ultra bass mode which is good, otherwise balanced is good. You can also set custom equalizer as well.
There is a separate mode for spatial audio effect using software.
Call noise cancellation and ANC
The earbuds offer a good amount of noise isolation, and 5 microphones help when it comes to voice clarity during calls. The earphones also reduce the background noise to a certain extent that helps in a crowded or noisy environment and wind when you are travelling, thanks to its noise-cancelling algorithm which has been tested on over 30 million models, according to the company. For the price, it’s excellent.
Regarding the Noise cancellation, the Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) blocks the ambient sound up to 50dB that helps in most cases since it adapts depending on the environment. It uses feedforward and feedback noise cancellation mics.
You can feel the difference when you are listening outdoors, since 50dB is more than enough to block most outdoor noise. For the price, it does an excellent job. The Transparency mode is also useful. You can also turn off the noise cancellation directly from the headset by enabling it from the settings, even though it only switches between ANC ON and Transparency modes by default.
This even has low latency mode, which is called low lag mode. The company says that this is <120 ms under Game Mode when using with Nothing Phone. This could have been better.
Battery Life
With the 220mAh battery on the headset, the company promises about 37 hours of battery life without ANC, and 23 hours with ANC. I got over 27 hours of battery life with mixed use of with and without ANC in about 50% volume. The battery life might vary depending on the ANC usage and listening volume.
Battery life goes down to less than 20 hours for talk time since it uses AI tech and mics to reduce the background noise.
Charging the headset from 0 to 100% takes slightly over half an hour. There is also fast charging option that promises 18 hours (without ANC) / 11 hours (With ANC) of playback without ANC in 10 minutes of charging, which is good.
Conclusion
Overall, the CMF Neckband Pro is an excellent budget neckband ANC neckband priced under Rs. 2000. It offers up to 50dB ANC that is effective, good call quality, dual-pairing, good battery life and support for fast charging. Features like LHDC, LDAC or aptX would have been a good addition.
The CMF Neckband Pro is priced at Rs. 1999, but it is available at an introductory price of Rs. 1,799 for a limited period.
Pros
- Good audio quality
- Unique and Functional Design
- Up to 50dB ANC
- Good call quality
- Long battery life with fast charging
Cons
- No LDAC / LHDC / aptX audio codec
- Life of the wire is doubtful