CMF’s first over-ear headset is available to preorder now, and the headliner couldn’t be more noticeable: an 84-dollar entry price for a feature list that you’ll often see a tier up. The CMF Headphone Pro features active noise canceling, 40mm drivers, and an advertised 100 hours of battery life, making it one of the most aggressively priced full-size ANC headphones from a mainstream tech brand.
CMF, the value-focused arm of Nothing, is targeting an underserved portion of the market that serves as a throwback to the company’s design-forward ethos. On paper, these cans are hitting right in the sweet spot for commuters and students — pretty much anyone who wants long-haul endurance without shelling out the dough.
Features and Performance Promises of CMF Headphone Pro
The spec sheet is built around 40mm dynamic drivers — the industry-standard size that, tuned right, can provide enough bass and mids to sound substantial without being muddy. It’s not unheard of to have active noise canceling at this price, but it’s noteworthy: While CMF hasn’t published full ANC attenuation figures yet, effective active noise canceling tends to snip steady low-frequency sounds like engine drone and HVAC whoosh (which is what most people really care about while on a train or plane).
The battery claim is the headline: It promises up to 100 hours of playback. For perspective, similarly popular budget ANC over-ears such as the Anker Soundcore Q30 boast up to 60 hours of playback time and the Sony WH-CH720N mentions up to 35 hours. Real-world endurance will vary with volume and ANC use — independent testing often finds it comes in below headline figures — though even a conservative slice of CMF’s claim would be exceptional at this price point.
Audio personalization seems to be a priority here. EQ-like control via a hardware slider is offered in the companion app and should give you plenty of bass or treble without menu diving. That’s a smart mix of physical and software control — and a rare one in sub-100-dollar headphones.
Design and controls overview, colors, and physical inputs
CMF goes for a clean, rounded look with colorways in dark gray, light gray, and a punchy mint green. The brand’s modular track record appears in removable ear cups too; additional color options in green or orange are coming at a modest extra price. Beyond that, swappable pads can also add life to a product after you have worn down the stock set.
Controls are unapologetically tactile. A knurled roller manages volume in defined levels and also acts as a play/pause and ANC toggle when pressed. Another slider can be set for bass or treble adjustment via the app, so you can nudge the sound profile on the fly. In a market where touch surfaces are anything but consistent when you try them with gloves or sweaty hands, physical inputs are a pragmatic victory.
Design elements such as fold-flat ear cups and substantial padding matter more than spec sheets would lead you to believe, particularly for commuters and remote workers. Though we obviously can’t say until we’ve had hands-on time with the cans to judge clamp force and heat buildup, plush pads and analog dials suggest an approach that’s more user-friendly than just style-driven.
Value and competition among budget ANC headphones
The preorder price of 84 dollars is lower than that of many crowd-pleasers. Anker’s Space One regularly gets as low as 99 dollars and up, JBL’s Tune 770NC hangs around 129 dollars on average, and pairs on the high end from Bose or Sony are in a different league in general. Nothing’s own over-ears offered a glimpse of the company’s success at turning out polished experiences; CMF’s task is to take that and make it work at an affordable price without the usual compromises.
There are two open questions that will determine how much of a killer these headphones will be: support for higher-bitrate Bluetooth codecs and multipoint connectivity. Both are becoming more common in this price range, and their inclusion (or lack thereof) can often tip the scales of a purchasing decision for remote workers straddling laptops and phones. If so, Headphone Pro may just be the top recommendation under 100 dollars.
Market watchers, including Counterpoint Research and IDC, have pointed to consistent demand for affordable personal audio, especially as consumers look for longer battery life and dependable noise canceling without the sticker shock of premium prices. CMF’s specs-first methodology falls squarely in line with those trends.
Preorder details, pricing, colors, availability, and extras
Preorders are available now for 84 dollars, with the list price set to rise to 99 dollars once preorders end. The headphones come in dark gray, light gray, and mint green; extra sets of ear cups will be sold for 25 dollars a pop. Orders are scheduled to ship soon, and early adopters will effectively benefit from a launch discount that places the Headphone Pro well below much of the ANC competition.
If CMF can achieve 100-hour endurance, and retain the ANC performance one might expect for this money, now all of a sudden you have a product that’s going to change what shoppers demand as standard from sub-100-dollar over-ears.
For listeners who are budget-conscious but interested in proper design and the feel of physical controls, this current preorder feels like low-risk, high-reward timing.
