Nothing’s budget brand, CMF, just dropped its first over-ear headphones — and they look like a serious deal. The CMF Headphone Pro comes with active noise cancellation, a slick customizable design, and battery life that honestly sounds too good to be true. Starting at just $99, these headphones aim to give premium features without the premium price.
Style is a big part of the pitch. You get three base colors (Light Grey, Dark Grey, and Light Green), and if you want to spice things up, you can swap in extra ear cushions in Orange or Light Green. The whole idea is to let you mix and match your look, which feels pretty unique for a budget pair of headphones.
Instead of going all-in on touch controls like most brands, CMF is keeping it practical with real buttons. There’s a roller button for volume, playback, and ANC, plus an “Energy Slider” to tweak bass and treble. On top of that, there’s a customizable button you can set up for features like Spatial Audio or quick AI access — pretty impressive at this price.
Sound-wise, you’re looking at Hybrid ANC with up to 40dB of noise blocking that adapts to your surroundings. The 40mm nickel-plated drivers support Hi-Res audio and LDAC, while CMF’s Personal Sound tech adjusts playback to your own ear shape. In other words, they’re aiming for audio that feels personalized, not just generic.
But the real showstopper is battery life. The Headphone Pro promises up to 100 hours of listening on one charge, or 50 hours of talk time. Even with ANC on, you’ll still get about 50 hours. A 5-minute quick charge adds 4 hours of playback, and you can even juice it up directly from your smartphone using USB-C — a clever touch for travelers.
Pricing is equally aggressive: $99/€99/£79 for the headphones, with swappable cushions costing $25. They’re already on sale in the UK and EU, with a US launch set for October 7. Given CMF’s track record with the Buds 2 and Buds 2 Plus, which surprised everyone with their quality, the Headphone Pro looks like it could be one of the best value over-ear headphones around.
Of course, we’ll need real-world testing to confirm if the hype matches reality. But on paper, CMF seems to have built a pair of budget headphones that could compete with much pricier options — and for anyone who wants ANC, customizable design, and marathon battery life without breaking the bank, these are definitely worth a look.
