CMF Headphone Pro Review: Best Over-Ear Headphones Under ₹8,000?
CMF, the budget-focused sub-brand of Nothing, has built a reputation for delivering stylish products with impressive features at aggressive prices. From smartphones to earbuds, CMF products usually bring bold colours, clean design, and solid performance. The CMF Headphone Pro continues this trend as the brand’s first over-ear wireless headphones.
Priced at ₹7,999 (with a launch offer of ₹6,999), the CMF Headphone Pro promises premium design, active noise cancellation, strong battery life, and a unique modular approach — all in the affordable segment. But does it truly offer value for money? Let’s find out in this detailed review.
CMF Headphone Pro Design & Build Quality
One of the strongest highlights of the CMF Headphone Pro is its design language. Unlike many boring black headphones in this price range, CMF adds personality with soft pastel shades.
Available Colours
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Dark Grey
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Light Grey
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Light Green
The Light Green variant, in particular, stands out with its premium soft-touch finish and playful yet minimal aesthetics. The headphones feature a clean, modern look, inspired by Nothing’s modular design philosophy.
Comfort & Weight
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Weight: 283 grams
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Build: Plastic construction
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Padding: Well-cushioned ear cups and headband
Despite being plastic, the headphones do not feel cheap. The cushioning is soft and comfortable, making them suitable for long listening sessions. At just 283g, these are among the lightest over-ear headphones in this segment.
A thoughtful touch is the clearly marked L and R indicators inside the ear cushions, which makes wearing them correctly effortless.
❌ Downside: The headphones do not fold, so they occupy more space in a backpack.
Modular Ear Cushions & Controls
A unique feature rarely seen at this price point is replaceable ear cushions. You can easily twist and remove them, making cleaning and replacement simple — a big plus for long-term use.
Physical Controls
All controls are tactile and easy to access:
Right Ear Cup
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Volume roller (also acts as a button)
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Multi-function button
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USB Type-C charging port
Left Ear Cup
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Energy (bass) slider
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Power button
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3.5mm audio jack
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LED indicator
The buttons feel responsive and well-built, avoiding accidental presses.
Water Resistance
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IP Rating: IPX2
The CMF Headphone Pro can handle light sweat or small splashes but is not meant for heavy workouts or rain exposure. A higher IP rating would have been better, but IPX2 is acceptable for casual use.
CMF Headphone Pro App & Smart Features
The headphones work with the Nothing X companion app, available on Android and iOS.
Key App Features
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Battery percentage display
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ANC mode selection
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Spatial audio toggle
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Equaliser presets
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Control customisation
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Personalized sound tuning
The interface is clean and intuitive, even for first-time users.
Custom Controls
You can remap:
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Multi-function button actions
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Volume wheel functions
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Energy slider (bass/treble adjustment)
EQ & Sound Customisation
EQ options include:
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Pop
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Rock
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Electronic
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Enhance Vocals
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Classical
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Custom Mode
While the presets work well, manual EQ tuning is limited to bass, mids, and treble sliders. Audiophiles may find this restrictive, but casual listeners will be satisfied.
Connectivity Features
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Google Fast Pair
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Dual device connection
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Bluetooth 5.4
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Easy pairing (3-second power button press)
CMF Headphone Pro Sound Quality & ANC Performance
Audio Specifications
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Driver: 40mm
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Codecs: SBC, AAC, LDAC
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Hi-Res Audio Support: Yes
The CMF Headphone Pro delivers a wide and airy soundstage, impressive for its price range.
Bass Performance
Bass lovers will enjoy these headphones. The low-end is punchy and powerful, especially noticeable in hip-hop and electronic tracks. The energy slider allows real-time bass control, which works surprisingly well.
Mids & Highs
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Vocals sound clear and forward
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Instrument separation is good
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Highs are clean but slightly overshadowed by bass
For balanced sound, reducing bass via EQ helps bring out mids and highs.
Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)
The headphones offer multiple ANC modes:
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Low
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Medium
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High
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Adaptive
ANC performance is impressive for the segment. Combined with good passive isolation from the ear cups, it effectively reduces:
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Traffic noise
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Airplane engine sounds
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Background chatter
While it’s not flagship-level ANC, it performs better than most competitors under ₹8,000.
Battery Life & Charging
Battery life is another strong point.
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Claimed: Up to 50 hours (ANC on)
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Real-world usage: ~44 hours
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Charging time: ~2 hours
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Fast charge: 5 minutes gives several hours of playback
This makes the CMF Headphone Pro a reliable travel companion.
Call Quality
The built-in microphones perform well for calls and online meetings. Voice clarity is good, and background noise suppression works effectively in most environments.
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CMF Headphone Pro Pros & Cons
Pros
✔ Premium and colourful design
✔ Lightweight and comfortable
✔ Strong bass and wide soundstage
✔ Effective ANC
✔ Excellent battery life
✔ Modular ear cushions
✔ LDAC and Hi-Res audio support
Cons
✖ Non-foldable design
✖ Limited EQ customisation
✖ IPX2 rating could be better
CMF Headphone Pro Verdict
The CMF Headphone Pro is one of the best over-ear wireless headphones under ₹8,000 right now. It combines stylish design, powerful bass, dependable ANC, long battery life, and thoughtful features like replaceable ear cushions.
If you want funky-looking headphones with solid sound quality and modern features without spending too much, the CMF Headphone Pro is an easy recommendation.
⭐ Rating: 4.3 / 5