CMF Clip Pro Review Examines Nothing Sub-Brand's First Clip-On Earbuds

According to the review, the CMF Clip Pro comes in three colors: a signature coral orange and two gray tones; a light mint green seen in other CMF models is absent. The orange version uses two orange saturations, with glossy parts on the charging case interior and earphone modules and a matte or skin-friendly silicone layer on the case exterior and C-bridge. The charging case is small, not larger than a typical TWS earbud case, retains the large knob on CMF earbuds, and uses that knob as the pairing button. Rotation is disabled by default and can be enabled in the app; TDS Studio said the exposed knob can tilt and stick during rotation.

The earbuds use a rear module plus C-bridge structure, but the C-bridge is fixed at an angle to the front cavity, pushing the front cavity inward and positioning the sound outlet closer to the ear canal. The rear module is cylindrical with a slight concave curve where it contacts the ear. TDS Studio found the fit friendly, with light clamping force and a long enough C-bridge for thicker ears, and said it can be worn in one go without frequent adjustment. The earbuds have IP54 dust and splash resistance, while the case is IPX2; the review noted the official site calls it “dustproof,” which may be a labeling error because IPX2 is a water-resistance rating.

Controls are handled by a physical button on top of the rear module. It recognizes single, double, triple, long press and press-then-long-press actions. By default, single press controls playback, double or triple press skips tracks, and long press controls volume; all actions except single press can be customized. The review said button sensitivity is not a concern because it is physical, but the prompt tone can lag by about one second during multi-click operations. There is no wear detection. The Nothing X app offers find-my-earbuds, firmware updates, tuning and custom settings. The find-my-earbuds function uses continuous high-pitched tones from the earbuds; TDS Studio found the volume not very high, usable in a quiet room but not enough in noisy cafes.

For calls, the CMF Clip Pro has two microphones on each side, four in total, all used for call pickup and noise reduction. In carrier network tests, TDS Studio said call stability was decent, loudness moderate and clarity average, with noticeable distortion. In complex noise or wind noise, the algorithm intervenes audibly. Wind from three directions did not cause obvious problems, though rear wind left a more noticeable intervention trace; overall wind noise resistance was good.

The earbuds support LDAC, rare among clip-on models, and TDS Studio tested signal behavior in two modes. In signal priority or best effect mode with a Sony Xperia 1 V, stutters and packet loss were relatively rare whether WLAN was on or off. At 7.5 meters through a load-bearing wall, there was no obvious increase in stuttering; packet loss appeared beyond 8 meters through a wall. Switching to sound quality priority mode reduced the stable range to within 2 meters through a wall and 3 meters in open space. From 3 to 5 meters, the connection did not drop or stutter continuously but had a sense of packet loss, which the review called not excellent. In dense signal areas with LDAC sound quality priority, stutters and packet loss occurred while walking with a phone; signal priority mode mostly maintained stable near-field connection. The review recommends signal priority or best effect for daily use or commuting in non-dense areas, not high-bitrate sound quality priority. With AAC, tests with Xperia 1 V and iPhone 17 were stable with WLAN on or off, and 10 meters was generally fine, with some impact through walls or farther. It supports Google Fast Pair and Windows Swift Pair, and dual-device connection does not conflict with LDAC. A separate low-latency mode does not conflict with LDAC; in streaming and local video with LDAC signal priority, TDS Studio estimated latency at less than half a character at normal speech speed.

Battery life is officially 10 hours per charge and 32.5 hours with the case, with a long-battery mode reaching 36 hours total. In TDS Studio's standard test with LDAC on Xperia 1 V, other settings default, 50% volume and continuous streaming of Apple Music Lossless and podcasts, only earbuds battery was 6 hours 46 minutes, average of three runs starting from full. LDAC power consumption is high; under AAC the lowest of three same-condition tests was 10 hours 37 minutes, which the review said meets or slightly exceeds the official description. Charging reached nearly 2W initially, then stabilized at 0.4 to 0.5W, and PD support is fine.

Audio hardware includes a 10.8mm TPU and LCP diaphragm dynamic driver and support for SBC, AAC and LDAC. It uses an algorithm called Malleus Algorithm, described as dynamic compensation. In the Nothing X app, spatial audio is not Dolby Atmos but a simple spatial sound effect that blurs vocal imaging and adds reverb, with no need to keep it on. Bass boost has two levels and does not become boomy even at maximum; the review described it more as compensation at low volume than the obvious added energy of previous Nothing earbuds. The EQ offers a custom slot and five presets. The custom slot adjusts three frequency points by plus or minus 6 steps, not the advanced PEQ found on Headphone (1). Among presets, TDS Studio suggested trying “enhance vocals” for short videos or podcasts outdoors. Leak suppression strongly attenuates high frequencies, which is not good for music but clearly reduces mid-high leakage; it can be set to activate only during calls, which the review called a good design.

For actual sound pressure and leakage, TDS Studio evaluated without leak suppression, using AAC with iPhone 17 and comparing with recently tested clip-ons. At 50% system volume, the reviewer could hear details in a quiet room on most current remaster-level tracks but found it clearly lower than daily listening volume and less than some recent clip-ons at the same indicated level. With Xperia 1 V, the same 50% display reached enough listening volume because of higher Bluetooth gain; iPhone 17 needed above 70% to approach a similar level. The review cautioned that system, device and hearing differences affect judgment. Leakage at 50% on iPhone was slight beyond 10cm and almost imperceptible beyond 15cm. TDS Studio said leakage control is quite good even among flagship clip-ons, but partly because sound pressure is not high.

Sound description was based on LDAC with Xperia 1 V, bass boost, spatial audio and leak suppression off, and EQ flat. Low frequencies have moderate quantity and thickness, moderate fullness, average elasticity and acceptable sub-bass for the mid-price bracket; decay is moderate with little residual reverb, and atmosphere is not thick. TDS Studio found the low end clean and more natural than some mid-price clip-ons from Xiaomi and digital brands, without excessive sharpness, and said instruments with fundamentals in the lower-midrange do not lean forward. Vocals are slightly close but not intimate, with moderate refinement; texture is slightly prioritized over line definition, thickness is moderate, and line emphasis is not added. The tuning is not strongly male- or female-leaning and suits voices that are not too thick or sharp. Grain is smoothed, timbre has slight warmth, throat position is standard, breath proportion is moderate, and richness is a little better than many entry clip-ons. Mouth noises are controlled but not fully erased, sibilance is smooth, and vocal-band transparency is acceptable without unnatural brightness.

Instruments mostly prioritize texture over line. Strings such as violin, guitar and viola are slightly prominent but not overly grabbing; cello body is small and takes little space. Brass has limited grandeur, with trumpets needing brightness getting relatively more brightness. Woodwinds are natural with slightly prominent air. Overtones are not abundant, giving a refined feel. Among percussion, kick presence is not strong, snare decays slightly fast, and cymbals have enough brightness with controlled metallic quality and stimulation. High frequencies have moderate brightness without obvious peaks and are generally smooth. The upper-mid transition has some thickness; extreme high-frequency extension is average, and roll-off is slightly faster and earlier than typical flagship clip-ons. The soundstage is not large in width or depth, boundary diffusion is not high, and with moderate height the CMF Clip Pro presents a fairly regular flattened ellipsoid space. Separation between vocals and instruments is acceptable for the price and the overall image is fine. Resolution is average with a slight emphasis on “resolution feel.” Dynamics are ordinary and transients are decent.