The CMF Clip Pro earbuds are now on sale in the US for $99, giving Nothing’s budget-focused CMF brand its first open-ear model. The buds sit outside the ear canal rather than sealing it with an in-ear tip, a design intended to leave wearers more aware of sound around them while they listen, according to The Verge and SoundGuys.
The word “first” needs the usual brand-family footnote. This is CMF’s first open-ear product, not the first one from the wider Nothing operation. Nothing’s US store separately lists its Ear (open) earbuds, which were displayed at a discounted $99 price, down from $129, in the supplied listing.
CMF is offering the Clip Pro in Dark Grey, Light Grey, and Coral, with a charging case matched to the selected color. Each bud weighs 6.5 grams, according to The Verge. SoundGuys reports that the hardware uses a flexible titanium C-shaped bridge around the ear.
What does the CMF Clip Pro case dial control?
The case includes a physical “Smart Dial” for volume, playback, calls, and pairing a device, according to The Verge. That is the product’s clearest differentiator: basic controls can happen at the case without first unlocking a phone. Whether that proves more convenient than controls on the earbuds themselves will depend on ordinary use, which the available reports do not test.
Open-ear designs make a deliberate trade-off. Without a seal in the ear canal, they can leave outside noise audible, but the same lack of seal can make low-frequency sound harder to reproduce. CMF has put a 10.8mm driver in the Clip Pro and says its “Ultra Bass Technology” compensates for bass loss and reduces distortion. That is a manufacturer performance claim, not an independently verified result.
CMF Clip Pro specs and claimed battery life
- 10.8mm audio driver, with LDAC, AAC, and SBC codec support.
- Bluetooth 5.4, multipoint connection for two devices, Google Fast Pair, and Microsoft Swift Pair.
- Four microphones. CMF says their noise-reduction system is meant to separate a caller’s voice from surrounding sound.
- IP54 dust and splash resistance. That rating covers dust and light splashes, not immersion.
- Low Latency Mode and control customization through the Nothing X app.
CMF claims up to 10 hours of playback from a charge and up to 32.5 hours when the case is included, SoundGuys reports. It also says a 10-minute charge can provide up to four hours of playback. Those figures, along with the company’s Sound Seal feature intended to limit audio leakage, need independent testing before they should be treated as real-world results.
The Clip Pro is available in the US now. It enters a category where the appeal is straightforward: music without fully shutting out the room. The hard part, as usual, is whether the acoustic compromises are acceptable. CMF has supplied specifications and promises; it has not yet supplied proof.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.
