CMF launched the Headphone Pro, the company’s first headphones in India today. This has 40mm drivers, LDAC, removable ear cushions, roller control which was introduced with the Nothing Headphone (1) and promises up to 100 hours of battery life on a single charge.
Are these the best headphones in the Rs. 8000 price range? Let us dive into the review to find out.
Box Contents
- CMF Headphone Pro in Light Green colour
- Carry pouch
- AUX cable
- User manual
It doesn’t come with a charging cable in the box, which is fine since you can use any USB Type-C cable to charge the headphones.
Specifications
- Driver Unit: 40mm Dynamic
- Type: Over-ear
- Audio codec: AAC, SBC, LDAC
- Compatible system: iOS/Android
- Weight: 283g
- Bluetooth version: 5.4
- Battery capacity: 720mAh
- Battery life: 50H with ANC ON, 100H with ANC OFF
Design and build quality
The CMF Headphone Pro adopts a standard design with a glossy ear cups for its budget status. The headphones are primarily constructed from plastic, but they feel durable and well-assembled, avoiding a “cheap” or flimsy feel. Weighing approximately 283 grams, they are lightweight, contributing significantly to all-day comfort.
The ear cups feature deep, soft padding, and the adjustable headband offers a snug yet gentle fit, making them comfortable for long listening sessions. You can twist the ear cups, but they are not foldable.
On the right side there is a roller for volume control that also acts as a button. Next to it is the multi-function button. You can also see the charging indicator and USB Type-C port. On the left there is a bass slider, power button, 3.5mm audio jack and a LED power indicator. You can also see the microphones in silver colour.
Since these cover your ears, you don’t feel like the headphones pressing your ears, even after long hours of using them. The adjustable headband can be extended based on the size of your head.
The replaceable ear cushions can easily be removed with a twist.
Even though the headphones come only in Dark Grey, Light Grey, and Light Green colours, the company also sells the cushions in orange colour.
There is IPX2 rating, providing sweat and splash resistance, which makes them suitable for light workouts or rainy commutes. Wish it had IP52 ratings as well, making it dust proof as well like the Nothing Headphone (1).
Connectivity, Pairing, and Controls
The CMF Headphone Pro supports Bluetooth 5.4 with LDAC Hi-Res audio codec for HD sound quality on supported devices, it also supports AAC codec that works in phones that have it.
The LDAC HD transmission protocol with Hi-Res authority certification, offers a transmission rate of up to 990 kbps for 4 times better detail, and transmitting frequencies up to 32 bits/96 kHz. There is an option to enable it in the Nothing X app. This is a widely supported codec, so it works even in latest budget phones.
The pairing process is very easy. Just enable Bluetooth on the phone, press and hold the power button for 3 seconds to enter the pairing mode. Then, select the CMF Headphone Pro on the phone. There is a fast pair option which works in latest Android phones. We tested it on the OPPO Reno 15 Pro, OPPO Find X9 Pro, and more devices and never faced any pairing or disconnection issues. There is also Microsoft Swift Pair to connect it to Windows.
You can enable dual connection option that lets you connect to two devices at the same time and switch the audio playback between them. The new slide control can be used to control bass by default. You can use the roller to control volume, play/pause, and switch between ANC and transparency.
The controls can be customised in the Nothing X app.
| Function | Action | |
| Play / Pause or Answer call / Hang calls | Single press of roller | |
| Skip forward / Decline Incoming call | Double press of roller | |
| Skip back | Triple press of roller | |
| Switch between ANC and Transparency Mode | Press and Hold of roller | |
| Volume control | Roll up or down | |
| Launch voice assistant | Single press fuction button | |
You can customise these with the Nothing X app on Android and iPhone. You can change actions for roller single press and press and hold, change the slider to control treble from bass and also customize single press and double press actions of the function button.
Sound Quality
In terms of actual performance, the CMF Headphone Pro delivers an energetic and engaging sound signature that leans towards the warmer side, which is expected for this price point. The 40mm dynamic drivers produce a punchy low-end that adds weight to tracks without completely overpowering the mix.
The standout feature here is undoubtedly the physical bass slider. At the neutral setting, the bass is tight and controlled. However, sliding it up introduces a significant sub-bass rumble that creates a club-like atmosphere, ideal for Hip-Hop and EDM tracks. Conversely, lowering the slider allows the mids to breathe more freely, making podcasts and acoustic tracks sound much cleaner.
With LDAC enabled, there is a noticeable improvement in clarity and instrument separation compared to standard AAC streaming. High frequencies are crisp without being sibilant, and detail retention is impressive for the price. While the soundstage is typical for closed-back headphones—feeling somewhat intimate rather than expansive—the imaging is accurate enough to discern the placement of instruments in complex tracks.
It features four equalizer presets – Pop, Rock, Electronic, Enhance Vocals, and Classic – so that every song can be heard how it should. There is equalizer customization that lets you adjust bass, treble and mids, but you don’t get 8-band Equalizer customization that is available on Nothing Headphone (1).
The Personal Sound Profile with hearing ID lets you adjust the equaliser settings in real-time to match the user’s hearing for an optimal listening experience. There is also spatial audio that provides an immersive, theater-like experience with concert and cineme modes.
Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Call Quality
Regarding the Noise cancellation, the Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) blocks the ambient sound up to 40dB with 2000Hz frequency range. The quality is good, and you can feel the difference when you are listening in doors and outdoors.
There are four modes, Low, Mid, High and Adaptive Mode that automatically adjusts the noise reduction level based on your environment in real-time. You can switch between noise cancellation, transparency and no noise cancellation with press and hold of the roller.
The Transparency mode allows you to listen to ambient sound so that you can recognize the surrounding situation and any potential risks. The low-latency gaming mode, which is called low lag mode, works automatically with the Nothing or CMF Phones in Game Mode, but you need to enable it from the settings for other devices.
Coming to the call noise cancellation, it uses three high-definition microphones to cut external noise. During my use, the wind noise was completely cut out to the receiver, and the traffic noise were faintly audible.
Battery life
The headphones pack a 720mAh battery that promises about 100 hours of battery life without ANC and 50 hours with ANC in AAC and with LDAC it promises 70 hours of battery life without ANC and 38 hours with ANC.
During my use with LDAC and noise cancellation on and off, I got slightly over 50 hours in about 60% volume, which is impressive. For calls, it is less ANC since it uses call noise cancellation tech.
It also comes with fast charging support that offers up to 8 hours (without ANC) / 4 hours (with ANC) of playback with just 5 minutes of charging. It takes about 2 hours to charge the headphones fully, which is fine since it lasts for days on a single charge.
The charging incidcator next to the USB Type-C port is red when it is charging and tuns white when it is fully charging. The light next to the power button is white when the battery is over 10% and turns red when it is below 10% to notify you that the charge is low.
Conclusion
The CMF Headphone Pro marks a strong debut for the brand in the over-ear segment. It successfully balances premium features like LDAC support and the intuitive roller control with practical necessities like the massive 100-hour battery life. The addition of the physical bass slider is not just a gimmick; it offers a tangible, functional way to customize audio on the fly, which sets it apart from competitors.
While the lack of foldable ear cups limits its portability slightly, and the plastic build is standard for this tier, the overall package offers high value. For consumers looking for a stylish, endurance-focused headphone with versatile sound control, the CMF Headphone Pro is a compelling option in the Rs. 8,000 price bracket.
Pricing and availability
Priced at Rs. 7,999, it will be available from Flipkart as well as select offline stores starting from January 20th. There is a Rs. 1000 launch discount, so you can get the headphones for as low as Rs. 6,999 as a part of introductory offer.
Pros
- LDAC Hi-Res Audio support
- Excellent battery life (50h ANC on) with rapid charging
- Adaptive ANC is good
- Dual-pairing for multi-device use
- Comfortable and lightweight for long listening sessions
Cons
- Earcups are not foldable
- Limited EQ customization