CMF Buds Neo just landed as the cheapest earbuds CMF by Nothing has ever made, and the ₹1,999 price tag makes a bold promise. You get active noise cancellation (ANC, a feature that uses microphones and processing to cancel out background sound before it reaches your ear), a 12.4mm driver and a 52 hour battery claim, all under two thousand rupees.

I got my hands on a unit ahead of the wider sale and ran it through unboxing, setup and everyday listening to see if the numbers hold up outside a spec sheet.

Three colourways are up for grabs at launch: White, Dark Blue and Black. Each pairs a two-tone case with a bright orange or contrasting accent, which is very on-brand for CMF.

The White unit I unboxed leans into that orange highlight around the earbud stems and the charging dial, and it is genuinely one of the more distinctive looking budget cases on the market right now.

Unboxing the CMF Buds Neo: What Is Inside the Box

Open the box and the packaging quality is the first pleasant surprise at this price. The finish on the case, the fit of the lid and the colour combination all feel a level above what ₹1,999 usually buys.

Inside you get the charging case with the earbuds, a USB Type-C cable, a QR code linking to the Nothing X app, a user manual that is helpfully printed in Hindi as well as English, and a set of spare silicone ear tips in different sizes.

The case itself has a squarish shape with rounded edges and a circular rotating dial on the lid. It looks like it should control playback or volume, but it does not. It is purely decorative, along with a small loop for attaching a strap or lanyard.

Design and Build: Three Colours, One Standout

Placed side by side, the White variant stands out the most, though the Dark Blue also uses the dual-tone treatment well and the Black comes across as more understated and formal. All three use the same shiny rotating dial and the same strap loop on the case.

Build quality across the shell feels solid for the segment, with tight seams and no obvious flex when you press on the case. The CMF Buds Neo earbuds themselves are light enough that they barely register once they are in your ears.

CMF Buds Neo Specifications at a Glance

Specification	Details
Driver	12.4mm dynamic driver with titanium-coated PET dome
Active Noise Cancellation	Up to 35dB, three levels plus Adaptive ANC mode
Microphones	Four HD mics with Clear Voice Technology and ENC for calls
Connectivity	Bluetooth 6.0, dual-device connection, Google Fast Pair, Microsoft Swift Pair
Battery (earbuds only)	Up to 11 hours with ANC off
Battery (with case)	Up to 52 hours with ANC off, up to 30 hours with ANC on
Fast charging	10 minutes in the case gives roughly 5.5 hours of playback
Case charging time	About 70 minutes over USB-C
Extra features	Static spatial audio, six EQ presets, custom EQ, low-latency gaming mode
Colours	White, Black, Dark Blue
Launch price	Rs. 1,999

A dynamic driver is essentially a small speaker inside the earbud that physically moves air to produce sound. At 12.4mm, this one is on the larger side for the price bracket, which usually translates into fuller bass response.

Setting Up: The Nothing X App and What You Can Customise

Pairing the earbuds is quick. Open the case near your phone and CMF Buds Neo shows up almost instantly for a one-tap connection, thanks to Fast Pair support. From there, installing the Nothing X app unlocks the rest of the feature set.

Inside the app, you get three states for background noise handling: Noise Cancellation, Transparency, and Off. The ANC itself comes in multiple intensity levels, from a light touch up to an Adaptive mode that reads your surroundings and adjusts automatically.

Spatial audio is also here, a processing trick that widens how sound feels around your head rather than keeping it locked inside your ear canal, and it works best on movies rather than regular music.

You also get bass enhancement, a full equaliser with genre presets, low-latency gaming mode for tighter audio-to-video sync, and separate customisation for what a tap on the left and right earbud does.

Sound Quality and ANC Performance: How Good for ₹1,999?

The noise cancellation is the headline feature, and it earns its place. Traffic hum, fan noise and general room chatter get pulled down noticeably once ANC is switched to a higher level, and it holds up well for a segment where ANC is often present in name only.

Sound quality itself is balanced rather than boosted. Bass has decent depth without turning muddy, mids stay clear enough for vocals, and the treble does not feel harsh during longer listening sessions.

It will not challenge earbuds twice the price, but for casual daily listening, commuting and calls it comfortably does its job.

One thing missing is a wear sensor, so playback does not automatically pause when you take an earbud out. At this price, that omission is understandable, and a quick tap on the touch panel handles pause and play just fine.

Call Quality and Fit: Does It Actually Stay in Your Ears?

Fit is one of the stronger points here. The earbuds sit comfortably and securely, and they do not work themselves loose during normal movement, which matters more than most spec sheets suggest.

Call quality benefits from the four-microphone setup and Clear Voice Technology. Voices come through clearly on the other end, with background noise trimmed down well enough for calls from moderately busy environments.

CMF Buds Neo Price in India and Where to Buy

CMF Buds Neo price in India is set at Rs. 1,999 for the launch window, undercutting almost every rival that bundles ANC, a large driver and app-based customisation into one package.

The earbuds are a Flipkart-exclusive launch, and sales open through the platform alongside select retail partners.

Check the CMF Buds Neo listing on Flipkart to see current stock and the White colourway shown in this review.

If you want to compare colours before deciding, the same product page lets you toggle between White, Black and Dark Blue.

Just open the CMF Buds Neo page on Flipkart to browse the options.

CMF Buds Neo vs CMF Buds 2a: Which One Should You Pick

CMF already sells the Buds 2a a step above the Neo in its lineup, so the obvious question is which one makes more sense for your budget.

Feature	CMF Buds Neo	CMF Buds 2a
Price	Rs. 1,999	Rs. 2,399
Driver	12.4mm dynamic driver	12.4mm bio-fibre driver
ANC	Up to 35dB	Up to 42dB
Microphones	4 HD mics	4 HD mics
Case design	Square with rotating dial	Standard pill-shaped case
Battery with case	Up to 52 hours	Comparable, slightly lower

The Buds 2a pushes ANC strength a bit further and costs roughly Rs. 400 more. If stronger noise cancellation matters most to you, that upgrade is worth considering. If price is the deciding factor and 35dB ANC sounds sufficient, the Neo is the easier recommendation.

Who the CMF Buds Neo Fits Best

Students, commuters and anyone buying a first pair of ANC earbuds get the most out of this combination of price and features. The noise cancellation, four-microphone call setup and app customisation would be respectable even at double the asking price.

Bass heads who want maximum low-end punch, or listeners chasing wired-level detail and soundstage, will eventually want to look further up CMF’s own lineup or at rival earbuds with LDAC support.

For everyday use, though, the CMF Buds Neo covers the essentials without cutting corners that actually matter day to day.

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