The headphone industry has recognized we don’t always want to be entirely shut off from the world around us through ever-improving active noise cancelation (ANC) technology.
Open-ear earbuds are the solution, and the are one of the most cost-effective ways to get in on the fun. I’ve been wearing them to find out if they’re worth buying, and discovered that sometimes, you don't want to hear the world around you at all.
- Charging case battery life
- 32 hours
The CMF Clip Pro are a reasonably priced way into the open-ear earbud genre, which are ideal for runners and people who don't want to be closed off from the world while listening to music. For once, the case does more than charge the earbuds too.
- Lightweight and comfortable
- Long battery life
- Clever audio controls on the case
Price, specs, and availability
The CMF Clip Pro are available to buy in the US from Amazon, where they cost $99. Globally, they can also be purchased through Nothing’s own online store.
There are three colors available. The Light Grey in our photos, a Dark Grey, and a bright Coral color.
CMF is a sub-brand of Nothing, and the Clip Pro are entering into a crowded market. There are multiple options from little-known brands on Amazon, moving up to the $130 Apple AirPods 5, $199 , and $228 .
More left-field options include products like the Shokz OpenRun, which are quite clearly made for runners, and even smart glasses like the .
- Driver size
- 10.8mm Dynamic Driver
- 30.7 x 24.8 x 18.2mm
- Charging case battery life
- 32 hours
- 52.1 x 26.6 x 51mm
Lightweight and comfortable
The CMF Clip Pro use a thin titanium band connecting the listening ball (a speaker, to you and I) to a counterweight, and it clips around your ear, with the ball placed as close to your ear as possible.
There’s a physical button on the counterweight, which is easily identified due to its textured finish, which controls audio playback. This includes a long-press to adjust the volume, but we’ll come back to a more tactile way of doing this later on.
Getting the CMF Clip Pro to fit comfortably takes moments, but ensuring the listening ball is optimized for audio performance is much harder. The nature of the fitting means the Clip Pro can move around quite a lot, and they soon shift out of the optimal position.
At 5.9 grams, the earbuds don’t seem to cause fatigue. They’re designed for long-term wear, but some may find them annoying after a few hours. My experience of around two hours wear at a time was positive.
I wore them on walks and jogs without them feeling loose or slipping off completely. There is a distinct left and right earbud, but the indicator on each one is tiny, so you do have to peer at it to see. Certain Huawei open earbuds can be used in either ear and the software works out which is left and right, which is the more preferable solution.
An IP54 dust and water resistance rating for the earbuds means they should be durable in rain showers and against sweat, but the case only has an IPX2 dust resistance rating, so you’ll want to keep it in your pocket if out in the rain.
Hear the world around you
Open-ear earbuds aren’t for critical listening. If you’re after the best sound quality, and enjoy hearing new things in your favorite songs, these aren’t for you.
Spoken word is a strong point, and listening to podcasts is really enjoyable on the Clip Pro. Music lacks bass, as you’d expect, but it shouldn’t stop anyone listening.
The aspect that affects sound is the openness. It should go without saying, but I’m going to say it anyway. The CMF Clip Pro from the outside world at all. You hear everything around you, which is the point, but it doesn’t do much for sound quality or bass response.
Wear them outside or in a café, and traffic and conversation around you can still be heard. You can crank the volume up, but others will hear the sound too at this point. There’s plenty of sound leakage here.
Listening to video meetings, the Clip Pro sound fine. I usually use transparency mode on other earbuds during meetings, and the experience is basically the same here. Other meeting participants noted the audio was rather choppy, suggesting the Bluetooth connection may need optimizing.
It should be noted a software update arrived at the end of my test period that promised to address some Bluetooth instability. The Clip Pro supports two device connections, and it worked without problems for me.
Lots of features, not all good
The CMF Clip Pro connect to the Nothing X app on your phone, and it’s available for both Android and iOS.
It’s one of the best wearable device apps I’ve used. Not only is the design modern and clear, but the menu system is fast, and control customization features are quick to locate and easy to change.
You can make a considerable difference to the sound from the Clip Pro by changing the EQ, but the bass enhancement setting is best left at the default level, as it only seems to add distortion.
The Anti-leakage mode isn’t as unpleasant as it sounds, and is supposed to reduce sound leakage in calls and audio, but all it seems to do is dull the sound instead. I left it turned off.
CMF Clip Pro case features
It does more than charge the earbuds
Probably my favorite feature on the CMF Clip Pro is on the case, rather than the earbuds. The storage case has a large, rotating dial on the top of the case lid, and it has a range of handy features to stop you reaching for your phone.
Twist the dial to adjust the volume, press to play or pause, and even press and hold to activate the voice assistant. You can customize the controls in the Nothing X app, and assign actions to a single, double, or triple press of the button.
It makes sense when you consider how the CMF Clip Pro are likely to be used. If you’re running, the case is probably going to be easier to access than your phone. From a security point of view, taking out the case in public may sometimes be more preferable than taking out your phone.
It’s a tactile, useful, and rather fun feature.
It can be a bit of a pain to seat the earbuds inside the case quickly, but luckily the magnets are strong and quickly grab onto the ‘buds. They look neat when they’re inside too.
Plenty of use on a single charge
It’s estimated the CMF Clip Pro will return 10 hours of listening time on a single charge, and a total of just over 32 hours of listening with the case’s battery.
This is in-line with my test, with around 90 minutes of use taking 15% of the earbuds’ battery.
The case is recharged using a USB C cable, and takes at least 90 minutes to reach 100%. The 10-minute fast charge feature gives the Clip Pro earbuds four hours of listening.
Should you buy the CMF Clip Pro?
Yes, if you’re looking for a pair of reasonably priced open-ear earbuds, the CMF Clip Pro are a decent buy. Long battery life, comfortable fit, physical buttons on the earbuds, and a cool control system on the case are standouts.
However, if these will be your first pair of open-ear earbuds, it’s important to make sure you understand the limitations of the product type. There’s no sound isolation at all, and sound quality is average at best.
They are made for a specific purpose, which is ensuring you are still connected to the outside world while wearing them. I got a bit tired of hearing the world , and quickly went back to using an in-ear set of wireless earbuds with active noise cancelation and a transparency mode when I needed it.
It makes the CMF Clip Pro a good second pair of earbuds, but probably not as your only pair.
If you want a single pair of earbuds that have excellent sound quality, plus can cancel out noise too, then the , , or will suit you better.
- Charging case battery life
- 32 hours
The CMF Clip Pro are a great introduction to the world of open-ear earbuds. They are comfortable, don't fall out when exercising, and the clever case controls make them stand out from the competition.However, the average sound quality and lack of sound isolation make them hard to recommend as your only pair of earbuds.