Clip-on-style earbuds are the new trend, and the fever is catching on fast across mainstream brands. While Nothing has already impressed with the Ear (open) buds released a couple of years ago, the budget sub-brand CMF has not had one in its line-up till now. That changes now as they’ve launched the first-ever clip-on earbuds, and they look impressive.
Like most open-ear earbuds, the CMF Clip Pro targets budget-conscious users who want to experience open-ear listening without spending too much. With offerings like Bose Ultra Open, Sony LinkBuds Clip, Anker Soundcore AeroFit 2, and Shokz OpenDots One, Huawei Freebuds 6 gives plenty of options for music lovers who don’t mind the steep price tag; the CMF’s offering fills in the gap for users constrained by the price tag. Priced at $99, they directly pit against the likes of Moondrop Pill.
Designer: CMF
Comfort and long-term wearability are the USP of these IP54-rated earbuds as they cling to the ears with the 3-point Clip Design, which distributes the pressure during extended listening sessions. This reduces the pinching sensation attributed to some of the existing options on the market. On the inside, the elastic titanium wire structure keeps the structural bridge made out of skin-friendly material connected, resulting in a flexible fit that adapts to the individual’s unique ear shape. Weighing just 5.9 grams, each of the buds is designed to disappear in the ear.
CMF wants to polish out one quirk common with this style of earbuds: a very lean and dull low-end. The 10.8 mm dual-magnet dynamic driver tuned with Ultra Bass Technology (low-end enhancing) feature tweaks the sound signature to iron out the treble distortion and also refine the low end to a level that clip-on style earbuds hardly manage to achieve. I just hope the bass is not synthetic and masks all the other frequencies for a very bland audio output that audiophiles hate. The Hi-Res Audio certified LDAC codec should mean otherwise, but you never know with software-level tweaks of the audio signal. Other supported codecs include AAC and SBC.
What intrigued me about these open-ear buds is the inclusion of a Smart Dial on the charging case, which adjusts the volume, controls the playback, or can even answer calls. The dual device Bluetooth 5.4 support means you can connect to two devices simultaneously. Battery life on the earbuds is going to be around 10 hours, with a total of 32.5 hours with the case, weighing 38.81 grams. A fast charge of 10 minutes should juice up the buds for 4 hours of playback if you are on the go more often than not.
CMF will offer the Clip Pro open-ear buds in colors including gray, dark gray, and coral. The audio accessory is set to be available in the US, UK, and Japan from 15 August for $99 via the official website and retail partners. In Europe and other parts of the world, the buds will be available from 15 September.
