
Creative Zen Air vs Nothing CMF Buds 2: which should you buy?
Specs, scores and condensed review verdicts for the Creative Zen Air vs Nothing CMF Buds 2, side by side. Where a product has no HearWiki score yet, not enough reviews have been aggregated to rate it.
Score breakdown
Each axis is a 0–10 blend of what reviewers scored, not a lab measurement.
Nothing CMF Buds 2 leads on 6 of 7 measures.
- Creative Zen Air
- Nothing CMF Buds 2
Generation & platform
The scores rank quality. This is the other question: is the newer one actually newer technology, or the same platform in a new shell?
Nothing CMF Buds 2 (2025) against Creative Zen Air (2021). The Nothing CMF Buds 2 is the newer platform here: Bluetooth 5.4 against 5.0 and Top codec AAC against SBC.
- Zen Air2021
- CMF Buds 220254 yr newer
- Bluetooth
- 5.0
- 5.4
- Top codec
- SBC
- AAC
- Wireless charging
- Yes
- No
- Water resistance
- IPX4
- IP55
Platform
Everyday features
Level on: USB-C, Transparency mode, Companion app.
Specifications
- Type
- True Wireless
- True Wireless
- Price (USD)
- $20
- $37
- HearWiki score
- Not scored
- 82
- Released
- 2021
- 2025
- Availability
- Discontinued
- Sold new
- Driver
- 10 mm dynamic
- 11 mm driver
- Driver type
- dynamic
- dynamic
- Driver size
- 10 mm
- 11 mm
- Drivers per side
- -
- 1
- Frequency response
- 20 Hz - 20 kHz
- 20 Hz - 20 kHz
- Bluetooth
- 5.0
- 5.4
- Codecs
- SBC
- SBC, AAC
- Multipoint pairing
- -
- Yes
- Latency
- -
- 110 ms
- Wireless range
- -
- 10 m
- Battery life
- 6 h
- 13.5 h
- Battery life (ANC on)
- -
- 7.5 h
- Battery incl. case
- 18 h
- 55 h
- Full charge time
- -
- 93 min
- Quick charge
- -
- 10 min → 4 h
- Wireless charging
- Yes
- No
- Active noise cancelling
- Yes
- Yes
- ANC type
- -
- hybrid
- Transparency mode
- Yes
- Yes
- Companion app
- Yes
- Yes
- Custom EQ
- -
- Yes
- Wear detection
- -
- Yes
- Controls
- touch
- touch
- Voice assistant
- Google Assistant, Siri
- Yes
- Weight
- 5 g
- 4.5 g
- Case weight
- 36 g
- 41.5 g
- Water resistance
- IPX4
- IP55
- USB-C
- Yes
- Yes
- Microphones
- 4
- 6
- Mic sensitivity
- -38 dBV
- -
What reviewers said
Creative Zen Air
These budget-friendly true wireless earbuds pack active noise cancellation and a transparency mode into a featherlight design, making them a solid pick for commuters. With a 10mm driver, they deliver a balanced sound profile, while the IPX4 rating and wireless charging add practical convenience. Total battery life reaches 18 hours with the case, though the lack of advanced codecs limits audio fidelity for discerning listeners.
- Pro:Affordable with active noise cancellation
- Pro:Very lightweight and comfortable fit
- Pro:Includes transparency mode and wireless charging
- Con:Only supports SBC codec
- Con:Battery life is modest at 6 hours per charge
- Con:Bluetooth 5.0 lacks multipoint connectivity
Nothing CMF Buds 2
The Nothing CMF Buds 2 are an exceptional budget true-wireless option, packing a surprisingly rich feature set for their low price. They deliver engaging sound, robust battery life, and effective hybrid ANC, making them a top-value pick for most listeners.
- Pro:Excellent value for the price
- Pro:Strong battery life with ANC off
- Pro:Effective hybrid active noise cancellation
- Con:Call performance weak in noisy settings
- Con:ANC and gaming latency not class-leading
- Con:No wireless charging support
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
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