True Wireless
Nothing CMF Buds 2
82Outstanding
$37
Full review dataNothing CMF Buds 2 vs Realme Buds Air 3: which should you buy?
On aggregated review scores the Nothing CMF Buds 2 comes out ahead with a HearWiki score of 82. The full breakdown - sub-scores, specs and what reviewers actually said - is below.
Our pick: Nothing CMF Buds 2 - Outstanding overall at around $37.
True Wireless
Realme Buds Air 3
68Good
$35
Full review dataScore 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.
- Nothing CMF Buds 2
- Realme Buds Air 3
HearWiki score
82
68
Sound
7.7
6.2
Noise cancelling
7.8
6.3
Battery
8.8
5.9
Calls
6.5
5.9
Value
9.4
-
Price (USD)
$37
$35
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?
Half a step newer
Nothing CMF Buds 2 (2025) against Realme Buds Air 3 (2022). The Nothing CMF Buds 2 edges ahead on platform, but only just: Bluetooth 5.4 against 5.2. It also adds Custom EQ and Water resistance IP55 against IPX5.
- CMF Buds 220253 yr newer
- Buds Air 32022
What differsCMF Buds 2Buds Air 3
- Bluetooth
- 5.4
- 5.2
- Custom EQ
- Yes
- No
- Water resistance
- IP55
- IPX5
Platform
Everyday features
Level on: Top codec, ANC type, Multipoint pairing, USB-C, Wear detection, Transparency mode, Companion app.
Specifications
CMF Buds 2Buds Air 3
- Type
- True Wireless
- True Wireless
- Price (USD)
- $37
- $35
- HearWiki score
- 82
- 68
- Released
- 2025
- 2022
- Availability
- Sold new
- Still sold new
- Driver
- 11 mm driver
- 10 mm dynamic
- Driver type
- dynamic
- dynamic
- Driver size
- 11 mm
- 10 mm
- Drivers per side
- 1
- 1
- Frequency response
- 20 Hz - 20 kHz
- 20 Hz - 20 kHz
- Impedance
- -
- 16 Ω
- Sensitivity
- -
- 106 dB/mW
- Bluetooth
- 5.4
- 5.2
- Codecs
- SBC, AAC
- SBC, AAC
- Multipoint pairing
- Yes
- Yes
- Latency
- 110 ms
- 88 ms
- Wireless range
- 10 m
- 10 m
- Battery life
- 13.5 h
- 7 h
- Battery life (ANC on)
- 7.5 h
- 5.5 h
- Battery incl. case
- 55 h
- -
- Full charge time
- 93 min
- 60 min
- Quick charge
- 10 min → 4 h
- 10 min → 1.7 h
- Wireless charging
- No
- No
- Active noise cancelling
- Yes
- Yes
- ANC type
- hybrid
- hybrid
- Transparency mode
- Yes
- Yes
- Companion app
- Yes
- Yes
- Custom EQ
- Yes
- No
- Wear detection
- Yes
- Yes
- Controls
- touch
- touch
- Voice assistant
- Yes
- Yes
- Weight
- 4.5 g
- 4.2 g
- Case weight
- 41.5 g
- 37.2 g
- Water resistance
- IP55
- IPX5
- USB-C
- Yes
- Yes
- Microphones
- 6
- 2
What reviewers said
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
Realme Buds Air 3
The Realme Buds Air 3 are true wireless earbuds that combine hybrid active noise cancellation with a comfortable, lightweight design. They deliver solid sound from a 10mm driver, offer convenient touch controls, and support multipoint connectivity for seamless device switching. With an IPX5 rating and around 5.5 hours of playback with ANC on, they are a practical budget-friendly option for daily use.
- Pro:Effective hybrid ANC for the price
- Pro:Comfortable and secure fit
- Pro:Supports multipoint connection
- Con:No wireless charging support
- Con:Battery life drops noticeably with ANC on
- Con:Lacks custom EQ options
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
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