True Wireless
Nothing CMF Buds 2
82Outstanding
$37
Full review dataNothing CMF Buds 2 vs Soundcore Life A3i: 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
Soundcore Life A3i
76Great
$27
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
- Soundcore Life A3i
HearWiki score
82
76
Sound
7.7
7.4
Noise cancelling
7.8
6.2
Battery
8.8
7.4
Calls
6.5
6.2
Value
9.4
8.4
Price (USD)
$37
$27
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 Soundcore Life A3i (2022). The Nothing CMF Buds 2 edges ahead on platform, but only just: Bluetooth 5.4 against 5.2. It also adds Multipoint pairing, Wear detection and Water resistance IP55 against IPX5.
- CMF Buds 220253 yr newer
- Life A3i2022
What differsCMF Buds 2Life A3i
- Bluetooth
- 5.4
- 5.2
- Multipoint pairing
- Yes
- No
- Wear detection
- Yes
- No
- Water resistance
- IP55
- IPX5
Platform
Everyday features
Level on: Top codec, ANC type, USB-C, Transparency mode, Custom EQ, Companion app.
Specifications
CMF Buds 2Life A3i
- Type
- True Wireless
- True Wireless
- Price (USD)
- $37
- $27
- HearWiki score
- 82
- 76
- Released
- 2025
- 2022
- Availability
- Sold new
- Still sold new
- Driver
- 11 mm driver
- 2× 10 mm dynamic
- Driver type
- dynamic
- dynamic
- Driver size
- 11 mm
- 10 mm
- Drivers per side
- 1
- 2
- Frequency response
- 20 Hz - 20 kHz
- 20 Hz - 20 kHz
- Impedance
- -
- 16 Ω
- Bluetooth
- 5.4
- 5.2
- Codecs
- SBC, AAC
- SBC, AAC
- Multipoint pairing
- Yes
- No
- Latency
- 110 ms
- -
- Wireless range
- 10 m
- 10 m
- Battery life
- 13.5 h
- 9 h
- Battery life (ANC on)
- 7.5 h
- 7 h
- Battery incl. case
- 55 h
- 36 h
- Full charge time
- 93 min
- 90 min
- Quick charge
- 10 min → 4 h
- 10 min → 2 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
- Yes
- Wear detection
- Yes
- No
- Controls
- touch
- touch
- Voice assistant
- Yes
- Google Assistant, Siri
- Weight
- 4.5 g
- 4.5 g
- Case weight
- 41.5 g
- 43.5 g
- Water resistance
- IP55
- IPX5
- USB-C
- Yes
- Yes
- Microphones
- 6
- 4
- Call noise reduction
- -
- Yes
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
Soundcore Life A3i
The Soundcore Life A3i earbuds deliver strong hybrid noise cancellation and a feature-rich app at a budget-friendly price. Their compact, non-stem design offers good comfort for many users, though the unusual shape may not fit everyone perfectly. With solid battery life and customizable EQ, they're a compelling value pick for budget-conscious shoppers.
- Pro:Effective hybrid ANC for the price
- Pro:Extensive app support with custom EQ
- Pro:Good battery life, especially with the charging case
- Con:Unusual shape may not fit all ears comfortably
- Con:No multipoint connection
- Con:Battery life with ANC is shorter than without
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
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