True Wireless
Nothing CMF Buds Neo
84Outstanding
$22
Full review dataNothing CMF Buds Neo vs QCY MeloBuds N50: which should you buy?
On aggregated review scores the Nothing CMF Buds Neo comes out ahead with a HearWiki score of 84. The full breakdown - sub-scores, specs and what reviewers actually said - is below.
Our pick: Nothing CMF Buds Neo - Outstanding overall at around $22.
True Wireless
QCY MeloBuds N50
74Great
$38
Full review dataScore breakdown
Each axis is a 0–10 blend of what reviewers scored, not a lab measurement.
Nothing CMF Buds Neo leads on 7 of 7 measures.
- Nothing CMF Buds Neo
- QCY MeloBuds N50
HearWiki score
84
74
Sound
7.4
7.1
Noise cancelling
7.8
6.8
Battery
9.0
5.3
Calls
7.8
6.9
Value
9.8
8.4
Price (USD)
$22
$38
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?
Same generation
Nothing CMF Buds Neo (2026) against QCY MeloBuds N50 (2025). These are the same generation of hardware - nothing in the radio, the codecs or the noise cancelling separates them. Nothing separates them on convenience features either, so the choice comes down to tuning and price.
- CMF Buds Neo20261 yr newer
- MeloBuds N502025
Level on: ANC type, Custom EQ, Companion app.
Specifications
CMF Buds NeoMeloBuds N50
- Type
- True Wireless
- True Wireless
- Price (USD)
- $22
- $38
- HearWiki score
- 84
- 74
- Released
- 2026
- 2025
- Availability
- Sold new
- Sold new
- Driver
- 12.4 mm dynamic
- 12 mm dynamic
- Driver type
- dynamic
- dynamic
- Driver size
- 12.4 mm
- 12 mm
- Drivers per side
- 1
- 1
- Frequency response
- -
- 20 Hz - 20 kHz
- Bluetooth
- -
- 5.4
- Codecs
- -
- SBC
- Multipoint pairing
- -
- No
- Latency
- -
- 68 ms
- Wireless range
- -
- 10 m
- Battery life
- 11 h
- 6 h
- Battery life (ANC on)
- -
- 4 h
- Battery incl. case
- 52 h
- 28 h
- Full charge time
- 10 min
- -
- Quick charge
- 10 min → 5.5 h
- 10 min → 2 h
- Wireless charging
- -
- No
- Active noise cancelling
- Yes
- Yes
- ANC type
- adaptive
- adaptive
- Transparency mode
- -
- Yes
- Companion app
- Yes
- Yes
- Custom EQ
- Yes
- Yes
- Wear detection
- -
- No
- Controls
- -
- touch
- Voice assistant
- -
- Yes
- Weight
- -
- 4 g
- Water resistance
- -
- IPX4
- USB-C
- Yes
- -
- Microphones
- 4
- 6
- Call noise reduction
- Yes
- -
What reviewers said
Nothing CMF Buds Neo
The CMF Buds Neo deliver impressive value for around $22, combining a punchy, bass-forward sound with surprisingly effective adaptive ANC and marathon battery life of up to 52 hours with the case. They offer a comfortable, lightweight fit, app support with a custom EQ, and quick charging, though some premium conveniences like wear detection are absent. Overall, they stand out as a top budget TWS option for listeners who prioritize bass, battery, and noise cancellation over extra features.
- Pro:Strong bass-heavy sound with good volume
- Pro:Effective adaptive ANC for the price
- Pro:Excellent battery life (up to 52h with case)
- Con:No wear detection sensor
- Con:Finicky touch controls at times
- Con:No physical pairing button on the buds
QCY MeloBuds N50
The QCY MeloBuds N50 are budget-friendly true wireless earbuds that pack in adaptive ANC, a transparent hearing mode, and six microphones for clear calls at a very low price. They offer a comfortable fit, customizable touch controls, and a punchy 12 mm dynamic driver sound, all while keeping things simple with SBC-only codec support and no multipoint. For the money, they deliver a surprisingly robust feature set that's hard to beat.
- Pro:Excellent value for the price
- Pro:Effective adaptive ANC for the cost
- Pro:Comfortable fit with customizable touch controls
- Con:Only SBC codec support
- Con:No multipoint connectivity
- Con:Battery life is modest, especially with ANC on
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
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