True Wireless
Nothing CMF Buds Neo
84Outstanding
$22
Full review dataNothing CMF Buds Neo vs Soul S-LIVE 30: which should you buy?
Specs, scores and condensed review verdicts for the Nothing CMF Buds Neo vs Soul S-LIVE 30, side by side. Where a product has no HearWiki score yet, not enough reviews have been aggregated to rate it.
True Wireless
Soul S-LIVE 30
Not yet scored
$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
- Soul S-LIVE 30
HearWiki score
84
-
Sound
7.4
-
Noise cancelling
7.8
-
Battery
9.0
-
Calls
7.8
-
Value
9.8
-
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
The Nothing CMF Buds Neo is 3 years newer, but it is the same generation of hardware: nothing in the radio, the codecs or the noise cancelling separates them. The platform is level; the newer hardware shows up in convenience features instead - the Nothing CMF Buds Neo adds Custom EQ and Companion app. For 3 years between them, that is a thin return - treat this as a restyle rather than a new platform.
- CMF Buds Neo20263 yr newer
- S-LIVE 302023
What differsCMF Buds NeoS-LIVE 30
- Custom EQ
- Yes
- No
- Companion app
- Yes
- No
Everyday features
Level on: USB-C.
Specifications
CMF Buds NeoS-LIVE 30
- Type
- True Wireless
- True Wireless
- Price (USD)
- $22
- $38
- HearWiki score
- 84
- Not scored
- Released
- 2026
- 2023
- Availability
- Sold new
- Discontinued
- Driver
- 12.4 mm dynamic
- 2× 10 mm dynamic
- Driver type
- dynamic
- dynamic
- Driver size
- 12.4 mm
- 10 mm
- Drivers per side
- 1
- 2
- Frequency response
- -
- 20 Hz - 20 kHz
- Impedance
- -
- 32 Ω
- Sensitivity
- -
- 108 dB/mW
- Bluetooth
- -
- 5.3
- Codecs
- -
- SBC, AAC
- Multipoint pairing
- -
- No
- Latency
- -
- 60 ms
- Wireless range
- -
- 10 m
- Battery life
- 11 h
- 18 h
- Battery life (ANC on)
- -
- 15 h
- Battery incl. case
- 52 h
- 30 h
- Full charge time
- 10 min
- 90 min
- Quick charge
- 10 min → 5.5 h
- -
- Active noise cancelling
- Yes
- Yes
- ANC type
- adaptive
- -
- Companion app
- Yes
- No
- Custom EQ
- Yes
- No
- Wear detection
- -
- No
- Controls
- -
- touch
- Voice assistant
- -
- Yes
- Weight
- -
- 4 g
- Case weight
- -
- 31.7 g
- USB-C
- Yes
- Yes
- Microphones
- 4
- 2
- 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
Soul S-LIVE 30
The Soul S-LIVE 30 are budget true wireless earbuds that deliver active noise cancellation and a low-latency mode for better audio-visual sync. With dual mics and a compact case, they provide solid battery life for everyday use, though they lack app support and multipoint connectivity.
- Pro:Active noise cancellation at a budget price
- Pro:Low 60ms latency for gaming or video
- Pro:Compact and light at just 4g per bud
- Con:No app support or custom EQ
- Con:No multipoint pairing
- Con:Battery life drops to 15 hours 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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