True Wireless
Nothing CMF Buds Neo
84Outstanding
$22
Full review dataNothing CMF Buds Neo vs SoundPEATS Q40 HD: 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
SoundPEATS Q40 HD
80Outstanding
$36
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 6 of 7 measures.
- Nothing CMF Buds Neo
- SoundPEATS Q40 HD
HearWiki score
84
80
Sound
7.4
7.6
Noise cancelling
7.8
-
Battery
9.0
8.0
Calls
7.8
6.8
Value
9.8
9.2
Price (USD)
$22
$36
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
Both shipped in 2026. The Nothing CMF Buds Neo edges ahead on platform, but only just: ANC type Adaptive against None.
- CMF Buds Neo2026
- Q40 HD2026
What differsCMF Buds NeoQ40 HD
- ANC type
- Adaptive
- None
Platform
Level on: USB-C, Custom EQ, Companion app.
Specifications
CMF Buds NeoQ40 HD
- Type
- True Wireless
- True Wireless
- Price (USD)
- $22
- $36
- HearWiki score
- 84
- 80
- Released
- 2026
- 2026
- Availability
- Sold new
- Sold new
- Driver
- 12.4 mm dynamic
- 2× 11 mm dynamic
- Driver type
- dynamic
- dynamic
- Driver size
- 12.4 mm
- 11 mm
- Drivers per side
- 1
- 2
- Frequency response
- -
- 20 Hz - 40 kHz
- Impedance
- -
- 32 Ω
- Sensitivity
- -
- 103 dB/mW
- Bluetooth
- -
- 5.4
- Codecs
- -
- SBC, AAC, LDAC
- Multipoint pairing
- -
- Yes
- Wireless range
- -
- 10 m
- Battery life
- 11 h
- 20 h
- Battery incl. case
- 52 h
- -
- Full charge time
- 10 min
- 90 min
- Quick charge
- 10 min → 5.5 h
- 10 min → 5 h
- Wireless charging
- -
- No
- Active noise cancelling
- Yes
- No
- ANC type
- adaptive
- none
- Transparency mode
- -
- No
- Companion app
- Yes
- Yes
- Custom EQ
- Yes
- Yes
- Controls
- -
- buttons
- Voice assistant
- -
- Yes
- Weight
- -
- 17 g
- Water resistance
- -
- IP67
- USB-C
- Yes
- Yes
- Microphones
- 4
- 1
- Call noise reduction
- Yes
- Yes
- Call NR technology
- -
- AI ENC
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
SoundPEATS Q40 HD
The SoundPEATS Q40 HD is a budget-friendly wireless earbud with a rugged IP67 build, long 20-hour battery life, and Bluetooth 5.4 with LDAC support. It delivers a balanced, bass-forward sound from 11mm dynamic drivers, plus multipoint connectivity and app-based EQ for a feature set that exceeds its modest price.
- Pro:Long battery life (20 hours)
- Pro:IP67 water and dust resistance
- Pro:LDAC support for high-res audio
- Con:No active noise cancellation
- Con:Single microphone only
- Con:Physical buttons can be less convenient
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
Compare something else
Swap either side out, or start again from the picker.