Is the Nothing CMF Buds 2a worth the upgrade from the OnePlus Buds Pro 4?
Verdict
Downgrade
The Nothing CMF Buds 2a actually scores 9.5 points below the OnePlus Buds Pro 4, so on aggregate review consensus this is a step backwards. It loses ground on battery (8.5 to 7.0) and calls (7.5 to 6.5). On paper: driver size 11 mm to 12.4 mm, microphones 3 to 4 and case weight 50.6 g to 42.8 g. Worth checking: battery life goes 13 h to 8 h and codecs goes SBC, AAC, LHDC to SBC, AAC. One caution: this steps down a line tier (Buds Pro 4 to CMF Buds 2a), and base models usually trade away tier features - check the codec and ANC rows above before trusting the score gap alone. It is at least $88 cheaper, so the lower score comes with a saving. Only worth it if a specific feature above matters more to you than overall quality does.
What actually changes
Sub-scores both products have, on the same 0-10 scale. Bars extend right for a gain, left for a loss.
- Sound8.58.0
- Noise cancelling8.07.5
- Battery8.57.0
- Calls7.56.5
- Value9.09.0
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | Buds Pro 4 | CMF Buds 2a | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 13 h | 8 h | |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC, LHDC | SBC, AAC | |
| Water resistance | IP55 | IP54 | |
| Battery life (ANC on) | 7 h | 5 h | |
| Battery incl. case | 54 h | 35.5 h | |
| Full charge time | 70 min | 89 min | |
| Driver size | 11 mm | 12.4 mm | |
| Microphones | 3 | 4 | |
| Case weight | 50.6 g | 42.8 g | |
| Wireless charging | Yes | No | |
| Wear detection | Yes | No | |
| ANC type | adaptive | feedforward | |
| Quick charge | 10 min → 11 h | 10 min → 5.5 h | |
| Driver | 11 mm dynamic | 12.4 mm driver | |
| Frequency response | 10 Hz - 40 kHz | 20 Hz - 20 kHz |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "Buds Pro 4 to CMF Buds 2a". The other direction is a separate question with a different answer. Scores blend published review verdicts across true wireless and shift as new reviews land, so a marginal call today may not be one next quarter.