Is the Nothing CMF Buds 2a worth the upgrade from the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro?
Verdict
Downgrade
The Nothing CMF Buds 2a actually scores 6.9 points below the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro, so on aggregate review consensus this is a step backwards. The gains are concentrated in value (8.0 to 9.0). You do give up ground on calls (9.0 to 6.5) and battery (8.5 to 7.0). On paper: battery incl. case 28 h to 35.5 h and driver size 9.2 mm to 12.4 mm. Worth checking: battery life goes 12 h to 8 h and codecs goes SBC, AAC, LDAC to SBC, AAC. One caution: this steps down a line tier (Liberty 5 Pro 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 $128 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
- Calls9.06.5
- Value8.09.0
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | Liberty 5 Pro | CMF Buds 2a | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 12 h | 8 h | |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC | SBC, AAC | |
| Bluetooth | 6.1 | 5.4 | |
| Water resistance | IP55 | IP54 | |
| Battery life (ANC on) | 6.5 h | 5 h | |
| Battery incl. case | 28 h | 35.5 h | |
| Full charge time | 60 min | 89 min | |
| Driver size | 9.2 mm | 12.4 mm | |
| Microphones | 10 | 4 | |
| Wireless charging | Yes | No | |
| ANC type | adaptive | feedforward | |
| Quick charge | 5 min → 4 h | 10 min → 5.5 h | |
| Driver | 9.2 mm dynamic | 12.4 mm driver |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "Liberty 5 Pro 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.