Nothing’s new wireless earbuds combine an open-ear design, 10.8mm drivers, long battery life, and a clever Smart Dial in a lightweight package designed for listening on the move.

Nothing is expanding its wireless audio range under the CMF brand name with the CMF Clip Pro, its first pair of open-ear earbuds.

Rather than sitting inside the ear canal, the CMF Clip Pro clips around the outside of the ear, leaving users able to hear their surroundings while listening to music, podcasts, or taking calls. 

It’s an approach that has become increasingly popular in the earbud world, particularly for people who want to stay aware of what’s happening around them.

Clip-on fit for all-day wear

The CMF Clip Pro takes a different approach to the traditional earbud design.

Its three-point clip system is designed to spread pressure across the ear, while an elastic titanium wire allows the C-shaped bridge to flex around different ear shapes. Each earbud weighs just 5.9g, helping to keep the design lightweight enough for longer listening sessions.

Nothing says the listening ball has also been designed to sit naturally against the ear while directing sound towards the ear canal.

The result is a pair of earbuds designed to stay in place without actually filling your ears. That could be useful for artists and producers who want to listen while travelling, exercising, working, or moving between different creative spaces without completely blocking out their surroundings.

Open-ear listening with bigger bass

Open-ear earbuds have one obvious challenge when it comes to music: bass.

Without the seal created by an in-ear earbud, it can be more difficult to deliver the same low-end response. CMF has attempted to address this with its Ultra Bass Technology, which is designed to enhance lower frequencies while reducing treble distortion.

The CMF Clip Pro uses a 10.8mm dual-magnet dynamic driver, with CMF tuning it for what it describes as full-bodied sound, detailed vocals, and crisp high frequencies.

For everyday music listening, this should make the CMF Clip Pro more appealing than an open-ear pair designed primarily around calls or exercise.

The earbuds are also Hi-Res Audio Certified and support LDAC, AAC, and SBC codecs, giving compatible devices access to higher-quality wireless audio.

Image credits: Nothing

A smarter way to control your music

One of the more intriguing features of the CMF Clip Pro is found in its charging case.

CMF has brought its Smart Dial to the CMF Clip Pro, with the rotating control allowing users to adjust volume, control playback, answer calls, and pair devices without reaching for their phone.

Those physical controls mean you don’t necessarily need to look at your phone just to change the volume or skip a track. The earbuds themselves feature physical controls too, designed to remain responsive while exercising or wearing gloves.

Clearer calls without closing yourself off

The open design isn’t just about listening. The CMF Clip Pro comes equipped with four HD microphones and its VPU-powered Clear Voice Technology, which is designed to separate the user’s voice from surrounding noise during calls.

That could be useful when taking calls from busy environments, whether you’re speaking to a collaborator on the way to a studio or joining a work call from a café.

There is also a Sound Seal system designed to reduce sound leakage by managing mid and high frequencies. Users can adjust the feature through the Nothing X app depending on whether they want it enabled for calls or both calls and music playback.

Built for long listening sessions

The CMF Clip Pro offers up to 10 hours of playback from the earbuds, increasing to 32.5 hours with the charging case. If you’re running low on battery, a 10-minute quick charge can provide up to four hours of listening.

Other features include Bluetooth 5.4, Dual Device Connection for switching between devices, Google Fast Pair, Microsoft Swift Pair, and a low-latency mode.

The earbuds are also IP54-rated, while the Nothing X app provides additional controls, Sound Seal settings, firmware updates, and a way to locate misplaced earbuds.

For users who regularly switch between devices, the Dual Device Connection could be particularly useful. You can move between listening to music on a laptop and taking a call from your phone without repeatedly reconnecting your earbuds.

Pricing and availability

Nothing’s CMF Clip Pro will be available in the UK, US, and Japan from August 15, priced at £79 / $99. The earbuds will be available in Dark Grey, Light Grey, and Coral and are available to pre-order for a discounted $79 on Amazon now.

Europe and the rest of the world will receive the earbuds from September 15, while Nothing says the CMF Clip Pro will not be available in India.