These $69 earbuds beat AirPods across the board—Here’s the data

Apple’s AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation may have added ANC to the base AirPods line for the first time, but in terms of actual performance, they’ve already been outclassed—and by a pair of earbuds that cost $100 less.

The CMF Buds 2 Plus, from Nothing’s budget-friendly sub-brand, don’t just match the AirPods 4—they outperform them on nearly every front we tested. And if you’re expecting us to say “for the price,” don’t. Even without considering cost, the CMF Buds 2 Plus are objectively better in core areas like noise cancelation, battery life, and sound quality, and even match or surpass the more premium AirPods Pro 2 in those areas as well.

Score breakdown

Apple’s ambitious attempt to bring ANC to unsealed earbuds was predictably limited by physics. Without a proper seal, passive isolation is weak, and the ANC has to work overtime to compensate. That’s why the AirPods 4 only reduced outside noise by 53% in our testing.

The CMF Buds 2 Plus, on the other hand, achieved an impressive 83% noise reduction, matching the much pricier AirPods Pro 2. These budget buds aren’t just competing with Apple’s entry-level model—they’re going toe-to-toe with the flagship.

Better battery, better sound

Battery life is another big win. The CMF Buds 2 Plus lasted over 10 hours in our testing, while both of Apple’s AirPods hovered around 6 hours. That’s a full workday vs. an afternoon.

In sound quality tests using MDAQS, both the CMF Buds 2 Plus and AirPods Pro 2 scored an impressive 4.8 overall—a full point higher than the AirPods 4, which landed at 3.6. Simply put: these are earbuds that most people will prefer listening to right out of the box.

Apple fans will point to seamless iOS integration, and sure, that’s nice to have, but is it really an extra $100 or more nice? Even still, if you care about what you’re hearing—not just how quickly you connect—the CMF Buds 2 Plus are the smarter buy.

For $69, you’re getting better ANC than AirPods 4, equal sound quality and noise canceling capabilities as AirPods Pro 2, and way longer battery life than either. That’s not just a budget win—it’s a spec-level flex.