CMF Neckband Pro Review: Dial this band for Difference!

About a decade ago, Bluetooth neckbands were a rage. Everyone from high-profile executives to cab drivers were wearing them – they were the ultimate sign of wireless audio convenience. And then, as in so many other things, along came Apple, and things were never the same. The fruity Cupertino company yanked wires off wireless audio by launching the AirPods in 2016, inventing a whole new segment of products while also adding a new abbreviation to tech jargon – TWS.

But with the arrival of great new products died great old ones, and the rise of the TWS inevitably meant the decline of the old Bluetooth darling, the trusty neckband, which went from star to supporting cast to special appearance in the audio portfolios of many brands within a short period of time.

Nothing’s sub-brand CMF, however, has brought a neckband into the front and center of its product portfolio, the CMF Neckband Pro. But what new can it bring to a product range that has been confined to the backstage for a while?

CMF Neckband Pro Design: A dial puts a spin on routine neckband design

At first glance, the CMF Neckband Pro seems to stick to conventional neckband basics. It comes with a slightly thick collar section, with two cylinders on each side and slightly thinner wires emerging from them with bulbous buds with tips at the end. Yes, the unit we got was in bright orange, which did turn heads, but from a distance, it seems like a business-as-usual neckband. It is only when you look at the top of the right cylinder that you notice perhaps the most distinct feature of the Neckband Pro – instead of the normal collection of buttons, you have a single, tiny function button and, well, a metallic-colored dial.

The dial can be rotated to increase and decrease volume levels and pressed as a normal button. There is only one other button on the lower part of the right cylinder. The backs of the buds are magnetic and attach to each other, which also switches off the buds (it is a feature we are not too fond of, as the buds sometimes get detached from each other when in our bag, and all our calls and music suddenly gets routed to them!). You get eartip size options in the box itself.

The Neckband Pro is made of flexible plastic with a generally matte finish (there is a touch of gloss on the sides of the cylinders) and comes with IP55 dust and water resistance, which makes it good enough to use in a gym and while running. At about 30 grams, they are very easy to carry and can be bunched up and dumped in a bag. While their orange shade might attract some attention, the Neckband Pro is basically your conventional neckband in the looks department.

CMF Neckband Pro controls and fit: A dial simplifies controls

The Neckband Pro is comfortable to wear if you are used to neckbands. If not, you might find the sensation of something on the back of your neck a little unusual (we recommend slipping it under a collar whenever possible), and you will also have to get used to the buds dangling on your front when not placed in your ears. The buds themselves are very comfortable in the ears, and although they might fall out from time to time, they are attached to the neckband, so one is spared the terror of seeing them hit the ground, as in the case of TWS.

In terms of usage, the Neckband Pro is easily the most intuitive neckband we have EVER used. The reason for that is the dial. It can be revolved to change volume and pressed like a button to receive and reject calls, skip tracks, and switch ANC on and off. The only time we need the other button is for pairing and switching between devices. If we have a complaint about the dial, it is about its placement – it is currently near the top of the right cylinder, and we think it should have been on the lower part, which would have made it easier to reach.

That apart, the dial is easy to use and has a slight bit of resistance to snare so that you do not end up rotating it too much or even rotating it by accident – it seems to follow a very graded path. It is also very easy to click, and thanks to that little bit of resistance in the dial, there is no chance of you accidentally revolving the dial while pressing it as a button.

Pairing is as easy as pressing the function button and then choosing the Neckband Pro on your device. You would need to download the Nothing X app for Android and iOS to access more features, customize functions, and get software updates. Unlike some of the companion apps for audio devices, Nothing X is a cleanly designed app with a superb tutorial on how to use the neckband.

The controls themselves are super simple – a single press pauses audio and can also be used to take a call and also end it. A double press lets you decline an incoming call and also move to the next track, while a triple press takes you to the previous track. For ANC and transparency mode, one just needs to press and hold the button. It all works smoothly once one gets used to the slightly odd position of the dial and is infinitely simpler than the odd series of taps, slides, and presses that one finds in most TWS controls. We hardly ever needed to use our smartphone to control audio, except when we needed to change the equalizer, and that is saying something.

CMF Neckband Pro Audio Performance: Bass and Spatial Audio served

The CMF Neckband Pro turns in a very consistent audio performance. The 13.6 mm drivers serve up impressive volume levels. The default sound signature of the earphones is slightly bass-infected, but you can change that by going to the app and choosing the equalizer, which gives you a choice of Balanced, More Bass, Treble, and Voice and also lets you customize your own settings. If you are not content with the amount of bass by default or even by the More Bass in the equalizer, you can even go for Ultra Bass, which lets you choose from up to five levels of pumped-up bass.

At the highest bass level, the Neckband Pro actually delivers some very good rumble without compromising on clarity, which is a rarity at this price point. In fact, in terms of clarity, this is easily the best neckband we have used at this price point – most others tend to get a little muddled in the attempt to be bass-friendly.

There is also the option to add what Nothing calls the Spatial Audio Effect, which actually seems to boost volume and also expands the area from which the sound is coming. It is definitely a must-use feature when you are playing games or watching a show or film, but we would suggest turning it off if you are increasing bass levels, as it takes the edge off the rumble that you otherwise get.

CMF Neckband Pro ANC, Calls and Battery: Great for the price (the ANC is very handy at ‘high’)

The Neckband Pro also comes with four types of ANC – high, mid, low, and adaptive- which it claims can change depending on the background noise levels. While mid is handy, we would recommend choosing high, which is good enough to reduce traffic sounds and chatter in cafes. This is not high-end ANC, but it is considerably better than you get at this price point, even on TWS. Do not expect it to drown out ambient sounds, but you will definitely find things significantly quieter when you switch ANC on – stick to high, though. You might feel a slight stuffiness in your ear when you switch on ANC for the first time or change ANC levels, but this recedes with time. The transparency mode is reasonably good, too, letting you hear ambient sounds more clearly than you would if you were only stuck switching off ANC.

The call quality on the Neckband Pro is also very good and, once again, significantly better than what we got from TWS at the same price point. Those we spoke to never complained about clarity, although they sometimes did say that our voice sounded a little “distant,” as if we were a little far from the phone. Nothing claims that the Neckband Pro comes with five HD microphones and they certainly handled background wind and traffic noise much better than others at its price. And yes, you can switch between two devices using the function button – there is a slight pause during the switch, but it is generally smooth enough.

The battery life of the neckband is superb – we got close to 20-24 hours with ANC on high and volume at about 75 percent. The best part is that even a ten-minute charge could give us about ten hours of usage with ANC. The numbers are likely to be much higher without ANC – Nothing claims up to 37 hours of usage time on a single charge. The neckband is charged from a USB Type-C port on the right cylinder, which also houses the function button and the dial.

CMF Neckband Pro review verdict: Something ear-ly around your neck?

The CMF Neckband Pro was launched at Rs 1,999 and, at the time of writing, was also available for about Rs 1,799 from some outlets. At that price, we think that they are staggeringly good value for money. One can also consider the OnePlus Bullets Z2, which are available at Rs 1,799 and come with very good audio quality but are not as sharp on calls and have no ANC, and also the Realme Buds Wireless 3 at Rs 1,799, which have a bass accented sound which bass heads will love, but whose ANC is largely ineffective, and call quality a little substandard.

We actually think that if what one is seeking is good sound, ANC, and call quality, then the CMF Neckband Pro is actually better than most TWS in the sub-Rs 3,000 zone – that dial and easy-to-use interface, as well as super battery, make a huge difference. We think Nothing might have just breathed new life into a Bluetooth audio form factor that was being forgotten by many. It might not have the (perceived) cool factor of TWS, but in terms of performance and ease of use, this band definitely rocks.

Buy CMF Neckband Pro