I test loads of the best earbuds, but few are as groundbreaking as the CMF by Nothing Buds Pro 2.
The Buds Pro 2 do what other budget earbuds only dream of: they sound so much better than their price tag might suggest. You might think an audio reviewer claiming that $69 earbuds sound like $200 might've had a few too many spiked Eggnogs, but just trust me on this.
I was curious about how Nothing did it. How do these $69 earbuds sound like $200 rivals? The answer is hidden deep within the buds' software: Dirac Opteo. So, I spoke to Nilo Casimiro Ericcson, co-founder and Head of Product at Dirac, to find out exactly why the CMF by Nothing Buds Pro 2 are so blisteringly excellent.
What is Dirac Opteo?
Dirac is a Swedish audio company known for its "Room Correction" software. This software effectively analyzes sound waves in your living space and live-corrects sound output to optimize audio hardware for your room.
Think of it like a magical botanical garden. If this garden is full of rare roses that only bloom when the sun is at a particular angle, Dirac would move the sun so the roses could flower. How cool is that?
Dirac Opteo is an earbud-specific version of this Room Correction. Instead of adapting sound waves in your entire theater room, Opteo optimizes sound for your ear canal.
If the name "Dirac" sounds familiar, it might be because of Dirac Virtuo in Denon's PerL Pro earbuds. Dirac Opteo isn't the same as Virtuo. Opteo is more akin to an EQ adjuster, whereas Virtuo is for spatial audio.
How does Dirac Opteo work?
"We [Dirac] always do measurements," Nilo explained. "We measure the system. We correct the impulse response." To demonstrate, Nilo showed me the model Dirac uses to measure. He called it a "measurement rig", which is basically just a set of rubber ears suspended on a metal cylinder.
Using the microphone inside the cylinder, Nilo explained how the "proprietary filter design" can then correct any distortions that may arise during the sound waves' journey from the earbud to your eardrum.
Nilo said that Dirac Opteo then applies a "target curve" — the optimal sound signature — to the filtered sound. As earbuds are physically unable to benefit from acoustics and spacing of speakers, Dirac Opteo applies another coloration to the music from the Buds Pro 2.
Have you heard of Dolby Atmos? Dirac Opteo's final "coloration" is basically like a fake Atmos, a fake surround sound experience. This tricks your brain into feeling like the music is coming from all around you, rather than just directly into your ears.
How neat is that?
Why does Dirac Opteo sound so good?
It's not a placebo — Dirac Opteo does actually make the CMF Buds Pro 2 sound like premium earbuds. Without this feature, the buds would still be good, but they wouldn't receive anywhere near as much praise from me.
This is the kind of thing you can never fully appreciate until you try it out for yourself. I'm going to try my very hardest to explain, though.
In my 4.5-star review of the CMF by Nothing Buds Pro 2, I wrote that Dirac Opteo "actually makes everything sound better. This EQ has a premium-feeling richness to it, a depth and structure to the music that elevated my listening experience."
Dirac Opteo also fixed audio issues before they arose. When listening with the Pop EQ, I thought that some "instrumental[s] sounded a little scratchy, but the Dirac Opteo EQ negated this."
Opteo transforms these $59 earbuds into earbuds that could truly go head-to-head with the Titans of audio. AirPods? CMF Buds Pro 2 are better. The Bose-tuned Skullcandy Method 360 ANC? CMF Buds Pro 2 are better. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds? Dare I say, CMF Buds Pro 2 are better. When I was testing these buds, I directly compared them to the AirPods Pro 3 — and if you like bass, I genuinely recommend the CMF Buds Pro 2 over Apple's offering.
Forget those $100+ earbuds. Just get the CMF by Nothing Buds Pro 2. And thank me later.
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