CMF Buds 2A Drop to $20, Offering ANC and App Support at Budget Price

A 59% price cut brought CMF by Nothing's Buds 2A to $19.99 on Amazon on April 7, matching the all-time low for the Dark Grey colorway first set in September 2025. The lightning deal, which ran through 11:15 p.m. ET, put active noise cancellation, transparency mode, and full app support at a price most competing earbuds simply cannot match. Light Grey and Orange colorways were also discounted during the sale, though at $24.99 rather than the Dark Grey floor price.

The Buds 2A are the entry-level tier of CMF's 2025 audio lineup, announced April 28, 2025, alongside the CMF Buds 2 at $59 and the CMF Buds 2 Plus at $69, all released simultaneously with the CMF Phone 2 Pro. At their regular $49 retail price they already represented strong value; at $19.99, they undercut most earbuds that offer even basic noise cancellation.

The noise cancellation spec anchors the value case: 42dB of Hybrid ANC, co-tuned with DIRAC, an audio technology firm with roots in the luxury automotive industry. That system runs through 12.4mm bio-fiber dynamic drivers tuned for warm mids, rich bass, and crisp highs. The sound signature leans bass-heavy by default, though the Nothing X app provides custom EQ profiles to adjust the balance. Each earbud runs for 8 hours independently, with the 460mAh case extending total playback to 35.5 hours. A quick-charge feature adds 2 hours of listening from just 5 minutes in the case, and an IP54 dust and water resistance rating provides durability uncommon at this price point.

App functionality through Nothing X, available on both iOS and Android, includes dual-device connectivity, a gaming low-lag mode, a find-my-earbuds feature, and ChatGPT voice-assistant access when paired with a Nothing or CMF device. Bluetooth 5.3 and a 4-microphone array complete the spec sheet.

Android Headlines called a similarly priced deal during the holiday season "the earbuds deal of the year," and at least one Amazon reviewer compared the ANC performance directly to Apple's AirPods Pro. The Buds 2A do not support Hi-Res LDAC audio, wireless charging, or proximity sensing, consistent with their price tier.

CMF by Nothing is the budget-focused sub-brand of Nothing Technology Limited, co-founded in London in 2020 by Carl Pei, who previously co-founded OnePlus. The "CMF" designation comes from the design industry term Color, Material, and Finish. In 2025, CMF was spun off as an independent company through a $100 million joint venture with Indian firm Optiemus, relocating its headquarters to India. The Buds 2A are among the products that established the brand's reputation for pushing premium features into budget price tiers, and at $19.99, that case has rarely been harder to argue against.