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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-20 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
If you want serious noise cancelling, dual-driver sound with LDAC and a genuinely clever charging case, choose CMF BY NOTHING Buds Pro 2; if you need the lightest, most comfortable all-day earbuds with a simple feature set and a tiny pocketable case, choose Sony WF-C510.
• CMF BY NOTHING Buds Pro 2 – biggest strength: 50dB adaptive hybrid ANC, an 11mm bass driver plus a 6mm tweeter, LDAC hi-res support, and up to 43 hours total with the case.
• CMF BY NOTHING Buds Pro 2 – biggest trade-off: Heavier build (100g total, 46g case) and a feature-dense app-and-dial setup that asks more of you than a plug-and-play pair.
• Sony WF-C510 – biggest strength: Featherweight comfort (31g) and a compact cylindrical case, with up to 22 hours total and a 5-minute quick charge for an hour of playback.
• Sony WF-C510 – biggest trade-off: No active noise cancelling at all, just Ambient Sound Mode, and a single 6mm driver with no hi-res codec.
• Pick the CMF Buds Pro 2 if you commute, fly, game, or just want the most tech per earbud.
• Pick the Sony WF-C510 if you want something so light you forget it's there, for workouts, calls and casual listening.
The Buds Pro 2 is the earbud for someone who wants the spec sheet to do the talking. The headline is 50dB adaptive hybrid ANC that adjusts for leakage between the bud and your ear canal — that's the kind of detail that matters if you wear earbuds on a train, a plane or in an open office, where the seal is never perfect. There's also smart ambient sound recognition, so transparency mode is context-aware rather than a fixed setting you forget to turn off.
Sound is where it separates itself hardest from the Sony. You get an 11mm ultra-bass driver paired with a 6mm tweeter, LDAC lossless transmission, and Dynamic Bass Boost 2.0. In practice that means a two-way setup normally reserved for pricier earbuds, plus the option of hi-res streaming if your phone supports LDAC. Six microphones with Clear Voice Technology 3.0 handle calls, and the maker claims triple the audio transmission rate of typical wireless earbuds. I'd treat that claim as marketing, but the mic count is real and it's a lot of hardware.
Buy it if you want maximum features — ANC, dual drivers, LDAC, the dial — and you don't mind a slightly bulkier case and a heavier bud. Skip it if you prioritize featherweight comfort above all, or you want something that just works without app tinkering.
Sony WF-C510: Who It's For
The WF-C510 takes the opposite approach, and it's a deliberate one. At 31g total it's remarkably light, and the whole pitch is comfort and simplicity. The bud is compact, the case is small and cylindrical so it disappears into a jeans pocket, and the tactile patterned finish makes it look nicer than the price-adjacent plastic you might expect. If you've ever had earbuds that ache after an hour, this is the design philosophy aimed at you.
The battery story is simple: up to 11 hours in the buds, up to 22 hours with the case, and a 5-minute quick charge for up to an hour of playback. That quick charge is genuinely useful — it's the "I forgot to charge" rescue. You also get Bluetooth 5.3 multipoint so it switches between two devices automatically when a call comes in, plus a built-in mic with wind noise reduction and Voice Focus, which lifts human voices while suppressing background noise. For calls on a windy street, that's a real-world benefit.
The catch is what's missing. There is no active noise cancelling — noise control is listed as none. What you get instead is Ambient Sound Mode, which pipes the outside world in so you stay aware. That's great for cycling or running near traffic, useless for blocking a plane engine. Audio is a single 6mm dynamic driver, and there's no LDAC or hi-res codec; instead Sony leans on DSEE to upscale compressed streams. IPX4 handles sweat and splashes, not submersion.
Buy it if you want light, comfortable, fuss-free earbuds for workouts, calls and casual listening. Skip it if you need real noise cancelling or you care about hi-res audio codecs.
• Best for noise cancelling → CMF BY NOTHING Buds Pro 2. 50dB adaptive hybrid ANC versus none on the Sony.
• Best for battery life → CMF BY NOTHING Buds Pro 2. 43 hours total versus 22 hours, and 10 hours per charge versus 11 (basically a tie per charge, but the case pulls ahead).
• Best for comfort and lightness → Sony WF-C510. 31g total against the CMF's 100g, with a smaller cylindrical case.
• Best for sound quality potential → CMF BY NOTHING Buds Pro 2. Dual drivers (11mm + 6mm) and LDAC versus a single 6mm driver and DSEE upscaling.
• Best for calls in wind → Sony WF-C510. Wind noise reduction and Voice Focus are purpose-built for voice pickup outdoors.
• Best for gaming → CMF BY NOTHING Buds Pro 2. 120ms low latency plus the case dial for quick volume changes.
• Best for workouts and rain → tie-ish. CMF has the higher IP55 rating (rinse-friendly), Sony has IPX4 (sweat and splashes).
• Best for simplicity → Sony WF-C510. No ANC menus, no dial to learn — just pair and go.
In my opinion, the CMF BY NOTHING Buds Pro 2 is the earbud I'd buy for most people, because it does more of the things that actually change how you use earbuds day to day: real noise cancelling, a two-way driver setup with LDAC, longer total battery, and low-latency gaming. The Sony WF-C510 is the better pick only if comfort and lightness genuinely outrank features for you — and for some people, especially anyone with sensitive ears or a workout-first routine, that's a completely valid trade. Check the current price on Amazon before deciding, since value shifts fast in this category.
FAQ
No. Its noise control is listed as none. It offers Ambient Sound Mode, which lets outside sound in rather than blocking it, plus Voice Focus for hearing voices more clearly.
The CMF Buds Pro 2 wins overall with up to 43 hours total versus 22 hours on the Sony. Per charge they're close: up to 10 hours on the CMF, up to 11 on the Sony.
Not for swimming. It carries an IP55 rating, which handles dust and water spray and allows a quick post-swim rinse — but it isn't designed for submersion in a pool.
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