We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-23 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
If you want the stronger active noise cancellation figure and the longer single-charge battery story, choose CMF BY NOTHING Buds; if you need a bundle built around in-flight and AUX audio, choose Avantree SoundJet R1&.
• CMF BY NOTHING Buds — biggest strength: 42dB of active noise cancellation, a 12.4mm biofibre driver with Ultra Bass 2.0, and up to 35.5 hours of total playtime with the case.
• CMF BY NOTHING Buds — biggest trade-off: It's a plain earbuds kit. There's no transmitter or adapter in the box, so wired audio sources are simply out of reach.
• Avantree SoundJet R1& — biggest strength: A two-piece bundle. Hybrid ANC earbuds plus a Bluetooth 5.3 transmitter that plugs into any 3.5mm AUX port, so seatback screens, TVs and gym equipment all become wireless.
• Avantree SoundJet R1& — biggest trade-off: The noise cancellation figure is lower at up to 24dB, and each half of the bundle is only as useful as the job you have for it.
• Who each pick is for: The CMF Buds for everyday phone listeners who want maximum quiet and long battery; the Avantree bundle for travelers and anyone who still plugs into wired audio.
The CMF Buds are a single-purpose product executed around one number: 42dB of active noise cancellation. That's the headline spec, and it comes with a transparency mode so you can let the outside back in without pulling a bud out. Around that sits a 12.4mm biofibre dynamic driver with Ultra Bass 2.0, tuned alongside five EQ presets developed with Dirac. The frequency range runs 20Hz to 20,000Hz and impedance is 32 ohm.
Battery is the second strong point. CMF quotes 8 hours on a single charge and 35.5 hours total with the case, plus a fast-charge figure of 10 minutes for 6.5 hours of playback. Bluetooth 5.3 handles dual-device connection, Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair. There's an IP54 rating for dust and sweat, a low latency and game mode, touch controls including volume, and a "find my earphones" feature inside the Nothing X app.
Who should buy it? In my opinion, this is the pick for someone who listens mostly from a phone or laptop, wants the deepest noise cut on this page, and hates charging. Commuters, open-plan office workers and runners all fit the brief — IP54 covers the sweat. Who should skip it? Anyone who needs to pull audio off an airplane seatback screen, a TV or an older player with only a headphone jack. There's no jack here and nothing in the box to bridge that gap. The plastic case and rounded in-ear tips are a standard, lightweight design, not a premium one.
The SoundJet R1& is really two products sold as one set. First, a pair of in-ear ANC earbuds with hybrid ANC rated to block up to 24dB of environmental noise, plus an Ambient Mode that opens the built-in mics so you can hear what's happening around you. Second, a Bluetooth 5.3 transmitter that plugs into any 3.5mm AUX connector — the seatback screen on a plane, a TV, a tablet, gym cardio equipment — and turns that wired source wireless.
The clever part is that both halves stand alone. Use the earbuds straight with your phone over Bluetooth. Or plug the transmitter into an AUX port and pair it with your own Bluetooth headphones instead. The earbuds use a balanced armature driver with a 20Hz–20,000Hz range, and the build mixes plastic and silicone with a black finish.
Who should buy it? Frequent flyers, first and foremost — that's the design brief. Also anyone with a house full of jack-only audio gear. If you've ever wanted one kit that handles in-flight entertainment and your living-room TV without extra dongles, this is the bundle that does it. Who should skip it? If you'll never touch a 3.5mm port, you're paying for a transmitter you won't use, and you're accepting a lower ANC figure than the CMF Buds offer. Buy it for versatility, not for maximum quiet.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for battery stamina → CMF BY NOTHING Buds. 35.5 hours total with the case, plus 8 hours per charge and a 10-minute fast charge for 6.5 hours.
• Best for airplane and TV audio → Avantree SoundJet R1&. The included Bluetooth 5.3 transmitter is the only way on this page to make a 3.5mm AUX source wireless.
• Best for a two-in-one kit → Avantree SoundJet R1&. Earbuds and transmitter each work independently, and the transmitter pairs with your existing headphones too.
• Best for workouts and sweaty use → CMF BY NOTHING Buds. IP54 protection is explicitly rated against dust and sweat. The Avantree sheet lists no water or dust rating.
• Best for app control and extras → CMF BY NOTHING Buds. Custom EQ, touch controls, low latency mode, game mode and "find my earphones" via the Nothing X app.
• Best for staying aware of your surroundings → tie. Both offer transparency or ambient modes, though Avantree describes its Ambient Mode in more detail.
• Best for drivers and tuning flavor → personal taste. CMF pairs a 12.4mm biofibre dynamic driver with Ultra Bass 2.0; Avantree uses a balanced armature driver, which tends to a different tonal character.
I'd buy the CMF BY NOTHING Buds. The 42dB ANC figure, the 35.5-hour total battery and the IP54 rating cover the way most people actually use earbuds — phone, commute, gym, desk. The app extras and dual-device pairing round it out nicely. The one thing that would flip me is air travel with a seatback screen or a house full of AUX gear; in that case, I'd take the Avantree SoundJet R1& for the transmitter alone. Check the current price on Amazon for both before you decide, since that's the number that usually settles a close call.
what is hybrid anc earbuds
Hybrid ANC means the earbuds use microphones on both the outside and the inside of the ear to feed the noise-cancelling system. The Avantree SoundJet R1& is described as using hybrid ANC, rated to cut up to 24dB of environmental noise. The CMF BY NOTHING Buds list active noise cancellation at 42dB but don't specify the microphone arrangement in the specs.
what is anc earbuds
ANC stands for Active Noise Cancellation — the earbuds use electronics and microphones to cancel incoming sound rather than just sealing your ear with foam or silicone. Both products here are ANC earbuds, and both pair it with a transparency or ambient mode so you can let outside sound back in on demand.
what are hybrid anc earbuds
They're earbuds whose noise cancellation combines feed-forward and feed-back microphone paths, which generally helps cover a wider range of noise than a single-mic setup. In this comparison, Avantree names hybrid ANC explicitly. CMF states a 42dB cancellation figure and a 2900Hz bandwidth for the ANC system, which points to a fairly wide working range.
what are anc earbuds
Simply put, they're wireless earbuds that actively reduce background noise so you can hear your audio at lower volume. Which one to pick comes down to priorities: more cancellation and battery points to the CMF BY NOTHING Buds, while wired-source flexibility points to the Avantree SoundJet R1& bundle.
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See also: Logitech Zone 300 vs Riwbox Hybrid Active Noise, CN-Outlet 10 vs Calmbee Hybrid Active Noise: Headphones with, MAIRDI Active Noise Cancelling vs Morpheus 360 Aspire ANC