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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-02 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
• Mondo Freestyle Over-Ear — biggest strength: a lightweight over-ear build (203 g) with 36 mm dynamic drivers, rotating on-ear volume/track controls and 22 hours of playtime per charge, tuned around a Swedish audio heritage and 80s mixer-console styling.
• Mondo Freestyle Over-Ear — biggest trade-off: no active noise cancelling at all (noise control: none), a 150 ms latency figure that is high for competitive gaming, and a 90-minute charge time — plus no wired jack if the battery ever runs out.
• CMF BY NOTHING Buds Pro 2 — biggest strength: 50 dB adaptive hybrid ANC, Dirac Master Tuning with dual drivers (11 mm bass + 6 mm tweeter) and LDAC, spatial audio, six mics with Clear Voice Technology 3.0, and 43 hours total with the case.
• CMF BY NOTHING Buds Pro 2 — biggest trade-off: they are in-ear buds, so they seal your ear canal (some people never get comfortable with that), the controls are touch/button + app rather than tactile dials, and the case adds another item to keep charged.
• Who each pick is for: Mondo for listeners who want an open, all-day over-ear with physical controls and don't need silence from the outside world; CMF Buds Pro 2 for commuters, travellers, gamers and call-heavy users who want noise cancelling and spatial audio in their pocket.
The Mondo Freestyle Over-Ear is a deliberately old-school object built with modern internals. The 36 mm dynamic drivers and the dual-driver design aim at a balanced response with precise highs and low frequencies that stay controlled — the kind of tuning that suits long listening sessions rather than short, punchy bursts. Add 22 hours of playtime and a 90-minute charge, and this is a headphone you charge overnight and then forget about for a couple of days of commuting, desk work or walking around town.
What I like most, in principle, is the control scheme. There are rotating controls on both sides for volume plus track skipping, which is a tactile, glance-free way to manage playback — the opposite of poking at a touch surface. The MONDO app adds EQ adjustment so you can tilt the sound toward bass or toward clarity depending on what you're playing. The 80s-inspired styling, with mixer-console-like buttons and switches and packaging that nods to DJ vinyl sleeves, is a real design statement rather than a generic black slab. Weighing 203 g with a plastic-and-metal enclosure, it's light enough that the over-ear format shouldn't feel like a clamp on your head.
Who should buy it: anyone who prefers an open, over-ear fit, wants physical controls, values a distinctive retro look, and listens mostly in reasonably quiet places — home, office, a walk. The 10-metre Bluetooth range is normal for the category, and the lack of a headphone jack means it's a fully wireless proposition.
CMF BY NOTHING Buds Pro 2: Who It's For
The CMF Buds Pro 2 are the opposite philosophy: maximum technology in the smallest possible shell. The headline is 50 dB adaptive hybrid ANC, which automatically detects leakage between the bud and your ear canal to keep the cancellation consistent, plus a transparency mode and smart ambient recognition that keeps you aware of your surroundings when you're running. That is the single biggest practical difference between these two products — one actively removes noise, the other doesn't attempt to.
Sound-wise, this is a dual-driver setup: an 11 mm woofer for bass and a 6 mm tweeter, with Dirac Master Tuning, LDAC lossless transmission and Dynamic Bass Boost 2.0. The spec sheet also lists a spatial audio effect, which is where the surround-sound angle comes in: these buds are the one of the two that actually advertises a spatial/immersive audio mode. For calls, six HD mics with AI enhancement and Clear Voice Technology 3.0 promise natural voice pickup, and Bluetooth 5.3 brings multipoint dual connection so you can be on a laptop call and still catch a phone ring. The 120 ms low-latency mode is the better gaming figure of the pair.
Battery is the other standout: 11 hours per charge, 43 hours total with the case, and a 10-minute top-up giving 3 hours. The case itself is small — roughly 5.3 × 5.3 × 2.3 cm and 46 g — and includes a smart dial for volume, tracks and noise modes, which is a clever way to avoid touch fiddling. IP55 water resistance means sweat and even a post-swim rinse are within its comfort zone.
Who should buy it: commuters, flyers, gym-goers, runners, gamers and anyone who takes a lot of calls. If you want one small thing that does noise cancelling, spatial audio, multipoint and long battery, this is the more feature-dense product.
Who should skip it: if you dislike the sealed feeling of in-ear buds, if you find touch controls fiddly (though the case dial helps), or if you want the open, airy presentation and tactile hardware of a proper over-ear. In-ear isolation is a fit preference, not a defect — but it's a real one.
• Best for noise cancelling → CMF BY NOTHING Buds Pro 2. 50 dB adaptive hybrid ANC versus no noise control at all on the Mondo.
• Best for all-day single-charge listening → Mondo Freestyle Over-Ear. 22 hours on one charge, no case required.
• Best for total battery with a case → CMF BY NOTHING Buds Pro 2. 43 hours total, 11 per session, 3 hours from a 10-minute charge.
• Best for spatial / surround-style audio → CMF BY NOTHING Buds Pro 2. It lists a spatial audio effect and LDAC; the Mondo is a straight stereo over-ear.
• Best for tactile, physical controls → Mondo Freestyle Over-Ear. Rotating volume and track controls on both earcups beat touch surfaces for glance-free use.
• Best for calls and meetings → CMF BY NOTHING Buds Pro 2. Six mics with AI enhancement and Clear Voice Technology 3.0, plus Bluetooth 5.3 multipoint.
• Best for gaming latency → CMF BY NOTHING Buds Pro 2. 120 ms low-latency mode versus 150 ms on the Mondo.
• Best for an open, over-ear fit and retro style → Mondo Freestyle Over-Ear. 203 g, 36 mm drivers, 80s-inspired design, no ear-canal seal.
In my opinion, most people shopping this pair should buy the CMF BY NOTHING Buds Pro 2. It simply covers more situations: 50 dB adaptive ANC for the commute, spatial audio and LDAC for immersive listening, six mics for calls, 43 hours with the case, IP55 for sweat, and a lower 120 ms latency for games. I'd pick the Mondo Freestyle Over-Ear only if your priority is an open, comfortable over-ear with real rotating controls and a retro look, and you rarely need to block out noise. If you want one device for everything, go CMF. If you want the over-ear experience specifically, go Mondo.
how to get surround sound headphones
Surround or spatial sound comes from the source and the headphone's processing, not from the headphone alone. In this pair, the CMF Buds Pro 2 list a spatial audio effect plus LDAC, so that's the one built for it; the Mondo Freestyle Over-Ear is a stereo over-ear with no spatial mode in its specs. For the truest effect, pair a spatial-capable headphone with spatial-enabled content.
how to test surround sound headphones
Play content that's actually mixed for spatial or surround audio — a spatial-audio track or a film with a multichannel mix — and listen for sounds that seem to sit behind or beside you rather than in front. Test both with the effect on and off. On the CMF Buds Pro 2, the spatial audio effect is the setting to toggle; the Mondo has no equivalent mode to compare.
how to make surround sound headphones
You can't add spatial processing to a headphone that doesn't support it. Choose hardware that includes it — the CMF Buds Pro 2 list a spatial audio effect, LDAC and Dirac Master Tuning — and then rely on your phone, console or streaming app to output spatial-formatted audio. On the Mondo Freestyle Over-Ear, the MONDO app's EQ shapes tone, not surround placement.
how to fix surround sound headphones
If spatial audio sounds wrong, the usual culprits are the source setting, a poor in-ear seal, or the mode being off. Check that spatial/immersive audio is enabled in the app and in the playback device, and reseat the eartips so the seal is consistent — the CMF Buds Pro 2's adaptive ANC also depends on that seal. If sound still feels off, try disabling the effect and comparing.
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