We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-20 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want maximum battery life, a wired fallback and app-tuned bass in an over-ear design, choose Soundcore Anker Q20i; if you need a pocketable true-wireless set with stronger noise cancellation, spatial audio and a sport-ready water-resistance rating, choose CMF BY NOTHING Buds 2.
• Soundcore Anker Q20i — biggest strength: Over-ear hybrid ANC with 40 hours of ANC playtime, 60 hours in normal mode, and a 3.5 mm jack so you can keep listening when the battery runs out.
• Soundcore Anker Q20i — biggest trade-off: It's a full-size plastic over-ear headphone, so it takes up bag space, and the charging time is long at around 8.33 hours.
• CMF BY NOTHING Buds 2 — biggest strength: Up to 48dB hybrid ANC with an adaptive mode, 55 hours total with the case, IP55 water and dust resistance, and Bluetooth 5.4.
• CMF BY NOTHING Buds 2 — biggest trade-off: No headphone jack at all, so everything depends on battery and Bluetooth — and tiny earbuds are easy to lose.
• Who each pick is for: The Q20i suits desk workers, commuters and long-haul travellers who want one headphone for everything. The Buds 2 suit people who want earbuds in a pocket, train hard, or game and watch films on the move.
The Q20i is a hybrid active noise cancelling over-ear headphone, and the spec sheet is refreshingly blunt about what that means. Four microphones — two inside and two outside — work together to reduce up to 90% of steady noise like plane cabins and car engines. That's the classic use case for this kind of headphone: a long commute, an open-plan office, a flight where you want the engine drone to fade into the background. The earcups are over-ear with rounded tips and a plastic enclosure, so the passive seal does part of the work before the electronics even kick in.
Sound is handled by oversized 40mm dynamic drivers with BassUp technology, and there's a Hi-Res certified path over the AUX cable for people who want more detail from a wired source. That cable matters more than it looks. The Q20i has a 3.5 mm jack, so if you forget to charge it, you can still plug into a laptop or an in-flight entertainment system and keep going. Battery life is the headline number: 40 hours with ANC on, 60 hours in normal mode, and a five-minute fast charge that buys about four extra hours. Charging from empty takes roughly 8.33 hours, which is slow by modern standards, so I'd treat it as an overnight job rather than a top-up.
Bluetooth 5.0 with dual connections is the other practical strength. You can be on a laptop call and have your phone connected at the same time, and audio switches to whichever device needs your attention. The 10-metre Bluetooth range is standard. Controls are media controls handled through the app, which also lets you tune the sound.
CMF BY NOTHING Buds 2: Who It's For
The Buds 2 is a true-wireless in-ear earbud with a rounded-tip design, and its spec sheet is built around doing more in a smaller package. Noise cancellation is rated at up to 48dB with a 5200Hz ultra-wide frequency range, and an Environmental Adaptive mode adjusts the reduction level in real time as your surroundings change. That's a step beyond a fixed ANC profile — useful when you move from a quiet office to a noisy street without touching your phone.
Audio comes from an 11mm PMI dynamic driver with Dirac Opteo tuning, which the spec describes as delivering deep bass and clear treble with precise instrument separation. There's also a 360° spatial audio effect driven by an HRTF-based algorithm for films and games, plus a Low Lag Mode in the Nothing X app that cuts audio delay for gaming. The app also handles EQ, an Ultra Bass setting and ANC controls, and it integrates with other Nothing devices.
Battery is where the numbers get interesting. You get up to 13.5 hours on a single charge and 55 hours total with the case, and a 10-minute top-up returns about 7.5 hours. That ten-minute figure is the one I'd actually notice in daily life — a quick charge before leaving the house is enough for a full day. The case itself takes around 62 minutes to charge, and the earbuds are rated at 13 hours average life. An in-ear detection feature pauses playback when you remove an earbud, which is a small thing that becomes hard to live without.
Calls use six HD microphones with AI-powered Clear Voice Technology 3.0 and Wind Noise Reduction 3.0. IP55 water and dust resistance means rain and sweat aren't a problem, and the spec sheet mentions durability testing including thousands of plug/unplug and case-button press cycles, plus 68 quality control protocols. Bluetooth 5.4 is the newer standard, which generally means better efficiency and stability than 5.0. Colour is Light Orange — a distinctive look rather than a safe black.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for battery life per charge → Soundcore Anker Q20i. 40 hours with ANC on and 60 hours in normal mode beats any earbud, even though the Buds 2 wins on total-with-case time.
• Best for total playtime with the case → CMF BY NOTHING Buds 2. 55 hours total, plus 13.5 hours per single charge.
• Best for the strongest noise cancellation on paper → CMF BY NOTHING Buds 2. 48dB hybrid ANC with adaptive adjustment versus the Q20i's up-to-90% reduction claim.
• Best for travel with a wired backup → Soundcore Anker Q20i. The 3.5 mm jack means a dead battery doesn't end your listening.
• Best for workouts and rain → CMF BY NOTHING Buds 2. IP55 water and dust resistance; the Q20i has no equivalent rating in its specs.
• Best for gaming and film immersion → CMF BY NOTHING Buds 2. Spatial audio and Low Lag Mode are features the Q20i simply doesn't list.
• Best for working across two devices → Soundcore Anker Q20i. Bluetooth 5.0 dual connections let you switch between laptop and phone automatically.
• Best for calls in windy places → CMF BY NOTHING Buds 2. Six microphones with wind noise reduction, against the Q20i's four-mic ANC array.
• Best for fast top-ups → CMF BY NOTHING Buds 2. Ten minutes for 7.5 hours, versus five minutes for four hours on the Q20i.
My Verdict
On paper, no. The Buds 2 is rated at up to 48dB of hybrid ANC with adaptive adjustment, while the Q20i claims to reduce up to 90% of noise. Over-ear designs usually block more passively, but the Buds 2 has the stronger published ANC figure.
The Q20i lasts 40 hours with ANC on and 60 hours in normal mode. The Buds 2 lasts up to 13.5 hours per charge and 55 hours total with the case, with a 10-minute charge giving about 7.5 hours.
Yes. It has a 3.5 mm jack and a cable in the box, so you can listen passively or via AUX. The Buds 2 has no headphone jack, so it's Bluetooth-only.
They're the better fit of the two. IP55 water and dust resistance covers sweat and rain, and the in-ear design stays put. The Q20i is an over-ear headphone with no water-resistance rating listed.
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