Wireless earbuds are required to do more than just play music. It should be able to connect during calls, drown out the cacophony around us and deliver top-quality sound. At the same time, it needs to look stylish.

The best wireless earbuds should check all those boxes and integrate into your routine. Apple AirPods do that, and so do Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 and Sony

WF-1000XM5. These are on the higher run of the price ladder. What about something inexpensive? London-based company Nothing has a sub-brand called CMF that focuses on inexpensive offerings, the latest being Buds 2 Plus and Buds 2. Both offer active noise cancellation (ANC), excellent app support and a good deal of bass without overpowering the soundstage.

You get an 11 mm PMI driver on Buds 2 versus a 12 mm LCP driver on Buds 2 Plus. Also, on the Plus, there is slightly better battery life and ANC, but both of them have the same checklist of features, including things like AI-assisted environmental noise reduction or what they’re calling Clear Voice Technology and Wind Noise Reduction. They even look almost the same.

There is no CMF logo on the stem, and the buds have a cleaner finish than most rival brands. The buds have IP55 rating to take care of sweat and splashes. The touch controls on the buds work accurately. Users even get in-ear detection to play/pause music.