The CMF Speaker M is one of the two portable speakers with which CMF by Nothing makes its debut in audio. It went on sale on 12 October 2026 alongside the smaller Speaker S and costs €99 in Italy. We've been using it for a few days and, while we wait to write the full review, here's what struck us and what we still want to check.
Anyone who follows Nothing knows that CMF is the budget line from Carl Pei's company: phones, earbuds and watches with low prices and a look that stands out. After the AI glasses and the phones, it's the turn of speakers. Two models, one family: the €59 Speaker S, pocket-sized with a carabiner hook, and the €99 Speaker M, designed more for the home, the desk or the garden.
Price and availability: €99 from the Nothing store and selected retailers. Four colours: orange, white, dark grey and turquoise. Ours is the orange one.
A design that doesn't go unnoticed
The first thing you notice is the shape. The Speaker M looks like a milk carton: a rectangular body, sloping shoulders and an integrated handle on top, with a hole for your hand. The effect is deliberate and it works: sitting on a shelf, it looks more like a design object than a Bluetooth speaker.
On the orange version the front and the handle match, while the sides and back are matte black. The contrast is sharp and, in person, far more attractive than in photos. It measures 220 × 85 × 54 mm and weighs 602 grams: not a pocket speaker, but with the handle you can carry it from room to room without a second thought.
On the front are the two circular fabric grilles, one for the woofer and one for the tweeter, with the small CMF logo in the corner. On top, on the sloping shoulder, sit the power button and the cross-shaped dial for volume, which is the part we liked most. It turns with just the right resistance, gives the product a distinctive touch and does much more than adjust the volume: it also handles playback, track skipping and Ultra Bass, and the long-press action can be changed from the Nothing X app.
On the back, at the bottom, are the two round buttons for Bluetooth pairing and Auracast, the status LED and the USB-C charging port. At the top, near the handle, there's a small lever with a padlock symbol: it locks the swappable front panel.
The front panels and dials can be swapped, and CMF has announced that it will publish design files so they can be 3D-printed, letting anyone with a printer design their own. As we write, the files aren't online yet: it's one of the things we'll check for the full review.
A note on the packaging: inside you get the speaker and the quick-start guide, nothing else. You'll have to dig a USB-C cable out of a drawer. For a €99 speaker they could have made the effort.
Specifications
| Size and weight | 220 × 85 × 54 mm, 602 g |
|---|---|
| Drivers | 70 mm woofer (25 W) and 16 mm tweeter (10 W), sealed two-way enclosure |
| Power | 35 W RMS |
| Frequency response | 60 Hz – 20 kHz |
| Bluetooth | 6.0, SBC, AAC and LC3 codecs (LC3 for Auracast only); claimed range of over 100 m in open space |
| Pairing | NFC, Google Fast Pair, Microsoft Swift Pair; connects to two devices at once |
| Wired input | Digital audio over USB-C, latency under 60 ms |
| Modes | Stereo Mode (two Speaker M units), Party Mode via Auracast, Ultra Bass, Wide Soundstage, Night Mode, custom EQ |
| Battery | 4,900 mAh; up to 18 hours at 50% volume with Ultra Bass on |
| Charging | USB-C 5 V / 3 A, about 3 hours for a full charge; 10 minutes gives roughly an hour of listening |
| Durability | IP68 (1.5 m for 30 minutes in fresh water), 76 cm drop test |
| App | Nothing X (Android and iOS) |
| In the box | Speaker and quick-start guide, no cable |
| Colours | Orange, white, dark grey, turquoise |
| Price | €99 |
How it sounds
We like the sound, and it surprised us. For a speaker at this price the result is well above expectations: inside are a 70 mm woofer and a 16 mm tweeter in a sealed enclosure, for 35 watts in total, and you can hear that the two drivers are separate. Vocals stay clean even when the music gets busy, podcasts are easy to follow from one room to another and there's volume to spare for a kitchen or a terrace.
Ultra Bass does its job without turning everything to mush, and with lighter tracks it's best left on. Adaptive Tuning, which according to CMF analyses playback and corrects the EQ in real time without going through the app, works quietly: we didn't notice any abrupt changes, which is a good sign in itself.
A few reviews from abroad published in recent days find the bass a little timid and report distortion above 60% volume. In our first listening sessions, at home-listening volumes, we didn't get that impression, but we don't want to draw conclusions after only a few days: in-depth listening tests, with different genres and at high volumes, will come in the full review.
Connectivity: what it has and what it lacks
Bluetooth 6.0 is one of the most interesting items on the spec sheet, not so much for the range, claimed at over 100 metres in open space, as for Auracast. With the dedicated button on the back, the Speaker M enters Party Mode and plays in sync with other compatible speakers, even from different brands. Early tests mention groups of up to around ten speakers. Stereo Mode, with separate left and right channels, only works with two Speaker M units, however: an M and an S can't be paired.
Pairing is quick: NFC on the side, Google Fast Pair on Android and Swift Pair on Windows. The speaker stays connected to two sources at once and switches between them without having to pair again, which is handy if you alternate between phone and laptop. There's also a USB-C audio input: connected to a computer with a cable, the Speaker M becomes a wired speaker with latency under 60 ms, useful for films and games. If you leave it plugged into the mains, it goes into standby by itself and wakes up when the paired device reconnects.
What's missing is a 3.5 mm jack, which some will miss on a home speaker, and the codecs stop at SBC and AAC: no LDAC or aptX.
The Nothing X app
The app is the same one used for Nothing and CMF earbuds. For the Speaker M it offers four ready-made equaliser presets (Balanced, More Bass, More Treble and Voice), a custom equaliser, Night Mode, which tames the peaks for evening listening, and the choice of action for the dial's long press. Nothing essential: the speaker works well even without installing it, which is a plus.
Battery
The 4,900 mAh battery lasts well, but before passing a final verdict we want to put it through a few full discharge and recharge cycles, so we can measure real-world battery life against the claimed 18 hours. The official figure is measured at 50% volume with Ultra Bass on and the AAC codec, so under fairly realistic conditions. A full charge takes about 3 hours with a 5 V, 3 A charger, and ten minutes on the mains is enough for an hour of music.
The alternatives
| Product | List price | Power | Durability |
|---|---|---|---|
| CMF Speaker M | €99 | 35 W | IP68 |
| CMF Speaker S | €59 | 10 W | IP68 |
| JBL Flip 7 | about €150 | 35 W | IP68 |
| Sony ULT Field 1 | about €130 | n/a | IP67 |
| Marshall Willen II | about €120 | 10 W | IP67 |
The real competition is the JBL Flip 7, which costs about fifty euros more but is an outdoor speaker, with rubber where it's needed. The Speaker M plays a different game: it's an object to keep on display, to hang from your backpack by the handle and to customise. For headphones, meanwhile, see our guide to the best wireless headphones.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the CMF Speaker M cost and where can I buy it?
It costs €99 in Italy. It has been on sale since 12 October 2026 from Nothing's online store and selected retailers, in four colours: orange, white, dark grey and turquoise.
What's the difference between the Speaker S and the Speaker M?
The S costs €59 and has a single 45 mm driver with two passive radiators, 10 W and a carabiner hook. The M costs €99 and has a separate woofer and tweeter for 35 W, a battery almost twice the size and an integrated handle. Claimed battery life, water resistance and connectivity are the same.
Can you pair two speakers for stereo?
Yes, but they must be two Speaker M units (or two Speaker S units). To combine different models, or compatible speakers from other brands, you use the Auracast-based Party Mode, which doesn't separate the left and right channels.
Is the CMF Speaker M waterproof?
It's IP68-rated: it resists dust and immersion down to 1.5 metres for 30 minutes in fresh water. Mind the hard plastic shell with no bumpers, though: rain isn't a problem, but drops onto rocks are.
Is there a cable in the box?
No. The box contains only the speaker and the quick-start guide. You'll need a USB-C cable and a charger of at least 5 V and 3 A to take advantage of fast charging.
Can you really 3D-print the panels?
The front panel and the dial can be unclipped and replaced. CMF has promised to publish the design files in standard formats for 3D printing, but they weren't yet available at the time of testing.
Waiting for the full review
After the first few days, the CMF Speaker M has won us over with its design, its practicality and its sound quality for the price. It isn't the speaker to throw in your rucksack for a trek, and the missing cable in the box remains a small sour note, but for €99 it's hard to find anything with the same personality.
Over the coming days we'll put it through its paces: real-world battery life over a few full cycles, performance at high volume with different genres, connection stability and Party Mode with other Auracast speakers. The score will come with the full review. Stay tuned to SpazioiTech.
Who it's for: anyone who wants a home or desk speaker that gets noticed, anyone who appreciates physical controls and anyone who wants to try Bluetooth 6.0 with Auracast without spending much. Who it's not for: anyone looking for a beach or mountain speaker to knock about, anyone who wants a 3.5 mm jack and anyone who demands high-resolution codecs.
CMF Speaker M first impressions
Translated from the Italian original. Read in Italian
