Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 Review: Great sound and impressive battery life!
Today we have the Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 wireless headphones.
Cambridge Audio, renowned for its high-end audio equipment, has unveiled its latest offering in the true wireless earbuds market – the Cambridge Audio Melomania M100. These earbuds boast hybrid active noise canceling technology and come with a price tag of $219, promising a compelling blend of features and performance.
One of the standout features of these earbuds is their support for Bluetooth 5.3, ensuring a stable and efficient wireless connection. Additionally, they are compatible with Snapdragon Sound technology, although this feature requires a compatible device to fully utilize its capabilities. The inclusion of Apex lossless and Apex adaptive playback further enhances the audio quality, delivering a high-fidelity listening experience.
Under the hood, the earbuds house 10mm drivers, promising impressive sound reproduction across a wide range of frequencies. Furthermore, they feature class AB amplification, a technology borrowed from Cambridge Audio’s award-winning CX series Hi-Fi amplifiers. This ensures that audio playback is characterized by clarity, precision, and depth, elevating the listening experience to new heights.
Cambridge Audio Melomania M100: Video Review
| Specs | Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 |
| Form Factor | In Ear |
| Connectivity Technology | Wireless |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Audio Resolution | aptX™ Lossless, aptX™ Adaptive, AAC, SBC |
| ANC | Yes |
| Speakers | 10mm Driver Recycled Neodymium Magnets |
| Supported Profiles | A2DP, AVRCP, HSP, HFP |
| Processor | Qualcomm QCC3071 |
| Low Latency | <80ms - Gaming Mode accessible via Melomania Connect |
| Microphone | 6 microphones, 3 per earbud |
| IP rating | IPX4 water splash resistant |
| APP | Melomania Connect |
| Headphone battery life | Up to 16 hours / Up to 10 hours (ANC ON) |
| Battery life with charging case | Up to 52 hours / Up to 33 hours (ANC ON) |
| Wireless charger | Yes - Qi charging |
| USB charging port | USB-C |
| Dimensions | Earbuds: 22 x 19.2 x 23mm / Charging case: 44.5 x 80.2 x 27mm |
| Weight | Earbuds: 6.65g each / Charging case: 53.3g |
Cambridge Audio Melomania M100: Design
The Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 was developed by acoustic hi-fi engineers at the company’s London headquarters. Their design is based on feedback from previous users of Melomania headphones.
The design of the M100 is optimized for comfort and convenience, even during extended listening sessions. The teardrop-like design, a departure from the previous bullet-style shape, ensures a snug yet unobtrusive fit that stays securely in place. Additionally, the inclusion of five pairs of eartips in varying sizes and materials ensures that users can customize their fit for maximum comfort and audio performance.
The surface of the headphones features a subtle yet stylish pattern of the brand logo, doubling as a touch panel for intuitive control of playback and calls.
One of the key innovations of the Melomania M100 is its advanced noise-canceling technology. Microphones strategically placed on the outside of the headphones and within the ear canal enhance noise cancellation, ensuring that users can enjoy their music or calls without interference from external distractions.
The Melomania M100 is packaged in a slim charging case, perfect for on-the-go convenience. Despite its compact size, the case provides ample protection for the earbuds and ensures that they remain charged and ready for use at all times.
For outdoor enthusiasts, the Melomania M100 boasts an IPX4 rating, making them resistant to rain, splashes, sweat, and other environmental factors. While they’re not designed for submersion, they offer peace of mind for users who lead an active lifestyle.
Control and APP
The Melomania M100 headphones feature intuitive touch controls for a seamless experience. With these touch controls, users can easily manage various functions such as playback, volume adjustment, and call handling. However, one of the standout features of the M100 is the extensive customization options available through Cambridge’s dedicated app.
Within the Cambridge Audio app, users have the flexibility to fine-tune their listening experience according to their preferences. The app allows for the customization and management of touch controls, enabling users to switch or disable specific controls as desired. This level of control ensures that users can tailor their earbud experience to suit their individual needs and preferences.
Moreover, the app serves as a hub for firmware updates, ensuring that the Melomania M100 remains up-to-date with the latest features and improvements. Additionally, users can access a range of EQ options, including a seven-band equalizer for precise sound customization.
For gamers and multimedia enthusiasts, the app offers a dedicated gaming mode designed to minimize latency during video playback and gaming sessions.
Another notable feature of the app is the sleep mode, which allows users to disable touch controls to prevent accidental adjustments during use.
Furthermore, the app provides the option to switch between stereo and mono modes, enabling users to share audio content with others easily. While in mono mode, both earbuds output the same sound, allowing multiple users to listen to the same audio simultaneously.
However, it’s worth noting that the smart sensor feature, while convenient for some users, may not be to everyone’s liking. With this feature enabled, removing one earbud does not automatically pause playback, requiring both earbuds to be removed for playback to stop.
ANC
The Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 earbuds elevate the listening experience with their hybrid active noise-canceling technology. Offering three different levels of noise cancellation – high, medium, and low – users can tailor their listening environment to suit their preferences. While the noise cancellation may not reach the same level as industry giants like Sony or Bose, it stands shoulder to shoulder with competitors such as the Sennheiser Momentum earbuds.
In real-world scenarios, the Melomania M100 impressively blocks out low-frequency sounds such as engine noises and AC units, creating a serene listening environment. It even manages to diminish the distraction of nearby conversations to a significant extent. However, it’s worth noting that higher frequencies, like human voices or television sounds, may still be audible, albeit at a reduced level. Despite this, the overall noise-canceling performance remains highly commendable, offering a significant improvement in audio immersion and enjoyment, especially in noisy environments.
Furthermore, the transparency mode of the Melomania M100 provides users with the option to remain aware of their surroundings without sacrificing audio quality. This feature effectively amplifies ambient sounds, allowing users to engage in conversations or be aware of traffic while wearing the earbuds.
Sound quality
The Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 earbuds equipped powerful 10mm drivers and neodymium magnets.
At the heart of the Melomania M100’s audio performance is its ability to reproduce sound with remarkable clarity and precision across the frequency spectrum. The low end is endowed with plenty of punch, providing a satisfying bass response that adds depth and richness to the listening experience. Despite the emphasis on bass, it remains tight and well-defined, avoiding any muddiness or distortion.
Moving to the midrange, vocals are given a slight boost, ensuring that they remain prominent and detailed amidst the mix. Whether it’s male or female vocals, every nuance and emotion is faithfully reproduced, allowing listeners to truly connect with the music.
In the treble range, the Melomania M100 shines with its bright and clean presentation. The highs are crisp and articulate, adding sparkle and airiness to the sound without ever becoming harsh or sibilant. Even after tweaking the EQ settings to personal preference, the earbuds maintain their natural sound signature, showing an impressive level of detail and clarity.
What sets the Melomania M100 apart is its ability to create a spacious and immersive soundstage. Instruments and vocals are given ample room to breathe, resulting in a three-dimensional listening experience where every element of the music is distinct and well-defined. This spaciousness adds to the overall realism and enjoyment of the audio playback.
Whether you’re listening to pop, hip-hop, rock, or classical music, the Melomania M100 excels across genres, faithfully reproducing the unique characteristics of each track. With its detailed and dynamic sound signature, these earbuds are sure to please even the most discerning audiophiles.
Calls
The Melomania M100’s built-in microphones excel in voice clarity during phone calls, even in noisy environments. With effective noise cancellation, callers can enjoy clear and uninterrupted conversations without any distractions.
Autonomy
Speaking of battery life, the Melomania M100 truly shines in this department. With or without noise cancellation activated, these earbuds deliver exceptional endurance. Without noise cancellation, users can enjoy up to 16 hours of playback time on the earbuds alone, with an additional 52 hours provided by the charging case. Even with noise cancellation enabled, the earbuds boast an impressive 10 hours of playback time, complemented by 33 hours of total battery life with the charging case. Moreover, the fast charge feature adds further convenience, allowing users to enjoy two hours of playback with just a quick 10-minute charge.
However, what truly sets the Melomania M100 apart is its wireless charging capability. The charging features case Qi wireless charging compatibility, allowing users to simply place it on any wireless charger for hassle-free replenishment of battery power.
Cambridge Audio Melomania M100: Conclusion
The Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 earbuds stand out as a compelling option in the competitive landscape of high-end audio accessories.
From a noise-canceling perspective, the Melomania M100 offers a respectable performance, striking a balance between effective noise reduction and maintaining a natural listening environment. While it may not provide the same level of isolation as some competitors, this can actually be a plus for users who prefer a more open and relaxed feel during extended listening sessions.
Where the Melomania M100 truly shines in its audio performance. With powerful 10mm drivers and neodymium magnets, these earbuds deliver a dynamic and detailed sound signature that’s sure to satisfy even the most discerning audiophiles. The bass is punchy, the mids are clear and well-defined, and the treble is bright and articulate. Whether you’re listening to pop, hip-hop, rock, or classical music, the Melomania M100 excels across genres, faithfully reproducing the unique characteristics of each track.
Moreover, the Melomania M100 offers excellent value for money, especially when compared to other high-end true wireless earbuds on the market. With a robust feature set that includes a solid companion app, impressive battery life, and compatibility with Snapdragon Sound technology, these earbuds punch above their weight class.
You can also check out the best-selling True Wireless Headphones on Amazon:
