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Editor’s Notice
• Authentic overview date: July 2024
• New ‘Particular Version’ P100 made its debut August 1, 2025
• P100 SE launch value: $299 / £249 (AU$510 approx.) – so $20 / £20 extra
• New blue colorway, DynamEQ toggle and cushier headband
Replace: August 2025. The Melomania P100 have had a refresh a yr after their launch, in a brand new SE – or ‘Particular Version’ – mannequin. This provides DynamEQ software program (a toggle within the Melomania app to routinely modify bass and treble, to “preserve a full and pure sound at low volumes”), a barely cushier headband and a brand new blue end.
Past that and a minor change to the font on the scarf, the 2 fashions are similar.
The newer set can also be $20 / £20 greater than the wonderful originals had been at launch, though we have seen the originals on sale for $239 / £199 on the time of writing. Our in-depth experiential on the P100 SE is the place to go for extra on the comparatively minor refresh. For us, the good cash nonetheless goes on these splendid originals. The remainder of this overview stays unchanged.
Cambridge Audio Melomania P100: Two-minute overview
The Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 wi-fi over-ear noise-cancelling headphones enter a sector of the market as cutthroat as they arrive – that of best noise-cancelling headphones. It’s a class that’s been dominated (a minimum of within the under-$350 sub-sector) by Sony‘s XM-suffixed cans for a while now, however Cambridge Audio reckons it’s obtained what it takes to grab the crown.
And, on paper a minimum of, it’s off to an excellent begin. Specification, from Class AB amplification to aptX Lossless compatibility, is spectacular. Battery life, at as much as 100 hours should you go away the ANC alone (not a typo, we imply 100), is the very best round. Having Matt Berry as certainly one of your choices for ‘audible suggestions’ is nothing lower than a stroke of genius.
And the excellent news retains coming. The P100 are flawlessly constructed and completed, from supplies which might be each tactile and fairly up-market. Consolation is nice. Ignore the relative measurement of the journey case and there’s nothing to take concern with right here.
To seal the deal, the sound they make is endlessly listenable. There’s a stack of element, a wide-open soundstaging, vaulting dynamic efficiency and a fascinating, full of life general perspective that may maintain you coming again for extra. And with that epic battery life, in fact, there’s loads of ‘extra’ to get pleasure from.
Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 overview: Worth & launch date
- Launched on July 15, 2024
- Priced $279 / £229 / AU$479
The Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 wi-fi over-ear headphones have been accessible through Cambridge’s web site since they had been introduced on July 3, 2024, however each different stockist has needed to wait till July 15 to supply them on the market.
At $279 / £229 / AU$479 they’re keenly priced when you think about how extensively they’re specified, that’s for certain – however don’t go pondering that there aren’t impressively specified options from equally well-regarded manufacturers at very, very comparable cash. Chief of these could be the Sony WH-1000XM5, which may be yours for a little bit greater than the P100 lately (reasonably than much more, which is what they had been once they launched), at round $329 / £319 / AU$549.
Then, there’s the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless, which arrived in August 2022 and may be discovered for even nearer to the Cambridge Audio P100’s value, at round $299 / £269 / AU$450 in right this moment’s cash.
Nevertheless, on the threat of stating the blinkin’ apparent, the P100 are model new July 2024 cans. And a fast look at our Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review proves that Cambridge has priced them ever-so aggressively; Bose’s top-tier October 2023-issue over-ears arrived with a price ticket of $429 / £449 / AU$649. Meals for thought, then.
Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 overview: Specs
|
Drivers |
40mm Dynamic (closed again) |
|
Lively noise cancellation |
Sure |
|
Weight |
330g |
|
Battery life |
100 hours (ANC off); 60 hours (ANC on) |
|
Connectivity |
Bluetooth 5.3 with aptX Lossless; USB-C to USB-C audio, USB-C to three.5mm (cables provided) |
Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 overview: Options
- Class AB amplification
- As much as 100 hours of battery life
- Bluetooth 5.3 with aptX Lossless compatibility
It doesn’t matter what else occurs throughout the course of this overview, there’s no arguing with the way in which Cambridge Audio has specified the Melomania P100. And simply because the corporate has loads of earlier the place the features-per-pound ratio is worried, that’s no motive to take it without any consideration – as an alternative, let’s simply take a second to marvel at what these headphones provide relative to the cash they price.
Battery life is nearly as good a spot as any to start out. I received’t fake I wasn’t mildly sceptical concerning the quoted figures when these headphones first arrived, however having lived with them for a superb whereas, and on numerous completely different continents, I can’t disagree. The P100 will run for 60 hours with lively noise-cancellation switched on, and an epic 100 hours if it’s switched off. Sure, it’s important to be listening at unremarkable quantity ranges – however the truth stays, these numbers are achievable. And so they’re means past what the overwhelming majority of price-comparable rivals can provide. And must you be negligent sufficient to permit the worst to occur, 5 minutes on the facility is nice for a few ANC-enabled playback or 4 hours with it switched off.
The know-how profiting from this prodigious battery life is equally spectacular. Wi-fi connectivity, for instance, is taken care of by Bluetooth 5.3 and there’s multipoint connectivity together with aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless codec compatibility – so in addition to lossy 24bit/96kHz file-streaming, there’s lossless 16bit/44.1kHz decision accessible to these with an acceptable supply participant.
Not like most Class D-toting options, the Melomania P100 use hi-fi-tastic Class AB amplification – the identical form of know-how deployed in its vastly profitable CX vary of full-size stereo amplifiers. That is used to energy a few 40mm full-range dynamic drivers constructed from a three-layer composite association of polyurethane sandwiched between polyether ether ketone.
A complete of six mics handle lively noise-cancellation, voice-assistant interplay and telephony – Cambridge Audio has deployed Qualcomm cVc echo-cancelling and noise suppression know-how in an effort to maximise name high quality. The ANC itself is a hybrid system, with ‘low’, ‘mid’ and ‘excessive’ settings accessible alongside a ‘transparency’ mode.
Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 overview: Sound high quality
- Full of life, detailed and assured presentation
- Good tonal stability
- ‘Excellent’ ANC = ‘not class-leading’ ANC
Some wi-fi headphones at this form of cash wish to make it apparent that sure issues are beneath them. Some wi-fi headphones will take a 320kbps MP3 file from Spotify’s free tier and mainly maintain it up for ridicule. The Melomania P100 are usually not these headphones.
Clearly they like some 16bit/44.1kHz FLAC file motion from Qobuz or Tidal. Clearly they like being hard-wired to a DAC/headphone amp churning out the 24bit/192kHz stuff much more. However they don’t decide – give them what you’ve obtained and so they’ll do their finest with it.
And ‘their finest’ seems to be very agreeable certainly. Throughout the course of this take a look at I listened to (for instance) Jersey Woman by Tom Waits as a 320kbps MP3, Salt within the Wound by boygenius as a 16bt/44.1kHz FLAC file and a 24bit/192kHz FLAC file of David Bowie’s Sound and Imaginative and prescient – and the Melomania P100 are by no means lower than entertaining and very often impressively insightful.
Dynamic headroom, as an example, is appreciable – so the place the broad strokes of ‘quiet’ modulating to ‘loud’ are involved, the Cambridge Audio are greater than able to maintaining. It doesn’t matter the rise in depth, the P100 can observe it with out discernible stress. And the extra delicate harmonic variations obvious in a voice or an instrument from be aware to notice are picked up on simply as readily. However whereas the P100 extract and contextualise an enormous quantity of element from any given recording, they’re not analytical for the sake of it. Greater than something, they’re an lively and completely participating pay attention.
From the highest of the frequency vary to the underside, the Cambridge Audio are convincingly built-in and unwilling have any favorites. The underside finish is substantial, and it packs a punch – however there’s management to associate with the presence, and assault is so straight-edged that rhythms are expressed with actual confidence. The alternative finish has loads of chew, but it surely’s not in any means skinny or undernourished. There’s substance to treble sounds (in addition to a complete lot of variation) to stability out their brilliance. And in between, the midrange manages to safe a little bit pocket of area during which to function with out sounding estranged from the remainder of the frequency info – and has an eloquent, revealing means with a vocalist that enables character and perspective full expression.
Soundstaging is nice, each within the easy measurement and spectacular definition of the world. And regardless of the quantity of room that’s accessible, there’s a decent unity and togetherness about the way in which the P100 current a recording. Tonally, the sound is fractionally hotter than ‘impartial’ – however this can be a attribute far more than it’s a shortcoming.
Actually, it’s solely the place lively noise-cancellation is worried that the Cambridge Audio are something lower than absolutely and fairly aggressively aggressive. The ANC right here may be very acceptable, don’t get me mistaken – it is going to do a job on exterior distractions of all kinds, and with out leaving a counter-signal or shift in tonality in its wake. However there continues to be no two methods about it: if you’d like the very best noise-cancellation accessible at a given value (and also you don’t thoughts some sacrifices in different areas) you purchase a pair of Bose.
- Sound high quality rating: 4.5/5
Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 overview: Design
- Vegan leather-based earpads and headband
- Black or white finishes
- Bodily, reasonably than contact, controls
Sensibly, there aren’t any shocks available the place the design of the Melomania P100 is worried. They give the impression of being, and really feel, like a fairly upmarket pair of wi-fi over-ear headphones. Though personally, I a lot favor the black end to the white – it’s extra harmonious, in some way.
Anyway, the P100 are very agreeably constructed and completed, from a pleasant combination of reminiscence foam and vegan leather-based for the (removable) earpads, extra vegan leather-based on the skin of the scarf with sturdy, properly padded cloth on the within. The adjustment mechanism is hid inside the scarf, and the arms, yokes and outer portion of the earcups are all of aluminium. An all-in weight of 330g is fairly atypical by prevailing requirements, and the properly judged clamping pressure means the headphones are comfy on the top for a superb very long time. Definitely for longer than it takes for the earpads to warmth your ears up, that’s for certain.
There are just a few bodily controls distributed across the edges of every earcup. On the left there’s a slider that covers ‘energy on/off’ and ‘Bluetooth pairing’, and a button that lets you cycle by means of your ANC choices (‘off’, ‘on’ or ‘transparency’) or summon your voice assistant. There’s additionally a USB-C socket for charging the battery, and it may also be used for knowledge switch – Cambridge Audio provides good USB-C / USB-C and USB-C / 3.5mm cables within the P100’s strong, however not particularly compact, journey case. On the best earcup is the standard three-button strip, coping with ‘play/pause’, ‘skip forwards/backwards’ and ‘quantity up/down’.
Different performance is accessed through the ‘Melomania Join’ app that’s free for iOS and Android. Right here’s the place you verify for firmware updates, verify on battery life, and choose the extent of noise-cancellation you’d favor. It has a seven-band equaliser with half-a-dozen presets and the ability to avoid wasting loads of your individual customized settings. It’s the place you possibly can swap ‘automated play/pause’ on or off and allow ‘gaming mode’ (which is able to cut back latency to lower than 80m/s). And it’s the place you get to pick the form of audible suggestions you’d like – swap it off, have tones inform you what’s what, or select from certainly one of 9 completely different languages.
Truly, there’s no distinction within the language if you choose ‘English’ or ‘Southwark’, however the latter, as with the Melomania M100 true wi-fi earbuds, is voiced by actor Matt Berry. That is as worthwhile a novel promoting level as I feel I’ve ever encountered – I’ve been utilizing these headphones for fairly some time now and am nonetheless nowhere close to bored of listening to “machine one… disconnected” delivered within the fruitiest voice conceivable.
It’s price taking a second to understand Cambridge Audio’s dedication to ‘circularity’ of design right here. The P100 packaging is plastic-free and 100% recyclable. The battery and the earpads are replaceable by the tip consumer, utilizing normal instruments. 50% of the plastics used within the development of the headphones, and 100% of the uncommon earth neodymium within the drivers, are recycled. None of which is to be sniffed at.
Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 overview: Worth
- Remarkably thorough specification
- Frankly staggering battery life
- Nice across-the-board sound high quality
While you line the Melomania P100 up in opposition to just about any price-comparable competitor (and fairly just a few that price a bit extra), the worth for cash they signify can’t actually be argued with.
Specification is forward of the curve, battery life is nearly as good because it at the moment will get, construct high quality and the usual of end can’t be argued with. And the sound they make – detailed, direct and endlessly listenable – is profoundly aggressive too.
Ought to I purchase the Cambridge Audio Melomania P100?
|
Part |
Notes |
Rating |
|---|---|---|
|
Options |
Consumer-replaceable batteries, a 100-hour battery and Matt Berry are simply three glorious USPs right here |
5/5 |
|
Sound high quality |
Beautiful tonal stability, element and vitality – good ANC (reasonably than wonderful) |
4.5/5 |
|
Design |
Very properly constructed and comfy; the case is only a contact large |
4.5/5 |
|
Worth |
So aggressively priced for what they’re; exceptional |
5/5 |
Purchase them if…
Do not buy them if…
Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 overview: Additionally think about
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 |
Bose QuietComfort Extremely Headphones |
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wi-fi |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Worth |
$279 / £229 / AU$479 |
$429 / £449 / AU$649 |
$349.95 / £300 / AU$549 |
|
Drivers |
40mm dynamic |
35mm dynamic |
40mm dynamic |
|
Lively noise cancellation |
Sure |
Sure |
Sure |
|
Quoted battery life |
100 hours (ANC off); 60 hours (ANC on) |
24 hours (ANC on) |
60 hours (ANC on) |
|
Weight |
0.73lb / 330g |
0.6 lb / 250g |
0.65 lb / 293g |
|
Connectivity |
Bluetooth 5.3; aptX Lossless; USB-C audio; USB-C to three.5mm additionally provided |
Bluetooth 5.3, Snapdragon Sound, 2.5mm audio jack, USB-C for charging |
Bluetooth 5.2, aptX Adaptive, 3.5mm jack, USB-C |
|
Frequency vary |
Not listed |
Not listed |
6Hz – 22kHz |
|
Different options |
Melomania app assist, Matt Berry, consumer replaceable batteries |
Immersive Audio spatial audio, Bose Music app assist, put on detection, multi-point connectivity |
Sennheiser app assist, USB-C audio, multi-point connectivity |
How I examined the Cambridge Audio Melomania P100
- Utilizing iOS and Android gadgets
- Utilizing quite a lot of Bluetooth codecs
- With music of many sorts
Throughout properly over per week of just about fixed use, the Melomania P100 had been related to a MacBook Professional, an iPhone 14 Professional and a Samsung Galaxy S23 as a way to hearken to as many various codecs and sources of music as realistically potential. The music, naturally, was of many various file sorts, sizes and types. Lively noise-cancellation was examined by taking the Cambridge Audio with me on a number of journeys on public transport – which additionally helped me take a look at the claims for battery life.