Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 Earbuds Review

The headsets’ design, a significant step in price and performance, sets them apart from their bullet-shaped predecessor and aligns them with their successful forerunners. These headsets represent truly exciting upgrades. I have become a big fan of the larger drivers’ expansive sound, the vital battery time, and the improved Bluetooth codec support.

There is a slight difference if we compare their price tag of $219.00 with the Apple AirPods Pro’s $249.99. Still, the Pro has better mic quality, which helps you receive essential calls or attend Zoom meetings with clarity. M100 is also an alternative with good call handling because of Qualcomm’s three-mic cVc solution.

• aptX lossless provides redefined sound, and the EQ offers enough adjustability for audiophiles to select their preferred settings.
• There are three modes of Adaptive Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation. Activate the Wind Noise Reduction mode during severe weather to focus on your music without distortion.
• Play online games with 80ms low latency on your smartphone by switching on the Game Mode via Melomania Connect.
• With a full charge, users can continuously listen to their favorite songs for up to 10 hours of playback.
• The Transparency Mode lets users listen to outside sounds while listening to music to hear what’s happening around them. It will also help you hear important airport or public transport travel announcements.
• Call quality is remarkable, as each bud supports 3-microphone Qualcomm and Eco Cancelling and Noise Suppression (ECNS) technology. It helps your voice stand out above environmental sound and noise.

• The latest Bluetooth v 5.3 ensures incredible speeds, data capacity for music transmission, and seamless connectivity.
• Multipoint Connectivity lets you connect these earphones to two devices simultaneously, allowing you to take calls on your smartphone and listen to music on your laptop.
• The box contains five ear-tip pairs: small and large in premium memory foam and small, medium, and significant in silicone.
• They are designed with triple-core processor architecture and support complex use cases in the dual-core 32-bit processor application subsystem. Likewise, Single core 240 Mhz configurable Qualcomm Kalimba with DSP audio subsystem.
• Take a 10-minute coffee break to enjoy continuous 1.5 hours of playtime in your busy routines.
• Qi wireless compatible charging technology allows you to charge the charging case with no hassle of wires.

These earphones are impressively detailed and precise, with every drum snap and breathy vocal while playing Play Paradise Circus. However, the sound was too clean, forcing me to turn the volume to levels I shouldn’t recommend.

They have an even balance, with no part of the frequency range popping. The top end is smooth and clean, with no unnecessary sharp or bright edges. Philip Bailey’s Easy Lover and Phil Collins are impressive examples. The initial display of high notes can sound brash and garish on lesser earpieces. But on M100, they are composed, controlled, and comfortable to listen to. Moreover, the potent bass notes of Forget About Dre and Massive Attack’s Paradise Circus and Angel are shapely and rigid at the lower end.

Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 earpieces have a much smaller design than their bullet-shaped predecessors. They are roughly the same size and weight as Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 buds. However, the M100 has a more rounded design and feels much less bulky than the new Sennheiser flagship. The earbuds easily fit in my ears without twisting and locking like others. Each bud weighs 6.65g but is not specifically light given the competition; for example, Sony LinkBuds S weighs just 4.8g. They feel well-balanced, and the design makes them feel secure during jogging as if they want to stay close to your ear.

Each bud has custom 10mm drivers powered by Class A/B amplification to match the brand’s hi-fi stereo amplifiers. I wouldn’t name them fitness or sports-friendly earphones because they don’t have stabilizing bands or wings. The touch controls on each earbud allow users to change the volume, answer/reject calls, and control music playback. They respond well enough, although I infrequently find the need to make a second, firmer tap to perform the function. I prefer this to a hyper-sensitive touchpad that gets triggered by accidental brushes. The comfort level of these earphones is very good, and I feel no distress about wearing them for extended periods.

When you put them in, you hear some static sound due to the expanding foam, which will disappear once it fully expands. So, the road noise test and the cabin noise test both perform similarly well. When you wait for the ENC to kick in, you get close to 80% noise reduction without playing music. A bit of soft music will wipe out everything because when I do a simulation test, I get a lot of bass through my speaker. I can feel the rumbling base in my body but do not hear any of the low-humming noises.

The cafe test is also remarkable. Without music, environmental noise is reduced to around 70%. Turning on music knocks out 90% of environmental noise, which is impressive. Transparency Mode is also decent, and you get just enough implication to make it sound like you’re not wearing any buds. But it is not strong enough to overly amplify your surroundings, which works well. So, I do hear some wind noise here. It’s okay, but of course, in really high-wind situations, you do get more buffering.

Battery life may vary depending on the environment, music volume, ANC, and other factors. Cambridge claims that users can get more than two complete charges from the case, which seems reasonable. While testing the battery, I confirmed that the company’s claim was accurate. I didn’t need to recharge the Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 buds while testing them fully. Even after seven hours of ANC usage at high volume, the buds still had about 40% battery remaining.

The earpieces include fast charging, so 10 minutes of playback will give you one and a half hours. But that playback time is without Active Noise Cancellation. Although not the fastest charging here, it is still present for user convenience. As mentioned earlier, the case also supports Qi-wireless charging, which helps you stay cordless. You can enjoy additional excellent features in addition to these earpieces. The buds and case take two and a half hours to recharge completely.

Feature-wise, you also get top-end stuff if you want to use this to listen to your high-resolution audio file. Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 supports the latest Bluetooth 5.3 chipset, which supports Snapdragon sound with the aptX Lossless and SBC codec. Bit rate-wise, the aptX codec will not give you as good a performance as IDAC, but it’s also much more stable than IDAC.

You’re getting a fantastic volume level, testing them to enjoy proper lossless audio. With the aptX codec, I can comfortably listen at only 20% to 30% volume. I get a lot of volume at around 70%, an outstanding performance with plenty of power to go higher. These earpieces support an IPX4 waterproof rating, which is pretty standard and conservative for ANC headsets of this caliber.

So, you can sweat while wearing them while jogging or during gym workouts. However, it is advised to avoid submerging them in water or wearing them when swimming. These earpieces also offer seamless left and right capability, so you can use them single-sided. From the mic technology perspective, the Qualcomm CBC also includes 3 mic noise-cancelling tech.

The Cambridge app allows you to switch or turn off some different controls. You can update these settings with six EQ options. It also has a seven-band equalizer that you can use to customize the sound. Turn on the Gaming Mode for low latency and avoid lagging while playing online games.

• Melomania M100 True Wireless Headphones
• Quick Start Guide
• 3 x silicone ear tips (S, M & L)
• 2 x memory foam ear tips (S & L)

• USB-C to USB-C charging cable
• Function Controls Card
• Safety Instructions
• Brand Booklet