Table of Contents
This article delves into the Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 Review, starting with specifications, progressing to pros and cons, and concluding with a detailed analysis. Read enjoy and let us know your feedback and experience.
Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 Specification
| Type | In-Canal |
| Wireless | Available |
| True Wireless | Available |
| Connection Type | Bluetooth |
| Water/Sweat-Resistant | Available |
| Active Noise Cancellation | Available |
Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 Pros and Cons
Pros
- Exceptional sound quality with a perfect balance
- Remarkable noise cancellation capabilities
- Long-lasting battery life that competes well with others
- Supports a wide range of audio codecs
- Convenient wireless charging feature
Cons
- Slightly bulky design
- On-ear controls have limited customization options
- Microphone quality is not as impressive as other features
Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 Review – An Overview
Cambridge Audio’s Melomania M100 true wireless earphones, priced at $219, offer significant improvements in both performance and cost compared to the $119.95 Melomania Touch. The upgrades, including larger drivers for richer sound, active noise cancellation (ANC), enhanced Bluetooth codec support, and extended battery life, make them a worthy investment. However, some users might find the earpiece design bulky, and the microphone signal may be faint. For iPhone users, the $249.99 AirPods Pro are recommended due to their seamless integration with iOS and better microphone quality. Nevertheless, if you use an Android phone, the M100 earphones provide an attractive alternative with support for hi-res Bluetooth streaming.
Earbuds Housing Case:
The Melomania M100 earbuds have a design similar to the Cambridge Audio Melomania Touch, with an in-ear extension and a slightly off-center casing. They come only in black, but with a touch of silver on the touch-sensitive area, giving them a sleek look. Cambridge Audio boasts that the earbuds are made with 50% recycled plastics, and their packaging is eco-friendly too, skipping plastic inserts.
Inside the box, you get three pairs of silicone ear tips and two pairs of foam tips. Both types of tips work well in keeping the buds snug in your ears and blocking out external noise. However, depending on your ear shape, the fit might feel a bit odd—I found that they didn’t sit deep enough in my ears.
Under the hood, the M100 earbuds pack 10mm dynamic drivers (up from 7mm in the Melomania Touch), supporting high-quality audio playback up to 24-bit, 24kHz. Although the frequency range isn’t specified, Cambridge Audio claims to use recycled neodymium magnets in the drivers. These earbuds support Bluetooth 5.3 and an impressive array of codecs, including aptX Lossless, allowing for nearly CD-quality audio transmission.
The inclusion of aptX Lossless is particularly noteworthy, but remember to check if your phone supports it. The earphones also offer features like Auracast Broadcast Audio, Google Fast Pair, Microsoft Swift Pair, and multipoint connectivity with up to two devices.
Each earpiece features touch controls on its surface. You can tap once to adjust ambient noise control modes or playback, twice to navigate tracks, and long-press to adjust volume. The controls are responsive, but I found them a bit tricky to hit consistently due to the earpieces’ fit in my ears.
With an IPX4 rating, the earbuds are sweat and rain-resistant but not suitable for submersion. If you need more rugged earphones for workouts, consider the Jabra Elite 8 Active.
The charging case is a bit bulky and weighs 2.35 ounces with the buds inside. It supports Qi wireless charging and has LED lights to show battery level. While the case lid feels a bit flimsy, it gets the job done.
Cambridge Audio claims the M100 buds offer 10 hours of battery life with ANC on and 16 hours with it off. The case provides an additional 23 to 36 hours of charge. Charging takes about 2.5 hours for the case and buds to fully recharge.
App Experience :
Cambridge Audio’s Melomania app, available for both Android and iOS, has a user-friendly interface. At the top of the main page, you can easily check the battery levels of your earbuds and charging case.
Below that, you’ll find various options presented in tiles. For controlling ambient noise, simply tap on “Ambient Noise Control” to choose between Normal, Noise Cancelling, and Transparency modes. You can fine-tune Noise Cancelling and Transparency levels to your preference.
The app also offers EQ presets like Blues, Electronic, Flat, Natural, Rock, and Voice. Plus, you can create your own custom EQ using seven bands.
Other handy features include toggling touch controls, activating wear detect (which pauses music when you remove the earbuds), switching to mono audio, enabling sleep mode, and activating low-latency gaming mode. You can also adjust in-ear prompts and set the automatic power-off time.
For additional settings and support, head to the separate settings page. Here, you can provide feedback, register your earphones, seek technical support, reset the in-app tutorial, or perform firmware updates.
Noise Cancellation :
The M100 earphones are a great choice for blocking out unwanted sounds. Whether it’s the rumble of a fan or the chatter of a crowded cafe, these earbuds excel at reducing distractions. Even at just 20% volume, your music comes through crystal clear, without any distortion.
Compared to some top competitors like the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Earbuds and Sony WF-1000XM5, the M100s hold their own, though they’re not quite at the top of the class.
When I tested the Transparency mode, I noticed that it was a bit tricky to hear conversations while music was playing softly. Cranking up the volume helps, but it can introduce a bit of background hiss. The AirPods Pro’s Adaptive Audio does a smoother job in this department.
Overall, the M100 earphones are a solid pick for anyone looking to tune out the world and focus on their music.
Sound Quality :
The Melomania M100 earphones deliver high-quality sound with plenty of customization options. I tested out different presets but settled on a neutral setting for my review.
No matter the music genre, these earphones handle it all with finesse. From deep bass in songs like “Silent Shout” and “Loyalty” to intricate melodies in “Out of Frequency,” the drivers offer a rich listening experience. You can tweak the EQ to amp up the bass if you want a bit more punch.
What’s great is that while the bass shines, it doesn’t drown out the vocals or the higher notes. Songs with lots of synth or intricate effects, like “The Hazards of Love,” sound beautiful and balanced.
These earphones impress across various musical styles, whether it’s classical tunes like “Rhapsody in Blue,” funky beats in “Fugue State,” or soulful melodies in “Over My Head.”
However, when it comes to making calls, the microphone quality falls a bit short. In quiet spaces, my voice often sounded distant and muffled. Even in a noisy cafe, it was tough for the person on the other end to hear me clearly when I recorded a call on my phone.
Top-Notch Earbuds for Hi-Fi Android Listeners :
The Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 earphones offer fantastic noise cancellation, long battery life, and great sound quality, all at a price lower than other top competitors. Plus, if you have an Android phone that supports it, you can enjoy nearly flawless audio streaming over Bluetooth.
The only downside is that the microphone isn’t as good as it could be, and the transparency mode isn’t super smooth. However, for Android users, these are minor issues considering how well the earphones perform overall, especially for the price.
While we also like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra and Sony WF-1000XM5, they’re a bit pricier, costing almost $100 more. For iPhone users, we recommend the AirPods Pro because they have similar noise cancellation, clearer microphones, and work seamlessly with iOS devices.
