Cambridge Audio Melomania A100

Bluetooth specs

In addition to the driver and housing design, as well as the manufacturer’s standard electronic frequency response tuning, the audio codec used for Bluetooth transmission also influences sound quality. The Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 uses Bluetooth 5.4 and supports, alongside the usual suspects, the high-resolution LDAC and aptX Lossless formats. These can transfer larger amounts of data between sender and receiver, minimising lossy compression. The source device, however, must also support these formats. For example, Apple iOS devices are limited to AAC and SBC, and therefore offer lower data transfer rates.

Wearing comfort

The lightweight Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 offers a high level of wearing comfort. The earbuds sit securely and pressure-free in the ear, sealing well with the right eartips to provide adequate passive isolation and allow bass to build in the ear canal.

They also seem well-suited for sports use. With an IPX5 rating, the headphones are well protected for outdoor activities.

In our test, the Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 maintained a robust wireless connection, working over several rooms without dropouts.

Battery life

Depending on volume, they provide up to 11 hours of playback (ANC off) or 6.5 hours (ANC on). The compact charging case with USB-C port, and limited wireless charging capability, offers an additional 28 hours of capacity—enough for long-haul flights. A full charge takes about three hours, with fast charging supported.

App control

The intuitive Melomania app offers extensive configuration options. The touch-sensitive surfaces allow single, double, and triple taps as well as long presses, all of which worked reliably in practice. This provides quick access to music and volume controls, call management, ANC configuration, and voice assistants. A sleep mode lets you temporarily disable touch functions.

The app also offers a 7-band EQ with preset profiles, as well as the option to fine-tune and save your own settings. A minor flaw: custom EQ settings cannot be deleted or saved under the same name once modified.

Additional app features include auto-pause when removing the headphones, auto power-off after inactivity, multi-language voice prompts (which can also be disabled), a “find my earbuds” function, low-latency mode for games and videos, and a mono playback option.

Noise cancelling

The integrated adaptive noise cancelling offers effective shielding from ambient noise and enhances the music experience. Intensity can be set to three levels in the app or automatically adjusted based on movement.

With a single button press, ANC can be switched off or set to transparency mode for quick conversations. No further adjustments are possible here, and there’s no temporary mode like some Sony products offer.

Sound

The Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 uses 10 mm dynamic drivers with neodymium magnets and a Class A/B amplifier to deliver a full frequency range from genuine sub-bass to the upper registers. That said, I wouldn’t fully agree with the manufacturer’s claim that the “A100 sounds like a classic hi-fi component straight out of the box.”

In reality, the out-of-the-box sound felt unbalanced at the spectrum extremes to me. There’s a clear overemphasis in the sub-bass (e.g. Yello: Pan Blue) that overshadows mids and highs, along with a slight lack of transparency. Thankfully, the EQ comes to the rescue: with adjustments, the sound improved dramatically and could be stored in the headphones—unlocking a surprisingly enjoyable listening experience.

With tuning, the Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 delivers a balanced, detailed sound. Dynamics and spatial imaging are good for this price category, as heard in Strange Place for Snow (Esbjörn Svensson Trio). Tracks like Daft Punk’s Get Lucky showcase a wide stereo panorama. Vocals and acoustic instruments sound natural. Pop, rock, EDM, jazz, classical and even heavy metal come through engagingly and, when required, with satisfying punch. No harshness was detected.

A dynamic EQ can also be enabled, which acts like a loudness control, automatically adjusting tonal fullness with volume. In practice, I found this effect subtle, preferring manual EQ correction.

Considering its €139 RRP, this is an impressive performance. While it’s not an audiophile reference, it’s an excellent true wireless choice for everyday and sports use.

Call quality

Six microphones are used for calls, supported by additional echo and noise reduction. In practice, some conversation partners praised clarity in noisy environments, while others were less impressed. My own speech intelligibility was consistently good. Multipoint pairing with two devices is supported, keeping work calls audible at all times.

Conclusion

The Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 combines comfort, noise cancelling, practical battery life and impressive sound at a highly attractive price. While not an audiophile’s dream, it’s a first-rate everyday product.