When an established company enters a new product category, there is a lot of pressure to immediately impress the masses, especially when they have a proven track record in their industry. That’s what Cambridge Audio faced when it debuted its first wireless headphones this year Melomania P100 ($279). He already did Melomania M100 wireless headphonesbut with a reputation built primarily on hi-fi amplifiers, digital-to-analog converters (DACs) and speakers, the company was entering uncharted waters.
With the P100, Cambridge Audio managed to leave a lasting first impression out of the box. Starting with the sleek look, it’s clear that the company is serious about aiming for the best in the category. It has partnered aesthetics with long battery life, user-friendly maintenance options and a crisp, clear sound profile for a very attractive package in its first attempt.
Cambridge Audio
Cambridge Audio’s first wireless headphones have a high-quality look and a long battery life, as the company prioritizes detail and clarity over increased bass.
- Elegant design
- 60 hours of battery life with ANC
- User replaceable battery
- Crisp, clear sound profile
- Stock tuning favors medium and high sounds
- The ear cushions are uncomfortable during long sessions
- No advanced features
What’s so good about the Melomania P100?
The P100 certainly looks like a flagship headset. In an era where many companies are opting for plastic-heavy constructions, even for their high-end models, it’s nice to see a polished design for under $300. Cambridge Audio aluminum accents combine with vegan leather and soft memory foam ear cups to do most of the heavy lifting here. The underside of the headband also features a cross hatch fabric that offers textural contrast while maintaining the color scheme.
Cambridge Audio has made no sacrifices in battery life with the P100, promising up to 60 hours of use with active noise cancellation (ANC). Plus, the company says you can get up to 100 hours of playtime with ANC disabled, depending on volume and other settings. I had no trouble hitting 60 hours during my battery tests, which I ran almost entirely while using noise cancellation. To make the P100 last longer than some headphones, the company allows users to replace the battery themselves if performance drops (the ear pads are also replaceable).
The P100 uses the same Class AB amplifier that powers the Cambridge Audio CX series hi-fi amplifiers. This provides “audibly better” sound performance than that found in almost all wireless headphones, according to the company. Triple-layer 40mm drivers complete an audio platform tuned for “precise highs and dynamic lows.”
During my tests, the P100 excelled at reproducing crisp, clean detail in every genre I threw at it. Even in the heaviest parts of Sleep Token’s “Vore,” the snare hits stayed strong, cutting through distorted guitar riffs with layered vocals. No such bass-heavy tracks though. the hard hitting they usually do. So the P100 was at its best for styles that required less low-end rumble—genres like country, jazz, and ’90s grunge.
What’s not so good about the Melomania P100?
My comments about the P100’s overall sound profile aren’t great news for those looking for a big bang while listening to the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Kaytranada, and other bass-heavy tunes. Cambridge Audio offers a number of presets to tweak the tuning, as well as full EQ for individual profiles. The changes were more subtle for the EQ sliders, so they didn’t quite deliver the punch I was after. However, unlike many equalizer options from other companies, none of these messed up the sound or made things worse.
Despite the soft touch of the P100 ear cushions, they don’t offer enough cushioning from the ridges of the ear cups during longer listening sessions. I used these on a cross-country trip that involved a full day of air travel and six hours of wearing headphones. After about 30 minutes I started to feel these edges. While they were never painful, it kept the P100 from competing with its peers Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and Sony WH-1000XM5 in terms of general comfort.
Cambridge Audio has done well to cover all the bases in the P100. It has reliable, easy-to-use physical controls, solid adaptive ANC performance, and aptX Lossless support. Wear detection and multipoint Bluetooth, 24-bit/96kHz wired listening and a five-minute quick-charge tool are also in the spotlight. What you won’t find are things like speech detection, any recording of spatial audio, or some of the automated features offered by the competition. Of course, given the price, I can forgive the P100’s flaws, but these are the kinds of conveniences that are increasingly becoming essential features, so it would be nice to have one or two.
Final verdict on the Melomania P100
I’m impressed with what Cambridge Audio has come up with for their first set of wireless headphones. It’s clear that the company knows how to produce clear, balanced audio, even if the P100 could use more low-end tones. The combination of design, sound, repairability, and battery life make this an attractive option for under $300. And now that the company has a solid foundation, I expect to be blown away by whatever comes next.
