I tested the Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 noise-cancelling earbuds and while excellent they make this one key compromise
Excellent value for money, the A100 are an engaging listen with very good options and controls. The downside is that you can get better just a little further up the ladder.
Pros Engaging sound
Decent noise cancelling
Competitively priced
Very compact
Cons Not great with wind
No wireless charging
Battery life has been reduced
Introduction
Cambridge Audio's Melomania series has been a refreshing alternative to the mainsteam true wireless earphone illuminati. The company may still be known for its hi-fi separates but last year's Melomania P100 over-ears were an absolute triumph, which I still turn to at home.
The design might not have been to everyone's tastes but the audio quality was great and you can't argue with 60 hours of battery life with the noise-cancelling turned on. You can now pick them up for less than $200/£200 and that is an absolute steal.
However, things have been a bit patchier for Cambridge's forays into true wireless buds. These new A100s build on last year's M100s with a more compact design and footprint. But can they also further banish Cambridge's mistakes of the past? Some early Melomania buds such as the 1+ had software flaws and were difficult to use consistently.
The move to the A100s from the M100s is an interesting one. Cambridge has told me that 'A100 will replace M100 as stocks run down' but these are quite different buds from the M100s. Notably they are more compact as I said, but the big compromise is that they have shorter battery life as a result. That's made palatable by the price point, which clocks in at $150/£119//€139.
Things are pretty competitive around this price point – the AirPods 4 are only a little more expensive. Sony's LinkBuds S are similarly priced, while the original Bose QuietComfort Earbuds cost aroud $20 more. All are serious competitors.
How we test headphones
Every pair of earphones and headphones reviewed on Stuff is used for a minimum of a week's worth of daily listening. We use a playlist of test tracks made up of multiple genres to assess sound, and use our years of experience to compare to other models. Manufacturers have no visibility on reviews before they appear online, and we never accept payment to feature products.
Find out more about how we test and rate products.
Design: plasticky but not cheap
The buds are made from smooth plastic but they don't feel cheap and sit in the ear nicely. Indeed, they're instantly comfortable – I found there was no jostling to ensure comfort and I really enjoyed wearing them, which I can't say for a lot of earbuds.
The case, too, has a quality to it. It certainly doesn't have the lid flexing you find on so many true wireless bud boxes. There are indicator lights on the front to show battery life (and for pairing), a USB-C port at the rear (there's no wireless charging) and a pairing button on the base.
The A100s anre available in both black and white. They come with medium ear tips pre-fitted, but there are two other options in the box for small or large ear canals.
Specs: plenty on offer, but battery life worse than before
Hardware-wise there's a huge amount on offer from the A100s, which support a wider range of codecs than many rivals – LDAC, aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive, AAC and SBC. Thanks to Bluetooth 5.4 there's also multipoint support for connecting to more than one device.
These aren't rugged earbuds of course, but there is IPX5 water resistance so you'll have no problem in even serious rain showers.
The reduced battery life from the M100s is an interesting facet of these headphones. The M100 offered 52 hours battery life in total with the case and up to 16 hours in the buds with ANC off. Despite the reduction, the A100 still offer quite hefty playback times – a total of 39 hours, 11 hours for the buds with ANC off and 6.5 hours with ANC on.
The ANC seems a little more power hungry than rivals, then, but it's not absolutely crazy. We bet you wouldn't notice the compromise in overall battery life of the case and buds, especially if you're coming from a pair that only offers three or four hours.
There is a fast charging feature that will gives you up to three hours of playback from a 10-minute charge.
Perhaps my favorite feature of the A100s is transported over from previous Cambridge buds. And it's that the default controls are excellent and clear to use. Single taps on a bud will cycle between noise cancellation, transparency and ANC off. And there's a clear voice indication to tell you so – no mystic beeps that you're supposed to be able to interpret. A double tap gets you to your voice assistant.
Sound quality: impressively good
The quality of these buds is excellent when listening to either music or podcasts and they genuinely do sound more expensive than they actually are.
Noise cancelling is fine for the price – certainly we couldn't hear details of conversations happening quite close to us even when the music wasn't at a particularly high volume. However, I felt wind resistance was poor when out and about and I certainly can't recommend them on this regard. This also causes problems for voice calls when you're on the move, which is a shame. However, general voice quality is good and that's something that has obviously been worked on with a six microphone array present.
The transparency mode is OK, but I found I preferred to turn the noise cancellation off if I needed to be aware of anything else. It will be useful for city walks and other situations where you need to stay aware of your surroundings though.
Cambridge's own DynamEQ tech is designed to keep music balanced even at low volumes and I found it does a pretty good job of it – as you can see below you're able to enable or disable this within the app. There's also a 7 band equalizer in the app to fine-tune the EQ to your own preferences should you desire.
App and settings: much improved
Cambridge Audio has significantly improved its Melomania app this time around and for the A100s there are a huge amount of options you can choose as well as doing the basics (such as changing the level of noise cancellation) and checking in on battery life.
There's an equalizer as we mentioned above, while you can also enable or disable wear detect (so they pause when you remove then) as well as enable modes for different times – sleep or gaming. You can also choose when they power off. Indeed the only time I felt disappointed by the app experience was during the pairing process as it took a while to recognise the earbuds once they were paired with my phone. But in general use, it's an excellent companion even though I was using a pre-release version to test the A100s.
Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 verdict
Obviously there are better noise cancelling buds out there – but they tend to be more expensive than the A100s. And so for an everyday pair of buds that don't cost a small fortune they're undoubtedly worth the outlay. At this price point there's a serious list of challengers though.
The noise cancellation is fine for general noise, but can't cope with wind gusts at which point it's hard to hear your music. However, in a standard environment they're an engaging listen and can boast of quality that is beyond their size and cost. There are compromises – hence my four star rating – but they also earn our Recommended badge as I have enjoyed listening to them a great deal, and so will you.
Stuff Says…
Score: 4/5
Excellent value for money, the A100 are an engaging listen with very good options and controls. The downside is that you can get better just a little further up the ladder.
Pros
Engaging sound
Decent noise cancelling
Competitively priced
Very compact
Cons
Not great with wind
No wireless charging
Battery life has been reduced
Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 technical specifications
Drivers 2x 10mm Neodymium drivers ANC Yes Bluetooth version Bluetooth 5.4 Codecs supported LDAC, aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive, AAC and SBC Durability IPX5 Battery life 6.5 hours ANC on (buds), 39 hours (with case) Dimensions 152x76x23mm, 72g (case)
9.4g/ 0.33oz (buds, each)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Stuff.tv
18-07-2025
- Stuff.tv
This excellent 50in Sony 4K TV won't stay this cheap for long
I've tested quite a few 4K TVs, and Sony is regarded as one of the best. The tech giant offers excellent picture quality and colour accuracy on its sets. Some of Sony's previous TVs have actually won our awards for the best TV of the year. But, as good as they are, a new set can often be fairly pricey. That's why there's never been a better time to by a 50in Sony 4K TV, thanks to this limited-time promotion from EE. The excellent Sony KD-50X75WL 4K Android TV has been reduced by £130 – bringing the price to £369 from the regular ticket of £499. You can get this saving for today only (18 July) via the EE app, while stocks last. You don't even need to be an existing customer! US shoppers, unfortunately, miss out. The Sony KD-50X75WL is a 50in 4K smart TV that packs plenty of smarts. It's got Sony's X1 Processor under the hood, which means sharper visuals, punchier contrast, and colours that actually pop. Google TV is baked right in, so you get all your streaming favourites – Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, YouTube, and more – without needing an extra box or stick dangling from the back. Voice control with Google Assistant is on hand too, meaning you can shout commands at the telly. Sound-wise, you get the X-Balanced Speaker paired with Dolby Audio. It should sound fairly decent without you having to shell out for a soundbar straight away. And the design's not too shabby either, with a slim bezel and modern aesthetic that'll suit any room. If you do miss out on this deal, don't worry! EE has also reduced the top-rated Bravia 3, that we liked when we saw, for today only. It's down to £549 from the regular price of £799 for the latest model – a deal you don't want to miss.
Stuff.tv
02-07-2025
- Stuff.tv
Sony just gave our favourite headphones a free upgrade they actually needed
Not to sound like a broken record, but the new Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones really are a stellar set of cans. They're some of, if not the best noise-canceling headphones money can buy. Replacing the XM5s, they've easily jumped to be some of our favourite cans, and now they're getting even better. The excellent WH-1000XM6 headphones, alongside the WF-1000XM5 earbuds, are getting a free update that adds some useful features, not just vague promises of 'stability improvements.' Rolled out via Sony's Sound Connect app, the updates bring a handful of changes that make these headphones feel even more premium. Version 5.0.2 for the XM6 over-ears and 2.0.2 for the XM5 in-ears unlock new tricks like a low-latency mode. It's ideal for anyone that spends most of their time watching content or gaming with these headphones. Quick Access and Scene-based Listening also get a welcome tune-up. The features will now switch to your tunes more quickly based on your activity or location. The over-ears get some bonus features, including voice call improvements that work regardless of how much ambient sound you let in. There's even moisture detection for the USB-C port now, so if you've got them sweaty or soggy, it's not the end of the world. Multilingual voice control options have also expanded to include French, German and Spanish. Sony's free software update for these headphones is free and available now through the Sound Connect app. Updating can take up to an hour, and your headphones need to be fully charged first.
Stuff.tv
01-07-2025
- Stuff.tv
The Nothing Headphones 1 are divisive, but I found lots more to like here than just bold design
Stuff Verdict Nothing's first headphones will please its passionate fanbase. Distinctive design, effective ANC and enjoyable audio impress, but they don't disrupt the market like the firm's previous audio efforts. Pros Funky looks meet functional controls Competitive noise cancelling and dynamic sound Comfortable and with enough battery for all-day listening Cons Some features restricted to Nothing smartphones You'll either love or hate the styling Can't match (pricier) class leaders on audio or ANC Introduction It was only a matter of time, wasn't it? Having cut its teeth on multiple generations of true wireless earphones, burgeoning tech brand Nothing has finally taken a stab at its first pair of over-ears. Headphone (1) evolves the firm's signature see-through styling and ditches touch inputs for intuitive physical controls, while speaker specialist KEF has lent an audio helping hand. These eye-catching cans represent a change of tactics, though. Instead of sitting in Nothing's established budget territory, Headphone (1) is heading upmarket to take on the best headphone front runners. At $299/£299/€299 they undercut the usual suspects from Sony, Bose et al – but clash directly with previous-gen greats like the Sony XM5, Bowers Px7 S2e and Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless. All are still capable of going a few rounds against a young upstart. Has Nothing done enough here to stand out from the pack on more than looks alone? How we test headphones Every pair of earphones and headphones reviewed on Stuff is used for a minimum of a week's worth of daily listening. We use a playlist of test tracks made up of multiple genres to assess sound, and use our years of experience to compare to other models. Manufacturers have no visibility on reviews before they appear online, and we never accept payment to feature products. Find out more about how we test and rate products. Design & comfort: hip to be square There's really no mistaking Headphone (1) for anything but a Nothing product, with transparent ear cups that proudly show off a mix of geometric shapes and textures that hint at the electronics underneath. I get cassette tape vibes, if you're old enough to know what those are. The circle-meets-square shape is pretty out there, especially if you go for the white version; slap on some silver face paint and your Dr Who Cybermen cosplay is basically complete. The black model is only a little subtler. Few over-ear headphones stray so far into fashion statement territory. It'll surely prove divisive, even among Nothing fans, but I like that the firm is willing to take risks. Fair play for resisting the urge to add glyph lighting LEDs, too – although given Phone 3 has ditched them in favour of a dot matrix, maybe that didn't take much restraint after all. Elsewhere things are a little more traditional, with oval-shaped ear cushions stuffed with memory foam and lined with faux leather for maximum sound isolation (at the cost of sweaty ears after prolonged listening sessions). The head cushion gets the same treatment, while the headband slides smoothly to adjust the fit. The ear cups then have tilting, pivoting arms that can each turn 90 degrees, letting you wear the headphones flush around your neck – handy, as it doesn't fold for travel. Even with the headband at its most extended, though, I found the square parts would butt into my chin more than a regular-shaped pair might. Comfort was otherwise pretty good, with just the right amount of clamping force and enough padding in all the right places that I could wear them for an entire work day and not feel worse for it once I'd clocked off. That's a big deal, as at 329g these are heavier than pretty much all of the class leaders. They would definitely shift around on my head when I was running, so I would't recommend them for exercise. Some of that weight can be chalked up to the metal used for the square parts of each ear cup. Everything else is made from polycarbonate. Nothing knows a thing or two about picking plastics that don't feel cheap, of course, so Headphone (1) largely holds its own on the materials front against similarly-priced rivals. I'm honestly a bit surprised it went to the effort of getting an IP rating, as I rarely see one on over-ear headphones; IP52 is pretty basic, but means you don't have to worry about sweat doing damage. Features & battery: button it Open the box and you'll find the Headphone (1) nestled in its bundled hard-shell carry case, which has a fairly large footprint but is slim enough to slide easily in and out of a rucksack. It's got a mesh pocket for stashing all the cables you could need. USB-C and 3.5mm are included for charging and analogue listening; you'll find ports for both on the right ear cup, next to the power switch. Physical controls are the order of the day here, with real thought having gone in to how you operate them all by touch alone. You spin the chunky roller to adjust volume, click it in to play or pause tracks, and long-press it to swap between noise cancelling modes. Nudging the slender Paddle button left or right skips tracks forward and backward – and holding it in fast-forwards or rewinds whatever's playing, if you media player supports it. I've found it very intuitive, and love not having to worry about overly sensitive touch surfaces accidentally skipping songs. The button that launches your phone's smart assistant lives on the outer part of the ear cup. On Nothing phones starting with Phone 3, it can be programmed to channel hop between different audio apps and favourites, or record a voice note with a long-press and send it straight to Nothing's Essential Space app. I like the idea of jumping between podcasts and Spotify playlists without having to reach for my phone, though I've not had the chance to test this out ahead of Phone 3's launch. Headphone (1) is quick to connect over Bluetooth 5.3, with Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair both on board. It's got dual connectivity for fast swapping between two devices, too. You'll have to head for Nothing's X app if you want to swap from AAC or SBC streaming (whichever your kit defaults to) to the higher quality LDAC. Voice calls are clear enough, with four of the six internal mics and some clever algorithms able to keep wind noise to a minimum while outdoors. I can't fault the wear detection, either; it never threw a false positive and paused my songs while I was moving. Nothing earns praise for battery life, too. I came very close to the firm's claimed 35 hours of ANC-on listening, which is a few hours more than either the Sony XM6 or Bowers Px7 S3 can manage – despite costing considerably more. There's easily enough juice here for a long-haul flight, and all the airport faff on either side. Disable noise cancelling and it'll do 80 hours per charge, while a five minute top-up is enough for over two more hours of ANC streaming. Sound quality and noise cancelling: we're in the big leagues now Without keen pricing to fall back on, the Headphone (1) has nowhere to run when it comes to performance. It gets off to a good start, with respectable noise cancelling ability. The sounds of next door's builders buzz-sawing through patio tiles were easily drowned out with music at a modest volume, and it all but deleted the low-frequency drone of my desk fan. Wind noise from having it blowing directly at my face wasn't a big deal either. The distinctive design posed a slight dilemma in how to test them on public transport or busy public spaces, but I managed to stay incognito long enough to confirm noisy subway carriages aren't a major concern. While Bose and Sony still set the standard, coping better with sudden changes in background noise and chatty fellow passengers, Nothing has largely kept in step with similarly-priced rivals. Sound quality is a similar story. The 40mm dynamic drivers deliver a lush, energetic presentation that isn't short on volume and doesn't skimp on low-end shove, even before you reach for the Bass Enhance settings. The sub-bass synths on Modestep's Shutting down slice through the mix, without taking away from the mids. My review sample showed some specific low-frequency distortion at extreme volumes with ANC enabled, but after speaking to other testers this seems to be an isolated issue. I'm waiting for Nothing to respond. KEF's tuning curve definitely leans towards a fun, v-shaped sound that won't sway audiophiles searching for neutrality or an analytical listen. That's not to say mid-range detail is lacking or pushed to the back of the mix; Zakk Wylde's thundering vocals still take precedence on Black Label Society's Stillborn. The closed-back drivers don't have the widest soundstage, but tunes don't sound overly enclosed or 'inside your head' either. This is an enjoyable listen overall, but Headphone (1) can't quite match the high frequency precision of Sennheiser's latest. It avoids sounding muddy, but the breathy vocals of Billie Eilish's Everything I Wanted didn't sparkle in quite the same way. Disabling noise cancelling sees this end of the spectrum sharpen up, but at the expense of bass presence. I definitely preferred to listen with ANC enabled. Interface: solve for X The latest version of Nothing's X companion app doesn't mix things up all that much, having previously ditched the dot matrix font for something a little easier to read. Anyone that's used a pair of the firm's wireless earbuds will recognise most of the features on offer, including customisable controls, a choice of noise cancelling modes, and a prominent battery life indicator right on the home screen – handy, as the headphones won't announce how much juice is left when you turn 'em on. You have to dig a bit to find wear detection, the low latency mode, and dual device connectivity. This is also where you'll apply firmware updates and access the Find My Headphones tool, which plays a loud noise should you misplace them. The big new addition is spatial audio, with fixed and head-tracking virtual upmixing on tap. The former helps expand the soundstage, creating the sensation your tunes are coming from further away. The latter pins sound in front of you, like you're at a gig or concert. It's as love-it-or-hate-it as any other take of the tech I've tried, and I'm not keen on the way treble takes extra presence with it enabled. I appreciate Nothing bringing is two-stage equaliser across from its in-ear range. There's a simple three-way slider for bass, mid and treble, plus a couple of presets that cover the basics; headphone geeks should head to the advanced EQ, which has choice of simple and advanced (8-band) EQ, the ability to make multiple profiles for different genres, and a QR code reader for importing community-made resets. Bass enhance also reappears, with five levels to pick from. I found level two could be a bit much for certain heavy electronic tracks, but it goes all the way to five if you want a skull-shaking low-end – and don't mind losing some definition elsewhere in the mix to bloated bass frequencies. Nothing Headphone 1 verdict If you're already sold on Nothing's styling, you'll be more than happy with how the Headphone (1) performs. It has punchy audio, effective noise cancelling, and very competitive battery life. It's no class leader on any one front, though, and is far from an impulse purchase like the firm's cheaper earbuds. You could spend similar money on the outgoing Sony XM5 if you want superior ANC, and the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless may be a better choice for critical listening. But if you like your tech to also make a fashion statement, this is basically in a class of one. Stuff Says… Score: 4/5 Nothing's first pair of headphones will please its passionate fanbase. Distinctive design, effective ANC and enjoyable audio help it take on established rivals, but they don't disrupt the market like the firm's other efforts. Pros Funky looks meet functional controls Competitive noise cancelling and dynamic sound Comfortable and with enough battery for all-day listening Cons Some features restricted to Nothing smartphones You'll either love or hate the styling Can't match (pricier) class leaders on audio or ANC Nothing Headphone 1 technical specifications Drivers 40mm dynamic ANC Yes, adaptive Bluetooth version Bluetooth 5.3 Codecs supported SBC, AAC, LDAC Durability IP52 Battery life 35 hours (ANC on) / 80 hours (ANC off) Dimensions 174x78x189mm, 329g
