Cambridge Audio Refines Its Melomania P100 SE Wireless Headphones With New Features

Forbes

2 days ago

Last year, Cambridge Audio received endless plaudits for its new Melomania P100 over-the-ear wireless headphones. You'd think that having so many accolades would be enough for James Johnson Flint, owner of Cambridge Audio and the driving force behind the Melomania product lineup, but apparently not.
Cambridge has decided to update its first pair of wireless ANC headphones with the announcement of the Melomania P100 Special Edition. The new headphones build on the success of the original P100 and this second-generation has new tuning with a more powerful and immersive playback. The bass frequencies have also been tweaked to make the dynamics of the overall sound more refined.
Improvements have been made while preserving the transparent and emotive sound of the original P100 that so many people seemed to love. Described as an evolution, the new P100 SE feature Cambridge's proprietary DynamEQ technology, which is designed to ensure details stay intact and balanced even when playing at low volumes.
Other new features include a more-cushioned headband for extra comfort during long listening sessions. The new version also sees the addition of a bold Blue colorway with a fresh and stylish look alongside the original Black and White finishes. The other visible change sees the P100 SE sporting the new Cambridge logo and branding, which first appeared on the new Melomania A100 true wireless earphones.
Signature Sound Evolved
These new P100 SE headphones have a custom 40mm composite driver with a three-layers diaphragm and neodymium magnets. The amplification is Class AB rather than the more usual Class D, which is the same amplification technology used in Cambridge's award-winning CX Series of hi-fi amplifiers. The company says the result is rich and detailed audio with deep bass, clear mids and crisp highs.
For those with compatible Android devices, the P100 SE also support Qualcomm's Snapdragon Sound platform and the aptX Lossless codec which provides CD-quality playback over Bluetooth with no lossy compression. There are also three levels of Active Noise Cancellation that enables users to tailor listening to their environment, whether that's on a flight, commuting on a train or working from home.
Customized Listening
Out of the box, the P100 SE produce the classic Cambridge signature sound that's both transparent and natural. The designers say they want to take listeners closer to the music without distorting it. However, everyone has different tastes for how they perceive music. The P100 SE offer an array of options to help the user find the sound that best suits them.
The Melomania Connect app has also been revamped so that users can sculpt the sound of the headphones to suit their favorite genre of music. There are six EQ presets or the user can tweak the sound manually to a precise degree using a detailed seven-band EQ.
Cambridge has also developed something it calls DynamEQ technology. This aims to keep the music balanced even at lower volumes by subtly adjusting bass and treble levels throughout the entire volume curve. P100 SE ensure that each track sounds full and natural at any volume level.
The P100 SE also have a low-latency gaming mode which reduces the delay over Bluetooth to just 80ms. In practise, this means the listener can experience near-perfect screen and sound syncing when playing the latest games or watching movies.
Long Battery Life
A full charge of the Cambridge Melomania P100 SE can provide up to 60 hours of playing time with the ANC turned on. Switch the ANC off and the headphones can play on for up to 100 hours. There's also a fast-charge function that can turn a five-minute burst charge into two hours of playing time with ANC enabled.
The reengineered headband on the P100 SE has been designed to provide greater comfort and to suit every head shape. Cambridge says the clamping force has also been calibrated for long-term comfort for the largest range of head sizes.
As part of Cambridge Audio's commitment to sustainability, the P100 SE is made using 50% recycled plastic and the headphones ship in plastic-free and recyclable packaging. Both the batteries and ear cushions can be replaced by the user, which means the headphones should have a potentially longer life before they need to be recycled.
The Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 SE ANC wireless headphones are available on August 1, 2025, from cambridgeaudio.com or Amazon with a price of $299 / £249 / €279. The headphones are available in Blue, White or Black finishes.