Aiming for Better: Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 Wireless ANC Headphones

Cambridge Audio, the British hi-fidelity company always striving for an emotional connection to music, launched its first over-ear headphones. Appealing to users familiar with the brand and anyone looking for an improved "hifi" experience, the new Melomania P100  on wireless headphones combine premium 40mm 3-layer composite drivers, a Qualcomm QCC3084 Bluetooth 5.3 platform with aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive, and active noise cancellation.
 
The brand entered the personal audio space with very unique and refined true wireless earbuds, and they needed to have something special to enter the broader over-ear headphones category. Without being as original on the design, the Melomania P100 Wireless Headphones certainly are a notable effort for a reasonable price. These days, most wireless ANC headphones have very similar features, given that they are mostly based on the existing platforms from the leading Bluetooth vendors. In this case, the association of the British hifi brand with Qualcomm allowed some room for refinements.

The Melomania P100 headphones were carefully designed and tuned by the company's engineers, the same passionate team behind Cambridge's hi-fi equipment - or at least that's the pitch. Realistically, the process started with the choice of a custom 40mm three-layer composite (PEEK+PU+PEEK) driver, matched with amplification that the company claims to be "Class AB" and "based on the highly acclaimed CX Series hi-fi amplifiers." A bit weird but probably also works for the intended audience. Cambridge Audio also admits that the drivers are "allowed to reach its full potential" by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Sound - which is what enables to support aptX Lossless over Bluetooth, or wireless lossless CD quality.

Of course, the P100 headphones also support AAC, apart from the other tiers within aptX Adaptive, up to 24-bit/96kHz. Users also have a choice of wired operation via USB-C to 3.5mm jack or USB-C to USB-C (both cables supplied). And for Bluetooth sources, the headphones support multipoint connectivity, allowing users to quickly switch from the living room streamer to a laptop or smartphone. Supporting the ANC features and also communications, the P100 are equipped with 6 microphones in total, allowing two-mic Qualcomm cVc echo cancelling and noise suppression for calls. "Melomania P100 is the closest you can get to a personal, portable Cambridge Audio hi-fi system. Our award-winning true wireless models gave our listeners an on-the-go entry to the Cambridge sound, but we wanted to offer music lovers a flagship over-ear option as well," says James Johnson-Flint, owner of Cambridge Audio.

The Melomania P100 builds on the brand's reputation for high-quality audio experiences but expands on the things that consumers looking for wireless headphones will value today. Such as a world-class 60-hour battery life (extending to 100 hours with noise-cancelling turned off). Actual experience depends highly on the aptX codec flavor being streamed, but fast charging means that just 5 minutes of charge time offers another 2 hours of ANC-enabled playback or 4 hours without ANC. In terms of Active Noise Cancellation the P100 offers a Transparency Mode and a "Cambridge sound" for music listening, as part of three user-selectable settings to give users a better experience. The ANC and listening modes are powered by Analog Devices ADAU1787 dedicated low power audio platform with FastDSP for ANC processing. Within the Melomania Connect control app, users can personalize the response using an ambitious seven-band EQ, and choose from six presets tailored to multiple music genres. 

The P100 headphones also support a Gaming Mode, which ensures the latency was reduced to 80ms for better screen/sound sync. When setting up connections, changing presets or any interaction with the headphones, users will be surprised to receive audible feedback, with messages guest-voiced by actor and musician Matt Berry (if they have chosen English language) - a concept that other manufacturers should explore more.

The design and construction of these headphones feel premium and ultra-comfortable. All the lines are clean and there's no stitches and hair-grabbing edges in the luxuriously cushioned headband. Cambridge says its designers spent enormous amounts of time testing the ideal clamping force to suit the largest variety of head sizes. And the earcups have removable earpads made from memory foam and covered in faux leather.
 

This headphone project also awarded Cambridge Audio an opportunity to focus on using sustainable materials wherever possible. The company introduced 50% recycled plastic in the construction, and the P100 headphones are also shipped in 100% recyclable plastic-free packaging. This drive to create a more sustainable product builds on Cambridge Audio's support as Founding Donor of the UK/US eco-music charity EarthPercent, which was co-founded by the iconic Brian Eno.


This announcement unfortunately does not mention anything regarding Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast support. The chosen Qualcomm S3 Gen 3 SoC (QCC3084) includes options to support updates for those technologies. A word from Cambridge Audio regarding that potential would go a long way into turning the Melomania P100 headphones a much more desirable option.


The new Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 headphones are now available priced at USD $279 / EUR €279, in a choice of white or black finishes.
www.cambridgeaudio.com