Serve, set, but also win? With the Cambridge Audio Melomania P100, the Brits present their first over-ear headphones. They hit the audiophile heart: fine, smart, correct – and with the best noise canceling I know. At this very moment, I am entrusting my life and my time to Deutsche Bahn. You get steeled over the years. But you need good friends. I have a new one: the Cambridge Audio P100 headphones. And life is getting better, dramatically better. The first photos of the P100 were already circulating online months ago. But they were all just design studies. However, the interest in them was astonishing. With the in-ear headphones and the product name Melomania, Cambridge Audio had, well, not landed a flop, but not a heartbreaker either. The P100 is set to change everything. It is the first over-ear from the British company and is aimed at the premium class. The new edition of the Melomania in-ear was available for less than 170 euros, the P100 is priced at 270 euros and is a direct attack on Bose, Sony and the like. Cambridge Audio stages a happening in a way that only Apple can. There is this small, fine pull on the packaging that opens the box – not a banal adhesive strip, but the first step onto the theater stage. Naturally, everything is packaged in an environmentally friendly way. The PR machine also states that the “battery and ear pads can be replaced by the user”. However, there is even a custom-fit kit in the webstore, tools included (for an astonishingly reasonable 30 euros). Hello Apple: Can I replace the battery in the large AirPod Max just as easily? Of course not. With this in mind, Cambridge takes the better route and fires a broadside at what was until recently the most valuable company in the world…

Cambridge Audio Melomania P100: the finish
After reaching into the cardboard outer packaging, we are greeted by a larger case, light but sturdy, with that certain high-tech touch. The over ear itself reached us in black. There is also a white version. Cambridge Audio is not aiming for the color opulence of Apple or Beats. It would also be too expensive to produce with uncertain purchase forecasts per color. According to the experience of marketing analysts, black will generate over 80 percent of sales.

So black. Looks good and – more importantly – feels extremely comfortable. Headphones are the closest thing we have to a high-end product. Literally. Getting up close and personal. Someone has learned how not to do it. There are too many headphones that greet you with an unpleasant plastic finish. Plastic ages in an ignoble way and, in the worst case, eventually starts to stick. Of course, the P100 is also made of plastic, but it is more stable and has a better feel. The adjustment to your own head shape is also impressive. The ear cup holders do not rattle, they can be pulled to size with a fine counterforce. They don’t wobble – they fit and stay in place. The headband is stable and covered on the head side with a flexible material with fabric quality. This is flattering, but is significantly “tighter” than many other velvet and feel-good earpieces. Which in practice are noticeable due to slipping and misunderstood opulence. You can’t lose the P100, but you can mentally forget it – it doesn’t pinch, it disappears from your consciousness after five minutes.

Real leather would of course be “bad” for a promise in which Cambridge also wants to live out environmental sensitivity (no plastic in the packaging). So the ear cups are made of memory foam under a layer of vegan artificial leather. It feels good – on your ears and in your eco-consciousness.

Would I go jogging with the P100? No, it’s not made for that. But lifting weights in the gym? No problem. Speaking of weight: at 330 grams, the P100 is somewhere between the unpleasant monsters and the equally unpleasant lightweights. Let’s start with the setup and contact with the smartphone. Of course, Cambridge Audio serves the dualistic world of iOS and Android. Simply point the camera at the QR code in the quick guide and download the app. The British didn’t invent this, but it works great. The scope of delivery includes a charging cable, a contact via mini jack, but no USB power supply. There’s no need for one – I have dozens in my drawers at the moment, bobbing up and down towards the waste bin. Now it gets exciting: I can supply the P100 with music via Bluetooth, but also via cable. Surely it must sound much better with a cable? It doesn’t. A cable alone doesn’t provide a sound advantage, but it is an important option for various applications. For example, on a desktop computer with an external D/A converter or on a streamer in a high-end chain.

The technology
What I like about the app: no funny animations, everything is very focused, but with a fine design. The app also recognizes whether the firmware on the P100 is up to date and offers an update on request. Then there’s the big promise of 100 hours of battery life. With the caveat that this is the optimum. Depending on the volume and noise suppression switched on. In the “worst” case, it is “only” 60 hours. Still twice as long as most of the competition. I’m now traveling for three hours on the ICE. I won’t be able to make the most of that – although Deutsche Bahn is capable of surprising you. Reassuring in this context: if the battery is really, really running on reserve, then five minutes at the socket is enough for another four hours of playing time.
The P100 had been planned for some time, there were early drafts. But according to our contacts in “usually well-informed circles”, Cambridge had repeatedly postponed the market premiere. They wanted to fine-tune the exterior, the price – and of course the sound. Now it’s here, with a technical basis that represents a broadside against the competition. Amazing for the first over-ear from the British company. As usual in this class, the diaphragm of the full range driver has a diameter of 40 millimeters. More interesting is the power amplifier: nothing digital amp, but a class A/B circuit – old school. Cambridge constructs the diaphragm itself from three layers of two materials: Polyurethane and polyetheretherketone: one for stability, one for high damping.

So, now there are lots of “A “s. The new Cambridge Audio has and can do: aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive, AAC, SBC. Which corresponds to the modern standard. No revolutions, but also no sags. The built-in chip is more exciting. This is a Qualcomm QCC3084. It can of course do DSP, but is particularly open to further programming. Which again touches on the subject of sustainability: Cambridge could keep us at the same level for years, even decades, using software alone. If I’m an audiophile – then I leave the P100 in the app on maximum linear playback. If I’m lazy – then I click on one of six presets for predefined music styles. If I’m an individualist with an urge to play – then I try out the equalizer, which is really good and fine and has seven bands. Of course, the sound quality is primarily determined by the source – if you want to get away from Apple, Samsung and smartphones, I always recommend the portable Cayin N3-Pro player – great with a tube stage, affordable, with a huge music library via plug-in memory cards (another tip of the hat, dear Apple strategists).

The Cayin is also my travel companion on the ICE right now – I’m currently wavering between pairing via cable or Bluetooth (marginal differences, negligible). Except that it has been said: When in contact with a smartphone, the P100 naturally also functions as a hands-free device with two directional microphones and another chip from Qualcomm. This works separately from the music conversion, which is also audiophile-worthy. When connected via Bluetooth, it converts up to 24 bits and 96 kilohertz. Oh – and the fact that the P100 can play music for so long is not only due to a fat battery, but also to the aforementioned QCC3084 chip and its energy-saving codec. What can I expect from this work of art in an audiophile sense? In a moment – first two stories from the field. In the first few lines, I said that I had just entrusted my life to Deutsche Bahn. I can see nature rushing past the window – but I can’t hear the ICE. Nothing at all. No rattling, no constant humming, nothing. When the postman brought the test sample yesterday, I unpacked it, put it on – and the neighbor with his annoying two-stroke lawnmower was acoustically gone. Rarely (actually never) have I come across better noise canceling. And I’m hypersensitive – it’s not just about the absence of background noise. It’s a tricky game with phases and counter-phases. The lousy NC headphones are annoying and confusing with slow processors, the really bad ones cause nausea. With the P100, Cambridge is the new gold standard for me.
Which leads to the follow-up question: Does the P100 sound better with or without noise canceling? The differences are marginal. I am clearly a friend of the NC switched on.
Cambridge Audio P100: Sound test
Which brings me to the listening test. A confusing message reached me on the train: Oasis are going on tour again. The Gallagher brothers have made up or managed to ignore each other on stage. Either way: I want to hear Oasis. Deluxe remastering in 24/96. The guitar at the beginning of “Wonderwall” sounds rich via the P100, lots of wood body, almost with the same presence as the bright strings. Three Brits come together here: the band, the sound engineers and Cambridge Audio. It made you feel good in the 1990s, and even better today. Everything is there, the P100 doesn’t hide anything, but it doesn’t go in the direction of over-analysis. The mids are not over-present, but they are the anchor of the sound.

Does it get hard and unpleasant at higher volumes? “Death Kink” by the Fontaines. It doesn’t sound lukewarm, the volume control has to be turned up. The P100 works its magic – the pressure in the bass is unrestrained, but the cymbals of the drums don’t cut. Everything is grounded.

Now I could fall in love. If the P100 can also play classical music. John Williams can provide the musical backdrop for a great movie experience. Thick, thicker, almost fat. That’s not true. The grand master also has a knack for fine chamber music. Warner has released “Reimagined” in high-res – flute, cello, piano, that’s it. The most beautiful track comes at the end. “Over the Moon” from E.T. The piano wants to be a harp, the cello sings and the flute surprisingly takes a back seat. Great atmosphere with lots of subtle dynamic information. The new Cambridge opens up the room, finely staggered and with exactly the kind of energy that good chamber music needs. This is intimate and at the same time complex in the interwoven melody lines. In the private listening room with the large headphone amplifier (Musical Fidelity), I was amazed. But I’m sitting on the train, on a Porti player – and the magic works here too: even greater amazement.
Conclusion Cambridge Audio Melomania P100
It remains. On the one hand, the new P100 is my benchmark for future test candidates. On the other hand, it fulfills all the values that I value: fine, balanced and easy to play. Plus perfect noise-canceling and a finish that is as elegant as it is practical. Bose, Sony, Bowers? I’m not interested, not anymore. At best, the current Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless can keep up. They are brothers in spirit. But Sennheiser has been a bank for decades. It’s astonishing that Cambridge Audio is making such a strong impact with its first over-ear headphones.
Reviews
SoundUsabilityWorkmanship QualityRating |
The rating always refers to the respective price category. |
| British sound virtues: smart, dynamic, stress-free |
| Excellent noise canceling, the new gold standard |
| The tangible appearance is not only elegant, but also ecologically correct |
| With case and cables – battery and earcups can be delivered later |
Distribution:
Cambridge Audio Germany
Phone: +49 410 18099810
www.cambridgeaudio.de
Price (manufacturer’s recommendation):
Cambridge Audio Melomania P100: 279 Euro
Technical data
CAMBRIDGE AUDIO Melomania P100 | |
---|---|
Concept: | closed over ear receiver |
Driver assembly: | 40 mm three-layer composite material |
Converter chip: | Qualcomm QCC3084 |
App: | yes |
Supported codecs: | aptX™ Lossless, aptX™ Adaptive, AAC, SBC |
Battery runtime: | up to 100 hours / 60 hours (AGU on) |
Color: | Black or white |
Dimensions (H x W x D): | 25.0 x 20.4 x 5.9cm |
Weight: | 330 grams |
All technical data |
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