Back in July 2019, the classic British audio brand Cambridge Audio launched its first pair of true wireless earbuds. The Melomania range is a personal project of Cambridge Audio’s head honcho, James Johnson Flint. The original Melomania 1 earbuds brought high-quality sound to a market full of mediocre earbuds that often sound overblown and brassy. The thinking behind the Melomania 1 was to bring great audio quality to a true wireless design at a price many people could afford or were prepared to pay.
Despite being well received and a great pair of earphones, the original Melomania 1 had a few drawbacks such as the use of a Micro USB connector for charging and no smartphone app support so firmware could be updated. Since the launch of the original Melomania 1, Cambridge Audio then went on to create the superb Melomania Touch earbuds with ANC (Active Noise Cancelation) to the mix. And now it’s the turn of the original Melomnia 1 earbuds to get an update that deals with the original designs few flaws.
I’ve managed to get my hands on a final production sample of the Melomania 1+ true wireless earbuds and what an update this is. The new earbuds have a USB-C charging port and better battery life. The earbuds also have the same advanced Class A/B amplification for high-quality audio and they also work with the new Melomania smartphone app which adds a whole host of features, including choice of audio codec, a graphic equalizer and firmware updates. The app even has a “Find My Melomania” function that helps find the earbuds if they’ve been lost or mislaid.
Physically, the Melomania 1+ look very much like the Melomania 1. There’s the same compact splashproof charging case with sturdy and elegant hinged lid. Cambridge Audio has also included ear tips in a range of sizes in both silicone and memory foam. And here I ought to mention that the ear tips are central to getting the best sound out of these compact earbuds.
If you don’t select and fit the correct size of ear tip for your ear canal size, the Melomania 1+ won’t impress you because they’ll sound thin and lacking in bass. That’s not the fault of the earbuds, it’s a feature that these earbuds work best when there’s an acoustically tight seal in the listener’s ear canal to secure the best bass response. So if you do try these earbuds out, please take time to select the correct size and type of ear tips for you. You’ll know when you’ve got it right because the earbuds will stay firmly in place the music will sound sublime.
Each earbud includes clickable controls for pausing the music as well as skipping and repeating tracks. A prolonged press will adjust the volume level up or down, depending on which earbud you press. The controls are also used for accepting and ending phone calls. Each earbud has a microphone built in and so the user can chat away hands free.
Having got the correct size of tips for my ears and got used to the controls, I paired up the Melomania 1+ with my iPhone SE and downloaded the Melomania smartphone app from the Apple Store. The free app is also available for users of Android devices. I launched the app and immediately I got the message that there was a firmware update ready to download. I did that and the process was not only quick, but it was also easy and proceeded without a hitch. I know from personal experience, the team at Cambridge Audio regularly issues updates for the firmware for their products, so it’s worth having that straightforward update process as I’m sure there will be more updates to come.
The front of the Melomania 1+ storage case has five white LEDs that indicate how much charge is on board. A full charge of the earbuds can provide up to nine hours of playing time before they need popping back in the case to be topped up. The case carries a total of 45 hours of backup power, including the charge inside the earbuds, and that’s enough for a few of weeks of commuting or workouts. The playing time will be shorter if the Melomania 1+ are set to work at the higher-quality audio setting. That said, the higher-quality setting is so good, I’d happily accept a slightly shorter battery life to enjoy the enhanced quality on offer. Strangely, there’s no wireless charging function so if you’re one of those people who insists on having wireless charging, you may want to take that into account.
As well as the enhanced amplification, as first seen on the Melomania Touch earbuds, these new earbuds also support SBC, AAC and aptX audio codecs. That means, whether you’re using an Android or an iOS device, the audio will be up to CD quality. The audio codec can be changed using the Melomania smartphone app if you have a newer Android device or a computer that supports both aptX and AAC audio codecs.
I chose the large size of the memory foam ear tips that Cambridge Audio supplies with the Melomania 1+. I did try the larger silicone tips, but the bass response was a bit thin. With the memory foam tips in place, the sound was spot on. In each earbud there is a 5.8mm graphene driver that serves up an astonishingly clear sound. Thanks to the hi-fi quality audio and the default tonal response, the Melomania 1+ earbuds play music that sounds close to the original mix. A lot of wireless earbuds are digitally programmed to provide a bigger and overblown sound. At first, it can sound impressive and a bit dramatic but the ears soon tire of such showiness.
The engineers at Cambridge Audio haven’t over-tuned the Melomania 1+. They’ve opted for a more balanced tonal response that can be tweaked using the smartphone app’s graphic equalizer function to boost or reduce five different frequencies. For my tastes, the default balanced setting was fine. The Melomania 1+ are tuned to deliver music exactly how the artist and recording engineer intended. Don’t be swayed by big and brassy tunings as not only will it tire your ears, it also spoils the music.
The bass response on the Melomania 1+ is responsive and fulsome but without ever being thick and overbearing. The midrange is slightly forward in the mix and does a brilliant job of articulating lyrics. Likewise, the treble is sufficiently crisp to create a well-focused soundstage but never tiring or sibilant. I think the Melomania 1+ has the tonal response just about spot on and even the equalizer presets only shift the sound in subtle steps. It’s a brave move by Cambridge Audio not to go for the overblown sound that would alter the character of the music as it was intended to be heard. These are earbuds for real audiophiles who want to hear the music as it was meant to be heard.
What else is there to say about these updated earbuds from Cambridge Audio? Not a lot. There’s little to criticize. Perhaps the only thing missing is a wireless charging function but that’s not a deal-breaker for me, but anyone who is used to the later versions of Apple’s AirPods might miss that particular convenience. Other than that, I don’t think Cambridge Audio’s team has put a foot wrong.
Verdict: The Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+ have addressed almost everything that was absent from the original Melomania 1 earbuds. The addition of the new hi-fi quality audio setting, that we first saw in the Melomania Touch, is a welcome upgrade. The inclusion of USB-C for charging is another great fix. The support from the Melomania smartphone app is also a good move and was one of the first model’s blind spots. The tonal tuning and the wide range of ear tips make the Melomania 1+ an ideal pair of true wireless earbuds for audiophiles who can appreciate high-quality sound. The price of these earbuds is also right. If I had the choice between a pair of Apple AirPods and the Melomania 1+, there’s no question which one I would go for. Unless you want a pair of true wireless earbuds with active noise cancelation, you can’t do much better than the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+. Highly recommended.
Pricing and Availability: The Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+ earbuds are available in black and a new white finish. They can be bought directly from Cambridge Audio or via Amazon and Richer Sounds. The retail price is £119.95 / €129.95 / $139.95.
More info: www.cambridgeaudio.com
Tech Specs:
- Bluetooth version: 5.0, Class 2
- Processor: Triple-core processor architecture: dual-core 32-bit processor application subsystem & Qualcomm QCC3026 Single-core 120Mhz Kalimba DSP audio subsystem
- Profiles: A2DP, AVRCP, HSP, HFP
- Audio codecs: aptX, AAC, SBC
- Latency: Low (although codec and streaming service dependent)
- Driver: 5.8mm Dynamic with Graphene-enhanced diaphragm
- Frequency response: 20Hz – 20kHz
- Total harmonic distortion: <0.04% @1kHz 1mW
- Battery play time (earbuds): Up to 9 Hours in low-power mode
- Battery play time (total): Up to 50 Hours (9 + 41) in low power mode
- Charging time: Approx. 120 minutes
- Power supply: 5V, 500 mA USB-C
- Microphone: MEMS with cVc noise cancellation
- Microphone sensitivity: 96dB SPL at 1kHz
- Frequency response (microphone): 100 Hz to 8 kHz
- Voice control: Siri (iOS) / Google Assistant (Android)
- IPX rating: IPX5 Water splash resistant (earbuds and case)
- Dimensions: Charging case: 59 x 50 x 22mm; Earphones: 27 x 15mm
- Weight: Earbud: 4.6g each; Charging case: 37g; Total: 46.2g
- Finish: Black: Matte UV lacquer, White: Matte UV lacquer
