Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 review: An impressive headphone debut

When an established company enters a new product category, there is a lot of pressure on them to immediately impress the masses, especially when they have a proven track record in their industry. That's what Cambridge Audio faced this year when it introduced its first wireless headphones, the Melomania P100 ($279). It had already made the Melomania M100 wireless headphones, but with a reputation based largely on high-fidelity amplifiers, digital-to-analogue converters (DACs) and speakers, the company was entering uncharted waters.

With the P100, Cambridge Audio managed to leave a lasting first impression right out of the box. Starting with the refined appearance, it is evident that the company is serious about aiming for the best in its category. It combined aesthetics with long-lasting battery life, easy-to-use maintenance options, and a crisp, clear sound profile for a very attractive package on its first try.

What's good about the Melomania P100?

The P100 certainly looks like a flagship pair of headphones. In an age where many companies opt for plastic-heavy builds, even for their high-end models, it's nice to see a polished design for under $300. Cambridge Audio combined aluminum accents with vegan leather and soft memory foam ear cups to do most of the heavy lifting here. There is also a twill fabric on the bottom of the headband that offers a texture contrast while maintaining the color scheme.

Cambridge Audio didn't make any sacrifices on battery life with the P100, promising up to 60 hours of use with active noise cancellation (ANC) on. What's more, the company says you can gain up to 100 hours of playback with ANC disabled, depending on volume levels and other settings. I had no problems hitting 60 hours during battery tests, which I do almost entirely while using noise cancellation. And to keep the P100 running longer than some headphones, the company allows users to replace the battery themselves when performance drops (the earpads are replaceable, too).

The P100 uses the same Class AB amplification that powers Cambridge Audio's CX series high-fidelity amplifiers. This provides sound performance that is “audibly better” than that found in almost all wireless headphones, according to the company. 40mm tri-layer drivers complete the audio platform, which is tuned for “precise highs and dynamic lows.”

During my testing, the P100 excelled at reproducing crisp, clean detail in every genre I threw at it. Even on the heavier parts of Sleep Token's “Vore,” the snare hits remained punchy, cutting through distorted guitar riffs with layered vocals. However, prominence is given to the highs and mids, as bass-heavy tracks like that don't pack the punch they usually pack. As such, the P100 was at its best for styles that demanded less bass growl: genres like '90s country, jazz, and grunge.

What's wrong with the Melomania P100?

My notes on the P100's overall sound profile aren't great news for those who crave a bombastic blast when listening to music from Kendrick Lamar, Kaytranada, and other bass-heavy tunes. Cambridge Audio offers a selection of presets for tweaking tuning, as well as a full EQ for custom profiles. The changes were more subtle for the EQ sliders, so they didn't pack the punch I was looking for. But unlike many EQ options from other companies, none of them muddied the sound or made things worse.

Despite the soft feel of the P100's pads, they don't offer enough protection against headphone ridges during longer listening sessions. I used them on a cross-country trip that involved a full day of air travel and wearing headphones for six hours straight. After about 30 minutes, I could start to feel those edges. And while they were never painful, this prevented the P100 from competing with Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones and Sony WH-1000XM5 in terms of overall comfort.

Cambridge Audio did well to cover all the basics of the P100. There are reliable and easy-to-use physical controls, solid adaptive ANC performance, and support for aptX Lossless. Wear detection and multipoint Bluetooth are also included, as is wired listening with 24-bit/96kHz quality and a five-minute quick charge tool. What you won't find are things like voice detection, any mention of spatial audio, or some of the automated features offered by the competition. Sure, I can excuse the omissions on the P100 given the price, but these are the kinds of creature comforts that are increasingly becoming entry-level specs, so it would have been nice to have one or two.

Final verdict on the Melomania P100

I'm impressed by what Cambridge Audio has created for its first pair of wireless headphones. It's obvious that the company knows how to produce clear and balanced audio, even if the P100 could use a little more bass tone. The combination of design, sound, repairability, and battery life make this an attractive option for under $300. And now that the company has a solid foundation to build on, I hope to be impressed by whatever comes next.