The Melomania 1 True Wireless Earphones From Cambridge Audio Sound Superb, And They'll Play For Up To Nine Hours On A Single Charge

“Would you like to hear the story of how the Melomania 1 earphones came about?” asks James Johnson-Flint, Cambridge Audio's CEO, as I’m listening to him on the phone from China, where he’s on a flying business visit. I was eager to hear the tale as I’d just received a review sample of these new Bluetooth earphones, the first pair of true wireless earphones from Cambridge Audio, the classic British hi-fi and speaker brand that’s celebrating its 50^thanniversary this year.

“I was visiting a business associate in Japan and I was presented with a small gift. It was a pair of true wireless earphones,” explains Johnson-Flint. “This was a few years ago when the concept of true wireless earphones was very new. I thought the sound from these earphones was incredible but the battery life was pretty poor. It was then that I had an epiphany; I decided I’d like to design and develop my own pair of true wireless earphones for Cambridge Audio. I was sure we could make a pair that sounded great but had a longer battery life.”

It was clear from Johnson-Flint’s voice that he’s thoroughly enjoyed the process of developing the Melomania 1 earphones from start to finish. The Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 are a superb first shot at making a pair of true wireless earphones, but I wanted to know how Johnson-Flint and his team had managed to create a pair of true wireless earphones with a battery life that knocks the competition out of the park.

According to Johnson-Flint, the key was to approach Qualcomm, the company that develops and makes the vast majority of high-end Bluetooth chipsets used in so many wireless headphones and earphones today. Qualcomm acquired the intellectual property for the aptX high-quality Bluetooth audio codec that was originally developed by researchers at Queen’s University, Belfast. The aptX codec compresses digital audio in such a way that it’s possible to transmit digital music wirelessly at close to CD sound quality. There’s also a hi-res version of the codec called aptX HD, but Cambridge Audio decided not to opt for that as not only is it overkill for true wireless earphones, it also uses a lot more  power and that would adversely affect the battery life of the Melomania 1 earphones.

Johnson-Flint agreed that the Melomania 1 would be the guinea pig for Qualcomm’s advanced QCC3026 Bluetooth 5.0 chipset, which offers aptX and AAC codecs alongside a very low power requirement. Chipsets such as Qualcomm’s CSR8675 can consume up to 20mA of current, but the new Bluetooth chip offered to Cambridge Audio draws as little as 6mA, meaning the Melomania 1 can play for up to nine hours before they need recharging. That’s an incredible improvement and way ahead of anything else on the market at the moment, although I doubt it will be all that long before the other brands are switching to Qualcomm’s new chipset.

As well as opting for the low-power chipset, the design team decided to fit the Melomania 1 with the latest 5.8mm graphene-coated drivers and then they tuned the sound of the Melomania 1 to be as neutral and transparent as possible. Johnson-Flint said there was a temptation to opt for a fatter and heavier bass that might initially impress listeners, but an overly warm and fat bass can end up overwhelming the music. The Melomania 1 certainly delivers a superbly transparent sound but there’s plenty of bass and it’s beautifully separated from the midrange, which means I could hear the bass lines and kick drums rather than feel them bleeding all over the midrange. The top end of the Melomania’s sound is beautifully detailed but without a trace of splashy harshness. I really enjoyed listening to these earphones because the design team has managed to get the sound spot on.

To get the best from the Melomania 1, it’s essential to fit the correct size of ear tips. There’s a choice of three different sizes of silicone ear tips provided, as well as a pair of memory foam tips, which is unusual in for true wireless earphones. I opted for the memory foam tips and they made all the difference to the sound, boosting the bass and making a really comfortable and well-balanced audio.

Like all true wireless earphones, the Melomania 1 are stored in a charging case that includes a rechargeable battery to top up the earphone batteries whenever they are put back in the case. The case is no larger than a pack of dental floss and there are five white LEDs on its front, each one representing 20% of remaining battery life. The battery in the case can be recharged via a Micro USB port and has up to 36 hours of reserve power on board, which means the Melomania 1 can be recharged another four times before the case needs recharging itself. Personally, I think I would have preferred to see a USB C socket for recharging, but as Johnson-Flint pointed out, as much as he would have liked to have opted for a USB C socket, apparently it was going to hold up the launch date by about two months. I think we can confidently expect to see a USB C charging socket on the next iteration of the Melomania. Te Micro USB port on my review sample had an incredibly tight fit and I wasn’t sure how much punishment it could take in the longer run.

The lid of the case flips open to reveal the left and right earpieces, each sporting an illuminated ring that gently pulses as the batteries are recharged. Weighing just 4.6g each, the earpieces connect with the phone or tablet that’s streaming the music the moment they’re plucked from the charging case. Pairing only needs to be done once with each device, and after that it’s a seamless process. Unlike some true wireless earphones, the Melomania 1 earphones connect flawlessly, every time.

As well as playing music, the Melomania 1 have been designed for taking and making phone calls thanks to the onboard MEMS microphone and Qualcomm’s cVc noise-cancellation technology, which can cut out intrusive background noises and make speech sound clearer. Additionally, the Melomania 1 support voice commands for Apple’s Siri and Google’s Voice Assistant. Each earpiece also features touch controls for pausing music, skipping tracks, calling up voice control, taking or ending phone calls, plus they also work as volume controls. It’s great to have touch controls because it means the phone or device streaming the music can be stowed away in a bag and then the music can be controlled remotely without having to keep picking up the phone.

And what about that strange name? How did these fabulous true wireless earphones come to be called Melomania 1? Well, at Cambridge Audio’s London HQ there is a bar and nightclub area on the ground floor where employees can go after a hard day’s work to unwind. Cambridge Audio is a company that thrives on its passion for music, and the bar and performance area is called Melomania. The company often books bands to play live for staff and there’s even a Cambridge Audio house band made up of employees. The sound system in Melomania is fantastic, and features the company’s own range of speakers as well as some custom amplification and digital mixing desks. Meanwhile, cocktails are mixed behind the bar and employees can kick back and enjoy the music as they chill with a drink or two after a hard week’s work designing audio gear. 

Verdict:I absolutely loved the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 true wireless earphones. The sound is superbly balanced and there’s plenty of volume. I was surprised to see there’s no app to accompany the Melomania 1 for updating firmware or adjusting EQ, but I think there could be something in the pipeline. No matter, these are great wireless earphones with phenomenal battery life that puts the competition in the shade. The price is good too and I can wholeheartedly recommend these as the perfect balance between price and top-notch performance. Melomania 1 are available in Black or Stone finishes, and they look superb. Try out a pair for yourself; you won’t be disappointed.

Pricing and availability: £119.99 / $129.95

More info: UK website  USA website: 

Specifications:

• 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
• Supported Profiles: A2DP, AVRCP, HSP, HFP 
• Supported Codecs: aptX, AAC, SBC
• Latency: 70mS (aptX)*
• Driver:  5.8mm Graphene-enhanced Diaphragm
• Frequency Response (Earbuds): 20Hz – 20kHz
• Total Harmonic Distortion: <0.04% @1kHz 1mW 
• Battery Play Time (Earbuds): 9 Hours (Continuous A2DP Playback)
• Battery Play Time (Charging Case): 36 Hours (An Additional 4 Earbud Charges)
• Battery Play Time (Total): 45 Hours (9 + 36)
• Charging Time: Approx. 15mins/60mins/90mins 
• Standby Time (From Full Charge): Approx. 1 Year
• Power Supply: 5V, 500 mA (or greater): USB charging (Micro-USB cable supplied)
• 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 Spray Resistant (Earbuds & Case)) 
• Operating Temperature: 0°C to +40°C / 32°F - 104°F 
• Operating Relative Humidity: 10 to 80%, Non-condensing 
• Dimensions: Charging case: 59 x 50 x 22mm; Earphones: 27 x 15mm
• Weight: Earbud: 4.6g each (9.2g both Earbuds); Charging Case: 37g; Total: 46.2g
• Colour / Finish: Black: Matte UV lacquer; Stone: Matte UV lacquer
• Box Contents
• Earbuds (2 pcs); Silicone Tips: Small (2pcs) / Medium (2pcs - attached to Earbuds) / Large (2pcs); Memory Foam Tips: Medium (2pcs); Charging Case; Micro-USB Charging Cable (31cm); User Manual (EN, FR, DE, IT, SE, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, JP, KR); Great Fit Earbud Fitting Instructions; Safety Guide; Feedback/Comment booklet; Cambridge Audio Stickers & Brand Booklet