Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsThe best $139 you can spend on ear buds. ***Update***
Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2021
Hello Melomania 1+! Yes!! Okay so I am an avid ear bud guy and I own or have owned pretty much every relevant ear bud released in the last few years. I am looking for the perfect bud and will try to stop as soon as I find it. The ones I haven't owned were the first Melomania 1 buds. The reason was simple; in spite of the great reviews, I hated the look of the the buds themselves. They were like Frankenstein pegs jetting out of your ears. Cambridge Audio is an old British company. They specialize in high end audio and claim to just be music fans that design great stuff for fellow music fans. I believe them. When I saw these being released, in spite of keeping this same design, I finally caved. I had to know. I am glad I did. I finally get it but they are not perfect and my design concerns were spot on. So, with all of that, here is the breakdown of the good and bad. Though be warned, there isn't much bad.
The Good:
-Sound: It starts here as sound is where it all happens. If they don't sound good, what's the point? These sound absolutely amazing. When compared to the Jabra 85t's, the latest Bose QuietComfort's, the Samsung Buds Pros, the Klipsch T5 II's, and the Airpod Pros, these are right up there if not better than all of them. They have a surprisingly wide stage. Solid lows, full mids, and crisp punchy highs. There is virtually zero audio lag when watching videos. Further CA supports a number of Codecs here including AptX and AAC so both Android and iOS users can get the most out of them. I was concerned that a single 5.6mm driver could be good. Rest assured, it is. These are natural sounding so bass heads might be a little bummed but I cannot imagine that many folks will be unhappy here.
-The Case: Maybe the most underappreciated part of ear buds in my opinion as that is what you have to carry everyday. This case is solid gold. The buds lock in tight. You kind of have to twist them in as they seat in a specific way to charge but, once in, they aren't going anywhere. It is slim and easy on the pocket. The top almost slams shut, the magnets are so strong. One upgrade from the originals is USBC charging. Great addition! Further, the case packs 4 additional charges from the 8 or 9 hours the buds pack. Brilliant! The only downside is no wireless charging but with nearly 45 hours of total battery life on a full charge, I just don't miss that here.
-The App: Another big win here is the Melomania app. It is just slick. You can remap buttons, update the buds, adjust the EQ, and more. Plus, it is very polished. Really well done. I cannot tell you how many apps out there could learn from CA here.
-Intangibles: 2nd Gen Bluetooth 5.0 for easy pairing and a super stable connection. You can use either bud independently. Your content will autopause if you pull out a bud. Just so much good.
The Bad:
-Form Factor: So I hate the peg design. They give you both silicone and Comfort moldable tips which helps. I would highly recommend the Comfort tips as they really make things more stable but it just can only do so much with buds that hang out of your ears like this. I will point out that CA did a lot to take weight out of these. The originals Melomania 1's each weighed 9.2g. These are 50% lighter at 4.6g. Well done. They have really cool circular lights that subtly glow when in use. I just cannot get past the design though. CA is on to something here but they need to make these smaller for me anyways.
-Missing Items: There is no ANC here. Most high end buds have this these days but CA isn't charging high end prices. They are just giving you high end buds so this omission works fine here. There is no transparency mode or ability to hear your surroundings other than removing a bud. Not the best.
-Call Quality: Not great but not horrible. Just make sure the mics are twisted down and you will have decent calls. CA put a small dimple on the side of the buds that sits just above the mics. Just feel for it and make sure it is pointing down or, better yet, slightly angled towards your mouth for best results. There are many ear buds that are much better in this department but these aren't unusable.
Conclusion: So when it comes to ear buds, I am not often left at a loss for words but I almost am here. What CA has managed to accomplish for $139 should make all of us almost wonder why on earth we have considered spending so much more in the past. Almost. The big posts sticking out of your ears is still a problem. However, when you look at the field of competitors, hear these things in action, and consider all that these give you for the price tag, I just don't know that there is a better all around value in the ear bud space at this time. Yes, for $200, I sill take my Jabra 85t's and Galaxy Pros over these. Yes, for $279, the Bose are better. At $139 though, if sound and music is the driving force, buy these. They are awesome.
***Update***Okay, I had to wait for this review to post so I could add something I discovered in terms of fit. I went down to the smallest silicone tip they offer, which I never do, but that allows the buds to sit a little deeper in my ears. Still secure and still sound amazing. Further, they don't stick out of your ears quite as much. After just about a week here, I am still very happy. They are my current daily drivers. Oh, one other side note. I am not sure I gave Cambridge Audio full credit for how well these are made. The fit and finish of the entire set up from case to ear buds is outstanding. Very well engineered! Cheers to the team at CA! Buy with absolute confidence.
One more additional thought. Was on the phone today with a friend that was testing out the new Master & Dynamic MW08 (mine are coming soon I hope) and I had one of these in my left ear. He sounded great. Half way through he pulled his new buds and put me on his phone. Two minutes later he asked what I was using and I told him I was using the Melomania buds in my left ear. He said I sounded perfect. I was at work and had a lot of noise around me. They may be better at calls than I thought. Solid.
Okay, one last thing...I promise! I have been testing both the new Master & Dynamic MW08's and the new Bowers & Wilkins PI7'S buds. It has been about a month since I have used these Melomania buds. I fired them up today and just am more impressed than ever. These should get absolutely smoked by the respective $300 and $400 buds. They aren't at least with sound. The others both offer more features and sound better butbit is marginal. These are a steal. Unreal Melomania!
