Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+: Trying to improve a hit

Cambridge Audio continues to work on expanding its range of audio products beyond the classic Hi-Fi devices that have served the brand to lay the foundations for British sound, as its business path in audio has shown us. This time they continue to bet on sound in TWS headphones.

Melomania 1+ is an attempt to improve on a pretty good product that Cambridge Audio launched to do its bit in the TWS headphone market. Stay with us and discover what our experience has been with the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+ from the British firm.

Materials and design

In this case, Cambridge Audio has decided not to renew the experience already generated with the Melomania 1 at all. These new headphones, at the design level, are absolutely nothing new. We have a box of a fairly restrained size and with what seems to me the most successful design, a vertical opening system. We have a fairly compact size and some very interesting materials. This time they opt for a matte black that has a lacquer that protects against the sun's rays. In this case, the white color will have the same coatings and durability.

• Case dimensions: 59 x 50 x 22mm
• Headphone Dimensions: 27 x 15mm

The box itself weighs 37 grams, Although if we add the total weight of the headphones and the box we will go to about 46 grams, a weight and dimensions in the same way measured and that will help us to transport them day by day. In our case, as you can see in the photographs, we have had the unit in matte black. The same happens with the headphones, very light with their in-ear system so in principle they are quite comfortable to wear on a day-to-day basis. Cambridge Audio is often right on these points.

Technical Specifications

As for headphones, we find a 5,8 millimeter driver for each earpiece, with dynamic control and a graphene diaphragm. To emit the sound, it will use Bluetooth 5.0 Class 2, so we have an automatic connection and shutdown system, as well as good performance in terms of autonomy.

However, the headphones hide a dual-core processor Qualcomm WCC3026 with a Kalimba DSP subsystem to deliver high-fidelity audio with sound-emitting products that have the capabilities to run the required files.

• IPX5 water resistance for the headphones and for the case

We have support for A2DP, AVRCP, HSP and HFP profiles, as well as for the three most popular codecs, both at the level of high fidelity audio such as the aptX Qualcomm, as with the proprietary AAC of Apple products, and SBC for the rest of the usual sound. They thus bet on a response frequency from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, while the distortion remains well below 1%, we have exactly 0,04%, a real outrage.

• MEMS microphone with CvC noise cancellation

For his part eThe microphone has a sensitivity of 96 dB and a frequency response of between 100 Hz and 8 kHz. 

Autonomy and audio quality

We have a 500 mAh battery with USB-C cable and 5V maximum power. They thus offer a playtime of up to 45 hours including the faces of the box, around 9 hours on a single charge, which is a fantastic performance. In our tests the numbers border on those offered by Cambridge Audio which is usually quite reliable in these specific data terms.

We thus obtain a fairly good sound, superior if possible to that offered by the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 from which they inherit the design. We have seen the previous latency of around 70ms that they offered us relatively reduced with respect to audio playback in video games or on streaming platforms. It is worth mentioning that the AAC codec is the usual one in iTunes, inferior in quality to Qualcomm's aptX and the one that we will use in products of the Cupertino company, while with compatible Windows and Android terminals we can take advantage of the aptX codec.

Configuration and application

To make them work, we simply have to follow the following basic configuration steps that you will already know:

1. Take the headphones out of the box
2. Connect to Melomania 1L in the Bluetooth settings of your device
3. Both earbuds will pair and start working

For its part, lThe list of possibilities by pressing the buttons is almost infinite, There are so many functions that the signature includes a card with the keystrokes and their result:

• Play and Pause
• Skip next song
• Skip previous song
• Turn up the volume
• Volume down
• Interact with calls
• Voice assistant

User experience and editor's opinion

Once again Cambridge Audio shows us that not everything goes with TWS headphones. Other prestigious media have already cataloged these headphones as one of the best TWS alternatives that we can find in the market, And it is that when the British firm gets down to work, in general, it does so in order to provide us with a refined experience, as has happened with other similar products. In this case, the previous Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 gave us such a relatively good result that it is difficult for us to find the reason for the differentiation. However, these Melomania 1+ do not suppose any extra cost that makes us rethink the alternative.

121 euros will be to blame of its acquisition in any of the modalities for which we decide to opt, on websites such as the official website of Cambridge Audio o from our usual point of sale such as Amazon.