We analyze the Melomania 1 headphones from Cambridge Audio, a sign of quality

Cambridge Audio has been championing the Great British Sound since 1968, offering quality products and surroundings designed for "music lovers". Some quality requirements of the land that gave birth to mythical bands such as Queen, the Rolling Stones or The Beatles, which is said soon. During all this time, Hi-Fi sound has been focused on studios, homes and closed spaces. Now the firm has decided to go out with TWS headphones and we have been testing them. We reviewed Cambridge Audio's TWS headphones, the Melomania 1 model that offers incredible autonomy and well-tuned sound.

Design: Attention to detail

We start with the design, we find a product that is different enough from the others to be able to set a trend. At least they have taken a risk and the first thing they offer us is a polycarbonate charging case, with dimensions of 59 x 50 x 22 millimeters, quite contained, while the headphones remain at 27 x 15 mm, in this case somewhat bulky but comfortable. In terms of weight, we find 4,6 grams for each headset and 37 grams for the charging case. The design is pleasant to the touch, it does not "bulge" in the pocket and the quality of the workmanship shows.

• Size box: 59 x 50 x 22 millimeters
• Size handset: 27 x 15 mm
• Weight : box: 37 grams
• Weight : handset: 4,6 grams

The headphones have a mixed manufacture also between metal and plastic, with a small indicator LED ring and a tablet format. We have a good route button on the outer base that will allow us to interact with the multimedia content. As for the box, on one side it has a microUSB port (inexcusable in my opinion), while on the front we see a series of LED points that will indicate the charging of the device. It is worth mentioning that the box has a matte UV varnish that prevents deterioration due to the incidence of light.

Connectivity and autonomy

To make these Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 work, we have as it could not be otherwise with Bluetooth 5.0 that provides them with little delay and multiple connectivity. By this we mean that the device will be able to recognize and store up to seven other sound emitters, so changing from one device to another will be relatively easy and fast, I have not encountered any connection problems. To make them work:

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

As for autonomy, another quite decisive point, we find a promise of 9 hours of continuous playback with a full charge, and up to 36 hours if we take advantage of the four charges provided by the box. This box takes approximately two hours to fully charge through the microUSB port with an input of 5V and approximately 500mAh. In reality it will depend on the codec that we use, the volume and especially if we make a call or not, the average autonomy that we have been able to get is approximately 7,5 hours with daily calls and music playback.

Audio quality and microphone

Sound is important to Cambridge Audio, they are not just presenting TWS headphones and for that they take all the trouble in the world. We have tri-core processor architecture: 32-bit dual-core processor subsystem application and Qualcomm QCC3026 Kalimba DSP 120MHz single-core audio subsystem, with profile support A2DP, AVRCP, HSP, HFP and finally the three basic codecs aptX, AAC and SBC, from best to worst. 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.

Cwith the aptX codec we will be able to enjoy a latency of around 72ms And the reality is that even with the AAC codec we have found an invaluable delay playing and enjoying music or YouTube videos. But this is not all, the hardware should not be left behind in a product of these characteristics.

We have a controller with 5,8mm graphene-boosted diaphragm, 20 Hz to 20 kHz frequency response and less than 0,004% harmonic distortion nothing more and nothing less. And the reality is that while the power is not too high and we do not find powerful bass (poor quality sample), we have incredible fidelity media, and if we use the right content provider with the right song, it becomes an experience. above-average audio for TWS headphones. It is worth mentioning that we have a MEMS microphone with cVc noise cancellation that defends itself well, a bit canned, but whose sound you can check in the video above.

User experience

We have in the box with three «rubber bands» or adapters, two of different size from the medium ones already in place and one of «foam» for maximum insulation. The reality is that these rubber bands are quite careful and they generate a vacuum effect similar to that of the AirPods Pro, this makes the passive isolation of the exterior superior to that of most TWS headphones without the need to force the entry into the ear. I really liked that, because it isolates you enough to be able to enjoy certain music almost anywhere, without risking an accident. In fact it isolates us more and better than alternatives with ANC that we have tried. It is worth mentioning that You can use them without problem for sports, as they have IPX5 resistance

The list of possibilities by pressing the buttons is almost endless, 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

The reality however is that if you want to enjoy what they are designed for (hence its name Melomania 1) dwe must use them in the tranquility of home and silence, since they do not shine outdoors due to the little prominence of their bottoms, since in public transport we can pay little attention to certain instruments. Honey is not made for the donkey's mouth, as some would say. They are headphones for audiophiles that will accompany you anywhere, even in your best moments of tranquility. You can buy them from 99,99 euros on Amazon (LINK).