The best noise-cancelling headphones keep you focused on your music by cutting out the world around you, and allow you to immerse yourself in your playlists without being interrupted by the sound of people chatting next to you or the screech of the train on your commute.
The Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 are a pair of competitively priced ANC headphones – they are more affordable than a lot of the top players, while still being a premium pair of cans. At the time of writing, they will set you back £229.
If you're looking for something a bit cheaper, take a look at the best over-ear headphones under £100 instead.
I've tried out lots of pairs of noise-cancelling headphones over the last few years and after using these for a week or so, I think they're fantastic value for money given the level of noise cancellation, the sound quality and the lengthy battery life.
In this Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 review, I'll take you through everything you need to know about them across the design, fit, performance and battery life before you buy.
Pros
- Comfortable and lightweight
- Detailed, crisp sound
- Up to 100 hours of battery life
Cons
- Bulky and not great for travel
- No spatial audio
Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 key specs
| Battery life | 60 hours with ANC, 100 hours without |
|---|---|
| Weight | 330g |
| Water resistance | No |
| Noise cancelling | Yes |
Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 review: Design and fit
The Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 are a sleek pair of over-ear headphones and cleverly, the Cambridge Audio logo has been integrated into the design of the earcups without being too obvious or obtrusive.
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Soft memory foam earcups covered in soft vegan leather sit snugly around your ears. And thanks to an aluminium build, the Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 only weigh 330g. They aren't the lightest headphones you can buy, but they feel more lightweight than some other over-ears I've tried recently, like the Dyson OnTrac which weigh 451g. I could wear these for a long time without discomfort.
I do have to admit, the Melomania P100 are chunky headphones. On me, they're huge. They sit away from the curves of my head and so stick out quite far from each side. That won't be such an issue for everyone, but for me, they are simply too big.
On the outside of the headphones, you'll find a few physical switches and buttons rather than touch controls. On the left earcup, there's a power switch which also activates Bluetooth and a button to flick between ANC modes. On the right earcup, there's a set of buttons to control the volume, skip backwards and forwards through tracks and pause or play the music. The benefit of having buttons over gestures is that they are far more reliable and will work consistently every time.
The Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 come with a large hard-shelled case in the box. It's too big to take with you all the time but it will undoubtedly protect the headphones from damage in your bag. But even without the case, these are built to last – the earcups and battery are user-replaceable.
Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 review: Performance and battery
Sound quality is very important in any pair of headphones, and Cambridge Audio doesn't disappoint in that area. The Melomania P100 are a crisp and detailed listen with a good amount of energy, keeping things light and fun without being overbearing with too much bass. No matter what I listened to, these headphones delivered a balanced sound. No part of the frequency range felt like it was taking over.
If you listen to a lot of bass-heavy electronic songs, these may not give you the punch you want. But if you're a fan of crisp vocals and love hearing every element of the track you're listening to, these will be a satisfying choice. Admittedly, it is a shame that there's no spatial audio feature packed in, because a lot of other similarly priced cans do have some form of that now.
Thanks to the noise cancelling, I stayed totally focused on the music during testing. I could barely hear anything happening around me. It dulls conversations happening nearby and even my own keyboard taps were barely audible. Some sounds do push through, especially when the music dips, so they aren't class-leading in that sense – but they do a good enough job for most people.
The transparency mode works well too, letting sounds in from the outside so you can speak to someone or hear announcements on the train without taking the headphones off. You'll know which mode you are using when you press the ANC button because there's a voice that tells you.
The Melomania Connect smartphone app is available for both iOS and Android devices. Use it to switch between Normal, Noise Cancelling and Transparency modes, and you can even choose how much ANC you need across Low, Medium and High.
The app also has a manual equaliser and several preset sound modes to tailor the audio to what you're listening to. Options include Flat, Blues, Electronic, Natural, Rock and Voice, so they're pretty comprehensive.
One feature I'm always pleased to see is multipoint connectivity, allowing you to have two devices connected at the same time. So if you're listening to a video on your laptop and a call comes through on your phone, you can seamlessly switch between them without the need to disconnect and reconnect.
You won't need to worry about having to regularly charge the Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 headphones. They pack a huge 100 hours of music with ANC switched off, or 60 hours with it turned on. That's a lot more than most competitors – even pricier pairs like the Sonos Ace only offer around 30 hours of battery.
To conserve battery, the Wear Detect feature pauses the music when you take the headphones off and you can choose to have them power off automatically after 30 or 60 minutes of inactivity.
If you were to get caught short, plugging them in for as little as five minutes will give you four hours of music. A full charge can take up to 160 minutes.
Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 review: Verdict
I'm a big fan of how the Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 feel and sound when you have them on. But I'm less keen on how they look on me. These aren't best suited to travel either because of how chunky they are.
If that's something you can get past then the sound quality is excellent – the amount of detail will allow you to really appreciate the craftsmanship of every song you listen to. And the noise-cancelling will keep you focused even in a noisy space.
One of the biggest draws to these headphones is the battery life. Not many pairs of headphones get anywhere near their maximum of 100 hours of playback, and even those that cost a lot more tend to be limited to around 30 hours.
Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 review: Also consider
Top of Digital Spy's list of noise-cancelling over-ear headphones are the Bose QuietComfort Ultra. The ANC is best-in-class cutting out distractions almost entirely, and it even works when there's no music playing. They're stylish and comfortable with great, punchy sound.
But they're a lot more expensive than the Melomania P100 and the battery life is a lot less, at about 24 hours with ANC switched on.
For a similar pair with a similar price point to the P100, take a look at the Bose QuietComfort SC.
The Sony WH-1000XM5 are another popular pair of over-ears to consider. Again, they are a little pricier than these, but they offer impressive adaptive ANC, people-pleasing sound and all-day comfort.
If you buy them at the right time, you can find them discounted, especially during sales like Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday.
If battery life is key, the Sennheiser Momentum 4 are worth considering. They cost a similar amount of money and match the P100's 60 hours with ANC turned on.
They deliver on sound quality and comfort too – although the bulky design may be off-putting to some.
