Beyond all reasonable doubt, the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 true wireless earbuds have obliterated the competition – including the ever-popular Apple AirPods. We had no choice but to award the wireless earbuds a full five stars in our recent review, thanks to their spectacular sound quality, sleek design, and outstanding battery life.
Why did these unknown buds get the nod over Apple? The Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 offer a staggering 45 hours of battery life in total: nine hours from the buds themselves, with a further 36 hours of juice contained within their charging case. That's over double the playback time offered by the Apple AirPods – and at a far lower price, as the Melomania 1 cost just $129.99 / £119.95 (around AU$185).
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Should I buy the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1?
If you’re in the market for a new pair of true wireless earbuds, the Melomania 1 are a fantastic choice, combining the Cambridge Audio’s years of engineering expertise with the convenience of truly wireless sound.
For a pair of true wireless earbuds, the sound quality offered by the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 are sensational. In fact, they rival some of the best over-ear headphones, including the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, which is all but unheard of for buds of this size.
Inside the compact little buds are 5.8mm drivers with diaphragms made from graphene, a material used for its "outstanding strength and flexibility", according to the brand. Cambridge Audio says that these qualities give these headphones the "dynamism and response to deliver music with a clarity and presence that belies their tiny size and near-imperceptible weight".
At 4.6g each, these wireless earbuds are extremely comfortable to wear, and feel secure enough for running with – plus, with an IPX5 rating, they can withstand a little water if your workout gets particularly sweaty.
They may not have the noise cancelation technology offered by the Sony WF-1000XM3 Wireless Earbuds, but they are $100 cheaper – and have a superior battery life – so they might be a better fit for some.
As for the Apple AirPods, the Melomania 1 absolutely outperform them in almost every regard – no, you won’t get a wireless charging case or instant connectivity with Apple’s ecosystem, but those are small prices to pay for such mind-blowing sound.
Make sure you read our full Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 review if you want to find out more about these stellar true wireless earbuds.
