Odi Productions
In this article, I’m going to share my HONEST Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 review for those who are wondering whether they are WORTH IT in 2025. I’ll also be comparing the Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 vs Sony WH-1000XM6, Bowers and Wilkins Px7 S3, Px8, Apple AirPods Max, Bose QuietComfort Ultra, Sennheiser Momentum 4, and more!
I’m going to do my best to share whether these headphones are worth it, and ideally who these headphones are for. I’ve owned these headphones for a while now and have quite a few thoughts.
I’ll be sharing my critical opinion with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, audio engineer, and tech journalist.
Let’s dive right in!
Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 review in short
The Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 is currently the best sound quality per dollar in the wireless over-ear noise cancelling headphone class. The cons are that it’s heavy, has below average noise cancelling performance, and looks a bit silly when worn. Competes very well against Sony WH-1000XM6, Bose QuietComfort Ultra, Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3, Bowers & Wilkins Px8, Apple AirPods Max, and Sennheiser Momentum 4.
Watch this Full Review on YouTube!
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Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 Pros and Cons
- Sound quality 3-4x its price
- Incredible value
- Class-leading 100 hour battery life
- Good build quality
- Mediocre noise cancelling performance
- Heavy
- Looks a bit silly when worn
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Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 Sound Quality
Stock sound first impressions…
When testing a new headphone, it usually takes me a bit of time to “warm up” to the sound profile, as I’m usually coming off testing another headphone which my brain is more used to.
Such was NOT the case with the P100, and within mere seconds, I was immediately impressed.
My first impression was noticing the wide soundstage with a real sense of space that is refreshing for this class of wireless closed-back headphone.
Next, the level of fidelity and detail is made immediately apparent. We’re firmly competing in the “high-end” of this class very quickly.
The dynamics are excellent for this class, sounds are crisp and tight in a way that is not typical for this class.
I really love the stock sound profile, very detailed, revealing, and neutral-ish for this class.
Okay maybe the lower mids are a bit recessed, but in return we get more treble detail up top.
These remind me of studio monitor headphones, but not quite as boring or flat, with apparent sub-bass that is usually missing in those.
Now, despite being my personal listening preference, this flat sound isn’t for everyone, which brings us to the EQ.
The Cambridge Audio app has a 7-band EQ that greatly impacts the sound, unlike other native EQs, and the P100 takes EQ very, very well.
My only critique of the EQ is that there isn’t clear increments or steps, so you’ll just need to eyeball the settings below.
So, I’ll be sharing my best EQ settings below, and conduct the rest of this review using these settings…
Best Equalizer (EQ) Settings for Cambridge Audio Melomania P100
V1 – Mainly for Pop, Hip Hop
V2 – Mainly for Rock, Metal
Result: More bass and lower mid response to create a fuller sound. More exciting and consumer-friendly sound versus the stock flat sound. Little bit more lively up top without being sibilant or harsh.
Sound Quality after EQ…
Let me start by saying that I already greatly enjoy the stock “flat” sound of the P100, and if the EQ weren’t to be effective, it wouldn’t even matter to me.
That said, the P100 takes EQ very well, which is a sign that we’re dealing with some quality hardware under the hood.
In my mind, what the P100 “needs” most is to be a bit less flat and more exciting for the average consumer. Not everyone is the biggest fan of that neutral sound.
EQ is able to fill out the lower mids and amp up the bass a bit more, while still retaining that beautiful treble detail and sense of space with its large soundstage.
The end result is a great-sounding headphone sounding even better.
Let’s do some sound comparisons versus its competitors and wrap up final thoughts below…
vs Sony WH-1000XM6
Immediately more open and spacious soundstage vs the XM6, which sounds very upfront in comparison.
The P100 has better separation, layering, and depth.
XM6 is not as detailed or crisp, but is warmer and slightly fuller with its bass and lower mids.
Overall, the P100 is in a tier above the XM6 and is noticeably more audiophile.
vs Bowers and Wilkins Px7 S3
This comparison is closer than the XM6 in terms of pure sound quality.
The Px7 S3 is noticeably V-shaped in its response, and is more consumer-friendly out of the box.
The P100 is more neutral and balanced, with a bigger soundstage and better spacing and depth versus the Px7 S3.
Both are nicely detailed with solid separation and layering, but the P100 seems to have the edge due to a larger soundstage overall. Very impressive.
Px7 S3’s bass seems more impactful and fuller, while the P100’s bass is cleaner and focused more on really low sub-bass response.
Honestly, I think the P100 is higher sound quality as a whole, but many may prefer the V-shape of the Px7 S3.
vs Bowers and Wilkins Px8
The Px8’s warm, lush sound profile is quite contrasting to the neutral bright P100.
I think the P100 is more versatile as a whole, and has a bigger soundstage.
The Px8 really excels for older and acoustic music where timbre is prioritized, but it has a tendency to fall flat on modern music.
The bass and treble is much better on the P100, but the mids (especially lower mids) are rich and filled out nicely with the Px8.
vs Apple AirPods Max
The APM has the most similar sound profile to the P100, with its detailed treble and present bass.
AirPods Max’s separation and layering continues to impress me for its age, but the P100 can match it, and then some.
I’m hearing just a bit more detail and resolution with the P100. Also better dynamics.
The P100 has more impactful sub-bass response, it goes down to the lowest frequencies with a bit more “oomph”. But the APM has more mid/upper bass punch, especially stock vs stock.
The soundstage is only slightly bigger with more depth on the P100, it’s closer than others.
I think the X factor is the Cambridge Audio’s very effective EQ that gives more flexibility over the APM, that doesn’t have a native custom EQ.
vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra (with V2 EQ)
Surprisingly close in detail and tonality versus the P100.
P100 sounds less “compressed” with higher resolution overall, and better dynamics.
But if you listen back to back, they actually sound very similar in sound profile and detail.
The bass is overall fuller and deeper on the P100 with a bit more slam and quantity, but I’m actually pleasantly surprised by the QC Ultra’s bass.
vs Sennheiser Momentum 4 (with V2 EQ)
The Momentum 4, especially after EQ, is one of the closer matches for the audiophile technicalities like dynamics and soundstage.
Surprisingly, the P100 soundstage is still slightly larger with better spacing.
I’m hearing a bit more detail on the P100, with slightly crisper dynamics.
The bass sounds tighter and cleaner on the P100, but both are fun to listen to in this department with plenty of sub-bass in each.
This one is fairly close, and I genuinely still enjoy listening to the Momentum 4 with V2 EQ whenever given the chance.
One more note, the P100 takes EQ better than the Momentum 4 as a whole, which to me is a sign of slightly superior hardware.
vs Focal Bathys
When I was first reading up on the P100, there were comparisons to the Focal Bathys, with some people even saying the P100 was superior in sound quality.
I was immediately skeptical. Bathys sound quality for almost a third of the price?
After listening to both back to back, I’ll say that these two are indeed in the same tier of sound quality, which means they’re at the top of the sub-$1,000 noise-cancelling headphone class.
Immediately, the stock Bathys sounds fuller, but slightly warmer and more muffled compared to the very revealing and brighter P100.
There is a slight veil over the Bathys, but the bass and mids are fuller and smoother.
The treble on the P100 is very impressive, as its smoother and slightly more detailed.
Soundstage has been an advantage for the P100 thus far, but the Bathys is slightly larger and more spacious. The Bathys has great spacing between instruments and vocals.
I prefer the punchier and more impactful bass of the Bathys, but the P100 seems to have the deeper sub-bass.
This one is close, but the Bathys still edges out the P100 overall and is more engaging and FUN to listen to for me personally.
(In fact, I forgot I was comparing the headphones and kept listening to the Bathys, lol.)
vs Bang & Olufsen H95
Next to the Focal Bathys, the Bang & Olufsen H95 is at the top of the food chain for sound quality in this class of headphones.
Now, the H95 is much more similar to the P100’s sound profile, with tons of resolving treble detail, matched with plenty of deep sub-bass.
I’m hearing less of that “veil” of the Bathys, as the H95 is a brighter headphone with more recessed mids.
The H95 sounds a little less balanced, but perhaps a bit more exciting and consumer-friendly, stock vs stock.
These are both at the top when it comes to those revealing details, but the H95’s treble is a little harsher and tinnier at times.
This is really, really close.
I think I still lean very slightly towards the H95 as its more engaging and fun to listen to, as with the Bathys.
Overall thoughts on sound quality…
After putting the P100 through its paces and listening back to back against some very tough competition, I’m walking away very impressed.
It’s got what I’m looking for in a headphone: big soundstage (for a closed-back), spacing, excellent dynamics, treble detail without sibilance, and enough bass response to still be fun and consumer-friendly.
Combine that with a very useful and effective EQ, and the P100 can almost do no wrong.
I think the P100 is firmly in the top 3 for pure sound quality.
Sound Quality Score: 9.3 out of 10 (after EQ)
Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 Comfort
The Cambridge Audio P100 is one of the heaviest in this class, as weighed on my scale:
- Bose QuietComfort – 236.1 grams
- Sony WH-1000XM5 – 245.9 grams
- Sony WH-1000XM4 – 251.6 grams
- Sony WH-1000XM6 – 252.8 grams
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra – 254.4 grams
- Beats Studio Pro – 268.6 grams
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 – 292.9 grams
- Bowers and Wilkins Px7 S3 – 298.3 grams
- Bowers and Wilkins Px7 S2e – 305.2 grams
- Sonos Ace – 318.1 grams
- Bowers & Wilkins Px8 – 320.1 grams
- Bang & Olufsen H95 – 323 grams
- Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 – 329.9 grams
- Focal Bathys – 350 grams
- Apple AirPods Max – 387.8 grams
I would say the P100 is actually decently comfortable for its weight, which I estimated to be less than what the scale eventually showed.
The main issue is that the headband cushion is kinda tough and barely has any give.
Combine that with the weight being one of the heaviest in this class, and that’s my main complaint.
The earcups are nice and spacious on the inside, and my ears aren’t really touching the inside, which is always appreciated.
Clamping force is not bad, but it’s the extra weight that makes these feel bulkier than I’d like.
Comfort Score: 4.0 out of 5
Features / Build Quality / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling
Features
The Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 was released in July 2024 and has many modern wireless ANC headphone features:
- Multiple built-in microphones for taking calls
- Bluetooth 5.3 with aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive Audio
- Multi-point connection (Can’t choose which devices via app)
- Active Noise Cancelling (3 levels)
- Transparency Mode
- Ability to turn either mode OFF
- Wear Detection with Automatic Play/Pause
- “Gaming Mode” for slightly less latency (still some latency)
- Companion Smartphone app to customize EQ, settings, and update firmware
- 7-band EQ
- User-Replaceable battery
- Includes a large-sized premium Hard Shell case
- USB-C to USB-C charging cable
- USB-C to stereo cable
Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 Build Quality
Considering its price, the P100 has some of the better build quality in this class.
Reminds me very much of Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3, with metal on the earcups, nice leather cushions on headband and earpads, then some plastic on hinges.
There’s a fabric material on the headband cushion that I’m not that fond of.
I do sometimes hear some slight creaking when wearing the headphones and moving around a bit, but it’s fairly minor.
Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 Battery Life
The P100 is rated at 100 hours of battery life on a single charge, which is currently the class leader, and by a good margin.
- Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 – 100 hours
- Marshall Monitor III – 70 hours
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 – 60 hours
- Sony WH-1000XM6 – 40 hours (ANC off), 30 hours (ANC on)
- Sony WH-1000XM5 and WH-1000XM4 – 30 hours
- Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 and Px8 – 30 hours
- Sonos Ace – 30 hours
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra – 24 hours
- AirPods Max – 20 hours
In my testing, I found this figure to be accurate.
This is very impressive, combined with the fact that the battery is meant to be user-replaceable, which is a nice touch from Cambridge Audio to make these a more consumer-friendly product versus others.
Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 Noise Cancelling Performance
Everything up to this point has been quite the glowing review, but unfortunately, I found the Cambridge Audio Melomania P100’s noise cancelling performance to be a bit below average.
I think the noise cancelling performance is the weakest aspect of these headphones, followed by the comfort which could also be improved.
(Actually sidenote, one more drawback to these headphones is they do look a little goofy when worn, as the headband stretches very wide and looks a bit awkward. So if you are self-conscious in public, that may be a totally valid reason to skip these. You’ve been warned.)
So depending on the environment, the noise cancelling is doing something, but I find it to be about the level of the Sennheiser Momentum 4, but maybe even slightly worse.
I just find certain sounds and frequencies to leak through, depending on what’s going on around you.
They’re certainly better than having no noise cancelling at all, but if ANC is one of your top priorities, you may need to look elsewhere.
Features / Build Quality / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling Performance Score: 4.0 out of 5
Value
The P100 retails at $279 USD, but is currently available brand new for $239.
Without a doubt, this is easily one of the best sound quality per dollar values in the over-ear wireless ANC headphone class.
I don’t often give out perfect 5 out of 5 “Value” scores, but if there’s a headphone that deserves it, it’s the P100 which competes with headphones costing 3-4 times as much, like the Focal Bathys and Bang & Olufsen H95.
That said, it mainly receives this score due to its stellar sound quality, but comfort and noise cancelling could really still be improved.
Value Score: 5 out of 5
Overall Scoring Breakdown
Sound Quality: 9.3 / 10 (after EQ)
Comfort: 4.0 / 5
Features / Build Quality / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling: 4.0 / 5
Value: 5 / 5
Total: 22.3 / 25
Is the Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 WORTH IT?
Being one of the rare recipients of a perfect “Value” score, the Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 is worth every penny, and then some.
I must note here that this headphone is really all about its audiophile-level sound quality rivaling headphones costing 3-4 times as much, but is not a perfect noise cancelling headphone as a whole.
The main drawbacks you must be aware of are that it’s rather heavy, below average noise cancelling, and looks goofy when worn due to a very wide headband look.
If you’re okay with all of the above, then the P100 is simply one of the best value deals in audio currently available today.
For the truly discerning audiophile, I still get more enjoyment from listening to the Focal Bathys, but it’s a toss-up between the Bang & Olufsen H95 and the P100 right after.
Some very Strong Alternatives in this class of noise cancelling headphones are:
- Sony WH-1000XM6
- Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra
- Bowers & Wilkins Px8
- Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e
- Apple AirPods Max
- Sennheiser Momentum 4
- Sony WH-1000XM5
- Bose QuietComfort (2023 model)
- Beats Studio Pro
Some Relevant Comparisons in this class of noise cancelling headphones are:
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs Apple AirPods Max
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs Sony WH-1000XM5
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 vs Sony WH-1000XM5
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 vs AirPods Max
- Sonos Ace vs AirPods Max
I highly recommend you check those out next!
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Order Here for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):
Disclosure: These affiliate links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to keep this website 100% independent to ensure honest unfiltered reviews 🙂
How We Tested and Our Methodology
RecordingNOW.com is a 100% independent publisher with over 10 years of experience testing and reviewing consumer electronics and headphones.
We currently purchase the products we test with our own money, and are not paid by any company or manufacturer to influence our opinions or decisions.
After purchasing the product, we conduct up to hundreds of hours of detailed hands-on testing in a controlled, acoustically-treated environment.
ODi Productions is our resident expert and author of this article, with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, tech journalist, and audiophile.
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