TWS true wireless earphones - under $75
4.5 STARS - Like the original, the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+ is a fantastic sounding wireless earphone for a reasonable price. The improved call quality, USB-charging, and app equalizers are only extras on this impressive pair of earbuds.
Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+ specs:
Bluetooth 5.0 with AptX Adaptive TWS+ and AAC codec
IPX5 waterproof (rain and sweat resistant)
7 - 9 hours listening on a full charge
Charging case can charge earpieces fully 4 times
Comes with 6 rubber ear tips, 4 foam tips and USB-C cable
$70 - check price on Amazon US, Amazon Germany or other Amazon countries
Below this Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+ review, you will find comparisons between the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+ vs Melomania, Sennheiser CX 400BT, Fiil T1 Lite, Lypertek Soundfree S20 and Samsung Galaxy Buds+.
Update August 2024: Due to increased competition and the bad availability and therefore higher pricing of this model, the overall score has been adjusted from 5 to 4.5 stars. Check out the new best $100 wireless earbuds here.
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Design, comfort and battery life
For the Melomania 1+, Cambridge Audio reused almost every part from the two year old original Melomania, and it still has a unique form factor. These are bullets, with the body and the ear tip directly connected. Your ears need to hold onto the ear tips solely to get a good grip in your ears, as there are no other shapes or ear wings to ensure a tight fit. Ideally, your ears cling onto the earbuds up to the silver line; the rest can stick out a bit. As the tips themselves are so important for the fit, expect them to get dirty more often than on other earbuds.
Cambridge Audio puts six pairs of regular rubber ear-tips and even four pairs of form-adjusting foam tips in the box to ensure the right fit. With the right tip, they should even stay in during runs and workouts - but the round bullet shape may not be the most comfortable. Personally, I adjusted them or took them out and in again for a moment, every hour or so. By the way - when putting them in, you have to put them in with the blue (ha, that's new, previously white!) L and R prints facing downwards, as it will optimize the microphone performance in phone calls.
The Melomania 1+ offers a good amount of playtime. The earbuds can reach up to 7 hours of battery life on a single charge, just as impressive as the original model. It can only reach the advertised 9 hours in the lower-power mode you can activate from the app, diminishing the audio quality.
The charging case is delightfully thin and looks like a small backpack. It slides into any pocket, but unfortunately, it scratches just as easily. Five LED lights indicate the charging status of the case. When fully charged via USB-C (an improvement over the micro-USB powered original), the case can recharge the buds four times fully before needing new power itself. Unfortunately, you need to check if the earbuds are connected to the charging dots properly. Sometimes, the buds require an extra push to turn off and charge.
Unlike more and more wireless earbuds in this price category, the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+ doesn't offer ANC noise-cancelling or a Transparency mode you can activate to hear traffic or people talking around you on moments you need it. As the earbuds' shape doesn't seal your ears off, you'll likely often hear some surrounding noises when using these.
The Melomania 1+ is a wonderful little thing still, but comfort isn't outstanding.
Connectivity and controls
The Melomania 1+ has actual controls on the sides, which require pressing the earbuds into your ears a bit. It's not as uncomfortable as you may think, and it makes the controls respond great. The control scheme is great for the basic playback functions:
Press L or R to play/ pause
Press R twice to skip a song
Press L twice to return a song
Hold R to increase the volume
Hold L to decrease volume
Press L or R twice to activate the voice assistant (when not playing music)
Hold L or R to pair manually (when not playing music)
Hold L or R longer to shut off or turn on (when not playing music)
See the trouble here? Cambridge Audio proudly states the Melomania 1+ can hold up to ten different Bluetooth connections, but it surely can't handle them at the same time, and it's a struggle to switch between devices. Switching requires long-presses of the earbuds to power off - power on - power off - waiting to pair trial-and-error to reinstate a connection on another device. Afterward, you probably still need to manually turn on the other earbud to enter stereo mode again. What's more, is that the earbuds didn't power on once after taking them out of the case - it needed the same steps to get them to work again.
At least you'll get feedback by the smoothest female voice commands in the history of TWS.
Overall connectivity is solid, with a stable Bluetooth connection up to ten meters away from your device. It also holds well in areas crowded with wireless signals and when running or cycling. Recharging an earbud while listening to the other isn't a problem; when you take the charged bud out, you'll immediately revert to stereo listening.
Calling and watching movies
It's easy taking an indoor phone call with the Melomania 1+. Even though your voice is a little low on volume, it does sound clear and even natural. Things become trickier in crowded and outdoor areas: while traffic is reduced nicely in the call, it can take away your voice a bit as well. Surrounding voices, on the other hand, are still audible. Wind can also come through loud.
Happily, the 1+ handles video calls and Zoom meetings well, opposed to the original Melomania. Your voice sounds clearer, fuller, and louder now, although it still comes with a lot of white noise underneath it.
If (video) calls are as important to you as audio quality, the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ and Sennheiser CX 400BT do have an advantage.
The Melomania 1+ is great for watching videos. Synchronization between audio and video is spot-on on both iPhone and Android, including the challenging YouTube app. There is a slight delay in sound effects when you're playing games.
App support of Melomania 1+
The biggest change from the Melomania to the Melomania 1+, is the app support of the latter. It has quite a bit of options:
Check the battery status of the earbuds
Update firmware
Read instructions
Find your earphones on the map
Turn earbuds controls on or off
Select the codec (on Android models without AptX Adaptive only)
Switch to Low Power audio quality to extend the battery life of the earbuds from 7 to 9 hours
Equalizers
You can't change the earbuds' controls, but as the standard controls are convenient, that's not much of a problem. It's the equalizers where it's at.
The app is clean and simple
Choose between AptX and AAC (Android) or AAC and SBC (iPhone)
Turn the 1+ into a bass fest or V-shape powerhouse
Cambridge Audio uses a simple 5-point scheme to manually adjust the sub-bass, mid-bass, mids, upper-mids, and highs and save three different presents. Don't expect to turn around the sound drastically - whatever you change, still respects the buds' original tuning - but it's at the very least a fun scheme to play with, and a great way to finetune the sound to your liking.
Furthermore, there are six equalizer presets, of which the Bass Boost noticeably increases the sub- and mid-bass, making the latter flow more onto the lower mids and providing a warmer sound. The Electronic setting makes a more engaging sound and can manually be changed into a bass-heavy, dance-savvy (V-shape equalizer) setting as well, making it worth looking into too.
The app works smoothly, it doesn't require an account or all kinds of permissions and adds neat functions. Top-notch.
Also read: The best wireless earbuds under $100
Sound quality of Melomania 1+: Engaging balance
The British Cambridge Audio has been around a lot of years longer than most brand new Chinese brands, and in 2021, it still shows in the musical tuning.
Michael Jackson's Stranger In Moscow gives a brilliant summary of Melomania 1+'s audio capabilities. The white noise from the intro is perfectly identifiable as a light rain - a bode for the level of detail in the mids. When the first claps enter, they shift wonderfully from your left and right - and the subtle lower-mid swoosh underneath is audible as well. The bass then kicks in with a controlled and powerful, precise slam.
Jackson's medium high-pitched voice sounds clear and shows its breakable edge, without sounding much more prominent than the rest of the music: voices are mildly, not overly forward. Meanwhile, even the strongest claps are perfectly controlled - not once do they enter harsh territory, let alone pierce your ears.
It doesn't matter which genre or track you're throwing at the Melomania 1+: it always comes down to the same. The sound is wonderfully balanced with juicy lows, natural reproduction of mid-tones (like guitars, piano play, darker vocals), and well-extended yet perfectly controlled upper-mids and highs (like female and higher-pitched male vocals, trumpets, violins).
The Melomania slightly lifts the lower-mids to inject warmth in the music, and the mid-bass has a quick-firing, satisfying thump without bloating. The sub-bass - the bass-depth you can feel as much as hear - combines control and staggering strength just as wonderful. You may need to get used to the sheer power build-up the bass has - it can be subtle one moment and intense the next - but the lows are amazing.
The sound is sweetened further by a solid soundstage with great instrument placement. Vocals always take the center position in songs, and instruments flank you. It's easy to position them and follow effects going from your left to right or vice versa. Even in more crowded songs, most instruments fiercely hold on to their place. No matter the volume you’re playing - which is convenient, considering the 1+ can go from soft to extremely loud.
The Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+ sound has a brilliant balance between bass power, warmth, and clarity.
Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+ comparisons
Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 vs Melomania 1+
The original Melomania has micro-USB and lacks app support
There are differences in the sound tuning between the Melomania and Melomania 1+. While the 1+ has excellent mids reproduction, the original Melomania reveals slightly more detail and pronunciation in the center-mids, making guitars and claps sound a bit more natural. The 1+ holds them in a little bit, bringing upper-mid vocals more forward instead. The Melomania 1+ has slightly more mid-bass and lower-mid emphasis than the first Melomania, making the sound a bit more overall consumer-friendly but perhaps a little less special than its predecessor. If you can still get the original and are okay with micro-USB, you may consider saving yourself a few dollars.
No original Melomania review, buy here on Amazon US, Amazon Germany or from other Amazon countries
Melomania 1+ vs Samsung Galaxy Buds+
Despite all the praise that there's been for the Galaxy Buds Plus, the Melomania 1+ offers a more balanced musical presentation thanks to the lows' added weight, bringing out the mid-bass and lower-mids more pronounced than the Samsung - yet without overdoing anything. The Samsung lifts upper-mids and extends highs further, which is beneficial, for example for more textured cymbals and high-hats, but displays a bit of white noise doing so, something you'll rarely find on the Melomania 1+. Feature-wise, the Samsung is a better choice, better (video) call quality and even longer battery life.
Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus review ($80-100)
Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+ vs Sennheiser CX 400BT
The Sennheiser CX 400BT is another balanced yet soothingly warm-sounding wireless earphone. It has an even more intimate soundstage than the Melomania 1+, by portraying the vocals and instruments more concentrated around you. Vocals are more upfront on the Sennheiser; the Cambridge Audio is more precise and powerful in the lows. The sound is more customisable with the app as well. Both have a fit to get adjusted to and great battery life - it's hard to choose between these two.
Sennheiser CX 400BT review ($100)
Melomania 1+ vs Lypertek Soundfree S20
The brand new Lypertek Soundfree S20 and the Melomania 1+ shine with a natural, lively presentation of mids - but they are very different. The 1+ adds more weight and warmth in the lower mid-tones, whereas the Lypertek empowers vocals and instruments more in the higher frequencies and adds a strong mid-bass punch. The Melomania 1+ sub-bass is stronger. The S20 sounds more open and has a massively wider soundstage, but it's also brighter; the 1+ offers a warmer and more balanced ride.
Melomania 1+ vs Fiil T1 Lite
The $35 budget treat Fiil T1 Lite has a more engaging, even wild sound than the Melomania 1+. The Fiil boasts a stronger mid-bass and further boosts upper-mids, resulting in even more detail in higher-pitched instruments and more prominent vocals. The Melomania 1+ has a more controlled, warmer, and precise presentation. Switching from the 1+ to the T1 Lite, the latter sounds thin and piercing in the highest vocals. Switching from the T1 Lite to the 1+, it can sound a bit lifeless - but you'll get comforted by the detailed and smooth presentation in no time... and may not want to go back.
Fiil T1 Lite review ($35)
Fiil T1 Pro review ($65, adds ear wings and ANC noise cancelling, slightly more upper-mid emphasis)
Verdict
Like the original, the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+ is a fantastic sounding wireless earphone for a reasonable price. The improved call quality, USB-charging, and app equalizers are only extras on this impressive pair of earbuds.
Update August 2024: Due to increased competition and the bad availability and therefore higher pricing of this model, the overall score has been adjusted from 5 to 4.5 stars. Check out the new best $100 wireless earbuds here.
4.5 stars - Great
Buy Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+:
I bought the Cambridge Audio Melomania and Melomania 1+ myself to test and review myself. My reviews are 100% independent and non-commercial. I test and review all audio products equally honest - read about it here.
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