Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+ True Wireless Earbuds – Bluetooth 5.0, Hi-Fi Sound, In Ear Headphones for iPhone and Android with Charging Case and App Control (Black)
Designed and Engineered in the UK
For the last 50 years, we’ve worked hard to deliver products that help you to hear your music at it’s very best – with nothing added, nothing taken away. Designed and engineered in London, by the same team responsible for our award-winning Hi-Fi, Melomania 1+ are no exception. Immerse yourself in high-quality audio, without the hassle of wires, wherever you are.
| Dimensions: | 5.9 x 5 x 670.56 cm; 280 Grams |
| Model: | C11185K |
| Batteries Included: | 1 Lithium Ion batteries required. (included) |
| Manufacture: | Cambridge Audio |
| Dimensions: | 5.9 x 5 x 670.56 cm; 280 Grams |
| Origin: | China |
Great earbuds, with aptx. Work brilliantly with my DAP, and phone. The recently reduced price make these a bargain.
Does what it says on the tin, great new set of in ear [hones to replace my old over ear ones
Really very happy……high quality in every respect. Does exactly what is advertised and at a fraction of the cost other so called high end brands…..well done Cambridge audio
The sound quality is impressive, especially considering the price. Like, really, noticeably better than normal headphones straight away. Compact, high quality carrying/charging case and loads of sized ear buds – I seem to have small ear canals so being able to change them for smaller ones was appreciated and something lots of manufacturers leave out. The app to change the EQ is nice too. You just generally get the impression that these have been made really carefully to a high standard by a company that cares about sound.
If they have a drawback it’s that because the fit in the ear fully seals the ear canal when you run with them you do get that slight thump sound each step you take so they’re arguably not perfect for runners but other than that they’re incredible quality and value.
Have bought these earless headphones to avoid getting tangled in headphone wires when painting outside. They work a treat. My only difficulty is that all in ear headphones fall out of my right ear. These do the same despite a range of padded cushion sizes. Works well with sound into one ear. Comfortable and light.
I bought these 4 months ago and have used them daily ever since. I have small ears and found the supplied tips uncomfortable, but swapping for the comply tips resulted in better sound and a comfy fit in my ear. The fit in the case isn’t as good as it was, but they still charge. I’ve been pretty rough with these, and so far I’ve not had any problems. I even put one of the buds through the washing machine after I left it in my pocket. Unbelievably, it still works! These are very good value for the price.
Ordered these on a recommendation and they are honestly amazing, I won’t be parted from them. I had ordered a pair and they arrived broken but the customer service time had this fixed within a few hours on a Saturday of all days. Amazing product and amazing service all round.
I cannot believe the audio quality for 50!
Unreal. Solid and comfortable bass, amazing mid and the treble doesn’t crackle at the top end like on many buds.
Cambridge Audio, these are simply amazing for the price.
Anyone reading this, you need to buy them. They’re unreal. Build quality is solid, even the mechanics of the charging case lid feels like they’ve really thought about everything. USB-C charging, a good selection of tips to fit properly too. Great packaging, shows they care about how they want them to appear to buyers.
The app is great, has a find my device function and EQ mixer, along with presets. Battery level seems exactly as advertised also!
10/10, these leave AirPods behind and are on par with the Sonys.
A fantastic set of in ear monitors for the price. There is a real depth to the sound and the app is a great addition to be able to adjust the sound to your own personal taste. Can’t really fault them – even though there is no noise cancellation, it hasn’t affected my listening experience.
bought these ear pods on recommendation of my grandson, I have to be honest I owned Bose
noise cancelling headphones and I thought these were great, the Melomania 1+ are even better
the clarity is unbelievable, and the app that comes with them is brilliant.
Well done to Cambridge Audio on a real quality produc
Can’t believe I put off buying these for so long. The sound quality is superb which is ti be expected from a brand such as Cambridge Audio. Incredible value, literally no idea how they’re turning a profit at this price point! Incredubjr clarity and deoth and range. Tip – use the memory foam earbuds as per instructions they make all the difference in comfo
Nice earphones, easy to use, great fit and good sound
Best earbuds I have ever bought. Noise cancellation is very good, comfortable in the ears, well worth buying.
Bloody love these have had them for a long time now. Very reliable really great sound. You get different ear buds in the case so they can customise the sound. You can also alter the frequencies in the app. Genuinely i listen to these every day.
Really effective earbuds. Controls need some getting used to but worth the effort. Nice tight fit for running.
These are really very good with long battery and excellent controls and amazing price. I personally didnt like how far they go into your eyes and cut out your surrounding noise. I imagine most people would actually like this.
For 50 these buds are fantastic quality, IMHO. I ditched the supplied foam ear tips and bought some Comply ones as I have used them on my wired headphones before. Now, the external noise is hardly noticeable and the bass response is much better. But, this isn’t necessary as the supplied bits are serviceable enough. I can’t see the point in spending 2, 3, or 4 times the cost of these for Bose, etc. Unless you have money to burn, that is.
Nice buds once they’ve been broke in! Great sound quality, I mainly use mine with my phone and power amp. Some have said they have trouble with connectivity, I had a little jumping when first connected but no trouble now. Easily as good as my Sony wired buds without any tangle!
Definitely recommend, especially at the reduced price.
The sound is amazing as well as the price of this item. It’s my second pair as the former, bought years ago, no USB C but then micro-USB, doesn’t charge any more. I guess there is no noise cancellation, that’s my personal preference for an audiophile item, and that’s why I rated it 5 stars noise cancellation.
The sound is detailed and equilibrated throughout the spectrum and it’s never disturbing on any kind of music. These earplugs are simply amazing even when compared to others costing tenfold.
I have gone through a lot of different earphones and these have stood out. They are very light and comfortable, I wear them for a 8hrs with a quick charge half way though without any discomfort.
I did find the audio quality a bit off to begin with, but once I downloaded the app and tweaked the eq they were absolutely spot on!
The build quality is great! It does look like they put a good amount of time and effort into designing and manufacturing these.
So if you were on the fence about getting these or any others, I’d say give these a go and you won’t be disappointed.
Bought these for my daughter after she’d been taken in by well-reviewed “buy these cheap buds and get an Amazon voucher worth 4x their price” – which went back.
By contrast, this Cambridge Audio product doesn’t lag and treats sound fidelity as an important attribute. The build quality is immeasurably better. Hopefully, given her love of music this is the start of a lifelong relationship with proper kit (although I suspect a CX amp and network audio player may have to wait until beyond university)…
They sound excellent but I have yet to find a tight fit for listening on the move. At the moment they seem to slowly ease out of the ear canal resulting in a tinny sound. When in tight the sound is fantastic
The sound quality from these earphones is top notch. I bought them to replace my noise cancelling Sony WF1000 headphones, which are fantastic – for 1.5 hours until they run out of power. The Melamania earbuds last a genuine 7 hours. Fantastic. What is not fantastic is the way that they turn ghemselves off, even in the charging case and refuse to turn back on. Very annoying
I Bought these Melomania 1+ earbuds in July when the price dropped to 49.95p. Very pleased with them so far. Finding which tips are right for you is essential for realising their true potential. Thankfully, I’ve had no problem with the fit – I find the small memory foam tips very comfortable for long listening sessions. Sound quality is superb with good dynamics, reasonably flat frequency response, excellent midrange & plenty of bass. Although these are not specified as noise cancelling, the snug fit works surprisingly well at keeping background noise to a minimum. External controls work well. The app is nice & after initial pairing I’ve rarely had to open it, other than to check battery status, as a bluetooth connection is established when I insert the left bud. No drop out problems so far. Battery life seems good too.
A cracking little gem. Initially was a bit weary after setup was a little problematic: only one ear bud would play at a time and not both at the same time. I had tried unpairing then pairing up again but this did not work. I was able to overcome this issue by performing a reset of the earbuds (place both earbuds in the holder and hold both buttons down until they flash blue). Afterwards the Bluetooth setup worked and both earbuds were then able to perform a firmware update in the Melamonia app.
Anyway onto the the important stuff. The sound range and quality is really decent. I mostly like to listen to indie/rock and after listening to some of my favourites I had noticed that I was able to hear sounds on tracks that I hadn’t noticed (or possibly heard) previously on other devices. This is a testament to the range and quality of sound offered by these earbuds.
The earbuds are comfortable to wear and come with additional inserts with a range of sizes from small to large. The standard ones fitted are of a memory foam material so need to be rolled by your fingers before inserting into your ears to ensure a snug fit.
The Melamonia app allows you to use a preset or customised equaliser to adjust sound to your own preference.
Overall I am pleased with the quality and value of these earbuds.
These are excellent earphones made by a reputable high end audio brand. Cambridge Audio is owned by the founder of Richer Sounds. These sound good, and unlike many competitors, it is possible to use either earbud on its own should you choose. The memory foam earplugs work very well, and are worth persisting with. You make them fit by pinching them tight, and holding the earbud in place in your ear while the foam expands to fit again.
Do note that the foam plugs are consumables, and will eventually tear, needing replacement – branded replacements are sold in bulk on Amazon. A fitting kit of various sizes of earplugs is included with the earphones, which is helpful in finding the right size.
There is room for improvement with phone calls using these earbuds – they have difficulty in picking up my voice when outside especially, and you must take care to ensure the earbuds are inserted the right way up to so the microphone is pointing down at your mouth, which is made slightly more challenging by the round shape of the earbud meaning you will probably have to look rather than rely on feel.
For the price, they are unbeatable.
Pros Fantastic sound quality decent app very loud.Good battery life
Cons difficult to get a good fit Bluetooth drop outs and the ultimate con left bud stopped working so sent them back. Trying the lyperteks nex
The audio on these are way superior to almost any of the AirPods that seem to be very popular in my household. I upgraded to the 1+ and gave my old Melomania’s to my son who has finally seen the light.
Bought these so i didn’t have to listen to the inane chatter on the subway and train!
Fantastic sound and at half price they’re fantastic value for money.
They hurt my ears slightly but I’m hoping that will stop after wearing for a while.
Would highly recommend.
I have used numerous brands of wireless earbuds, all with their foibles, so was understandably sceptical when I friend waxed lyrical about these.but I took the plunge.
They are absolutely brilliant and safe to say the quality is far superior to apple products.
They don’t necessarily have the functionality of the latest airpod pros, but the clarity of sound makes up for that.
After a year, one of the earbuds failed. I contacted Cambridge audio who, after running through a quick diagnostic to ensure firmware was up-to-date and the earbuds weren’t simply dirty, they quickly despatched a replacement pair free of charge.
I have recommended these to numerous friends who have also bough and been converted.
Simply put, why would you buy anything else !!
Highly recommended
These are a total steal for 50. At first I found that they sounded thin and lacking in volume. Once I got some Comply T600 large foam tips it sorted it as I was ready to return them. These tips are bigger than large foam ones included. I’ve had no issues at all as other reviewers have mentioned getting the buds into the charging case with the larger tips attached. The key to me inserting these tips is to slightly twist them and then twist back to correct position.
The sound is so detailed, plenty of bass. The only negative I can say about them is that they are not the most comfortable of earbuds. They are fairly loud but I wouldn’t mind one notch higher for short blasts.
The other main positive for these is having physical buttons. Having had earbuds with touch ones that were hit and miss, these are just in a different class. Can’t understand the obsession with touch controls, in cars whatever, just a step back if you ask me.
Highly recommended, the negatives are not really worth mentioning at the price I paid.
I’ve always been impressed by the sound quality of apple airpods. But these are even better. I’ve tried pixel buds where the sound was also brilliant but i found them really uncomfortable. Whereas my friend has them and thinks they’re really comfortable. I think with headphones it’s finding the right brand for your ear shape and my ears are made for these. Superior crisp sound. I really love them. I love a physical button on headphones too. Really irritates me skipping or stopping tracks when trying to wedge in your ear. Love a good clicky button like this one. Battery is insanely good. The recent firmware update through app was nice too to know theyre still improving and caring about this product that has been out a few years. For the price on sale at the moment they’re unbeatable imo.
I got these mainly for commuting to and from uni and for studying. They are fantastic I can’t hear kids on the bus shouting or other people’s conversations.
The sound is amazing, the app gives additional control over the equaliser. The number of ear tips is insanely good and I personally love the memory foam tip.
I definitely recommend these
The sound is perfect ( once you fit the right pads) the app is brilliant. Allowing you to adjust the sound accordingly to the genre . For the price this is a banging bit of kit. Cambridge didn’t get their reputation for top notch sound for nothing . Superb
Actually very easy to pair, despite a couple of negative comments I have read on this. I had no problems at all and they have been totally reliable.
Noise cancelling is some of the best I have come across from a low cost pair of earbuds. In ear fit is great and product is supplied with multiple options to ensure the most comfortable fit for everyone. Sound quality is typical of Cambridge Audio – crystal clear at every level, with some real depth.
The only minor issue I have encountered has been with a couple of calls I have made where sound at the other end of the line has been less than perfect. This may be because I am using a three year old iPhone that is overdue for an upgrade, though.
Last comment. Battery life is sensational. Up to 45 hours. I have had mine for 4 or 5 months and have only had to recharge twice in that time. Bought this pair for my eldest daughter, who constantly listens to music at home or to / from school. She has charged hers once since receiving them at the beginning of the month. No ‘wobble’ in case either. If you put them in the case to charge, they fit securely and charge reliably.
Excellent all round performance.
Can’t fault these at all, best of British design and functionality. Superbly balanced across all frequencies, ergonomic and comes with multitude of in ear interchangeable inserts to accommodate all ear anthropometric.
Great life off one charge and performs superbly. Even had to liaise with customer services when one pod wouldn’t turn on, comms was very detailed, simply explained and easy to understand and issue was sorted in minutes. Fault was my error not the products. Cannot go wrong with these, as good as it gets. Well done Cambridge Audio I salute you.
+ Really immersive sound
+ Love the design and fit
+ Great for running (waterproof and stay in the ear!)
+ Battery life is great, as someone who will put them in at the start of the working day and often take them out at the end I can usually do this without even having to put them back in the charging case. Appreciate battery life is extended as they are not noise-cancelling but would happily trade this for the long battery life and snug fit/great sound
+ Customer service was brilliant – I did have to send my pair back (more below) but was immediately sent a replacement pair which have been fine
– Despite beating airPods hands-down in almost every department for me, bluetooth connectivity is not quite as slick with my iPhone (perhaps understandably), with one or two spells where connection cuts out for no reason
– My first pair became very temperamental when it came to connectivity but as mentioned, Cambridge Audio replaced these immediately so very happy overall
I’d highly recommend these great little earbuds, the sound really does surprise you when you first put them in and when, on occasion, I use my partners AirPod pro’s, I’m left disappointed by the sound and constant need to recharge compared to my Melomania 1+’s
The plus the sound out of these is great also the inclusion of different sized silicone covers is a great touch
The down side they can be a bit awkward to set up at first but once you have them sorted they’re fine
Bought these when reduced and I was not disappointed when they arrived. They actually fit my ear quite well, once I had swapped out to a different size bud on the end. The sound quality is also much better than I thought too. With the software download, you can adjust to suit or use the standard presets which are perfectly acceptable. The sound quality is very good and although I am no sound expert, I believe the output to be as good as anyone might expect. I listen to a wide range of music and these ear buds are more than capable. The battery life is also very good and as described so no complaints. I took them on a recent business trip to Budapest in place of my over ear Sony’s as they took up no space at all in my pocket to reduce my bag size (sleezy jet) and can confirm, using on the plane helped to blank out external sounds very well. In all, I would recommend these ear buds but that is just my opinion.
Excellent sound quality and value for money. These are my first pair of true wireless earbuds and I think they are excellent.
I have used them at the gym and they are very secure and comfortable.
They are very good quality and they provide loads of listening time – especially with the case provided. The push button controls are easy to use and the app is user friendly and allows you to customise the sound – if that’s your thing.
I’d definitely recommend these earbuds as they are excellent value for money. I bought them at a discounted price of 49.99
I quite like these design-wise and the sound is decent despite the lack of ANC.
I got mine in black and purchased them for 60 so they were very good value for me, however I should point out that they have some pretty annoying faults which from research seem to be common.
Pro’s
+ sound quality is good and accurate, bass is sufficient without being overpowering
+ battery life is very good
+ size and feel of the case are quite nice
+ USB-C charging is fairly quick
+ they look pretty cool, are classy, understated and are quite different from most of what’s on the market
– buds don’t always respond when you open the case and it’s a nightmare to get them working when they start playing up
– charging is inconsistent between the 2 buds, and despite keeping them in a charged case you will find that sometimes one of the buds doesn’t have a full charge while the other one does
– call audio quality is atrocious, especially when there is background noise. They will pick up literally any other sound apart from your voice and people will not be able to hear you. In quiet settings your voice will still sound muffled.
The sound quality on these is absolutely awesome. Noise cancellation is also really good.
The buds come complete with 9 additional pairs of replacement tips so most people will find one that fits properly.
Customer service was put to the test as the first pair I received had a faulty left bud. It either wouldn’t charge at all or would charge to 20% and drain in seconds. I contacted Cambridge Audio late on the Thursday and got my replacement the following Wednesday. This was also a bank holiday weekend.
There’s plenty of punch to the sound. I listen to rock music mainly. Foo Fighters, Skillet and AC/DC all sound crystal clear and loud. It’s just like having on over the ear headphones.
When these first came out they got a great review on one of the gadget mags. They weren’t wrong and at 49 they’re a bargain.
Sound quality is easily the best you will get at this price point (120 at release), and with the buds now being available for 50 its an utter bargin. Everything is quality with the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 plus. Packaging, charging case, loads of tips for the ear buds and an equaliser app all big positives. Call quality is acceptable – there are better out there but its good enough. The only real gripe and it might a deal breaker for some, is that they do give me some ear fatigue quite quickly. Aka after an hour or so I feel them getting a bit irritating in my ears. Maybe just me but needs pointed out. Overall though for current price of 50 it’s really a no brainer…. don’t hesitate just get them!
These have been designed from the ground up to be all about the audio quality. They deliver amazing clarity and deep (but unexaggerated) bass. Trebles are crisp without the harshness I’ve experienced using other buds.
The build quality is superb, and battery life amazing, I can listen for hours and never need to worry about recharging. I haven’t missed the fact that these specific models don’t have track skip forward/back on the buds themselves, I just use my phone for that.
They may be slightly bulky for some ears, I had to experiment a bit to get the right sound and comfort levels with the different tips supplied.
Overall, superb and highly recommended.
Hi, I bought the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+ to replace a set of Apple AirPod Pro’s which to me seemed to be sonically lacking. The Melomania 1+ is fantastic in terms of audio quality, particularly at this price point.
The main problem I have encountered is that they are difficult to pair with IOS devices such as iphones. Many times it has been a really painful experience. At one point it got so bad trying to pair the device, that I was about to return the product as being faulty. Doing a full factory reset cleared the problem and I could pair them okay with my iPhone.
TIP: Instructions for how to perform a factory reset are provided in the help for the Melomonia app. If you are having issues with pairing, perform a factory reset and them check to see if a firmware update needs to be applied. Firmware updates are applied from within the app and this requires that both Left and Right ear buds are paired correctly and thus recognised by the app.
Initially there was an issue where they wouldn’t connect reliably on removal from case, that seems resolved now – they were more temperamental than my Earfuns which were solid. On one occasion they were dead though semi-charged but CS told me the method of reactivating them – press both buttons in the case. The signal breaks up randomly occasionally walking around with phone in pocket. They are secure in the ear and fit snugly. Clicky control good. Battery life good. Easy case remove/replace buds.
I got a pair a few months ago and when they work they are amazing. Unfortunately the left earbud has just gone dead completely and the right one now refuses to pair to anything. CA were really good and immediately sent me a new pair in their defense so hope they dont have the same issues. But really great headphones when they work. Maybe I just got unlucky and great customer service in any case.
This is my second set of these. My set are going strong still and i like them so much I bought the wife some for use with her ipad. This set that im reviewing did have trouble initially getting to work. Eventually after several attempts they paired (it wasnt pairing that eas the issue it was actually turning the headphone on).
Now set up no issues at all and great clarity of sound.
What i will say about these headphones is that if you are a person who likes alot of bass these may not be for you. They do lack a little in the bass department for my tastes , however they do make up for that with sound clarity. I listen to trance music mainly. But when cutting the grass using petrol tools they cancel out the noise and protect my ears whilst providing some music (I use the memo foam tips).
The battery life is very good on these and I have never needed to put them in the case as they have run out. The stated run times I have never been anwhere near. I believe each individual charge is around 9 hours. and the case holds 5 charges. I found the case holds its charge for a very long time. When paired one headphone is your blue tooth connection so which ever one is conncected will drain slightly faster than the non paired. If you are some one that may use them for the 8-9 hours per charge its just something to be aware of.
Overall they are perfectly adequate for my needs and very happy with my purchase
I have been looking for a decent-sounding, comfortable and not too expensive set of earbuds. I have tried four over the past few years, and these are the best… and the worst! Here’s why…
The most important qualities for me are sound and comfort… Soundwise they are excellent… easily a match for some pretty pricey (but old) wired earbuds I kept going back to. I listen to (mainly) flac files and have tried various music types, Beck to Bowie, Loscil to Eno. I can’t comment on older firmware sound quality but other reviewers found the update essential.
They are also supremely comfortable and lightweight. They stay put, not needing to be fiddled with to keep them in-position, and they do a very satisfactory job of muting the outside world with the silicone tips (I am sure the foam would be even better, but I haven’t felt the need so far). Again, all ears are different, but for me, these are better than some wired buds, and better than all the other wireless I have tried.
BUT… the set-up experience is just AWFUL. Ignoring charging time, it took several hours… yes, HOURS, to get these working. Seriously, I came very close to sending them back. Getting a pair of earbuds to work just should not be this difficult. Many would have given up and returned them!
Firstly you need to install their Melomania software… why? Not sure. It does give you some EQ presets etc and the ability to choose from one of two codecs, but surely most phones can handle both these? Once installed you need to try and get the pair of buds ‘seen’ by Melomania. This just didn’t want to work I needed to flit from the phone’s bluetooth settings and Melomania trying to coax into accepting both Right and Left buds. I genuinly lost track of the number of times I tried his – sometimes the Left would be registered but not the Right, and then itt was the other way round! About an hour spent so far. I actually thought they must be faulty at some point.
HINT: Charge them fully before attempting to install – the manual says 30%… this is not enough as the software seems to reject them frequently during setup unless fully charged. Ignore the number of lights on the case and leave them charging for an hour or so.
OK, so now I can use them? Nope! The Melomania app leaps into action demanding to update the firmware on them. This took over 2 hours in total… with a fast connection! The download itself was quick, but one earbud would be recognised and (painfully slowly) updated, then it would get ‘stuck’ and refuse to do the other. In between attempts you need to keep re-connecting using the phone’s Bluetooth settings. It is amazingly infuriating! It was such a contorted process that I cannot remember what finally got both updated and working, but there is a review somewhere here that explained how to do it (basically the instructions from Cambridge do not work/are incorrect).
So, now they are working I really do love the sound. It is refreshingly flat/neutral with only very slight EQ modification to make listening really pleasurable for my ears. I use Beyerdynamic 990Pros in my home studio for music production, so I am used to a pretty neutral sound. Obviously ‘casual’ listening using earbuds on a mobile phone is a different kettle of fish, but these Cambridge buds sound a great deal better than the price suggests… maybe the discount is for the painful install/update experience?
1. When on a call with my dad, he kept telling me it’s very windy on the call except it wasn’t – they are just very sensitive to picking up a slight breeze.
2. Due to the buds odd shape, they do need to be adjusted with their silicone bud covers.
3. They aren’t noise cancelling – to be fair they do not say they are.
Other then those 2 negatives, they are a very very good pair of buds. Sound quality is very good and this is also including call quality. These are usually 70-100 but I picked them up for 40 which is a bargain. I lost my sony W’s and these are quite close – I am a headphone snob due to being a DJ and loving music so I like to hear all the track elements… but I will happily buy these again.
I decided on these with some trepidation as there are such mixed reviews, although it seems par for the course on most Bluetooth buds I looked at around the 50 to 100 mark. Generally the issues reported are around pairing, charging and sizing (staying in your ear/getting a good seal. The one thing even the low reviews agreed on was the sound quality and I can confirm they sound great. The app is also an huge bonus as the ability to tweak the sound is important to me depending on genre I’m listening to. They don’t feel particularly premium, but neither do they feel cheap or shoddy. The case is a nice size, easy on the pocket, they stay in my ear very well and make a good seal. So far I am very satisfied. If I get problems pairing and charging over the next few weeks I will update this post. Well worth 50 in my opinion.
Update – 8 days laterstill no problems connecting ring and still on the initial charge. All good so far.
Overall these are great headphones and value for money at the current price drop 49 down from 120.
Sound quality is very good, no active noise cancelling but they are such a snug fit it really isn’t needed.
Battery life is also great.
Downsides:
They can be temperamental when connecting.
They show up as separate items in my Bluetooth connections list and sometimes the volume between the left and right buds do not sync up so when you turn them up or down one ends up louder than the other. a reset cures this for a while.
They don’t seem to turn off all the time when returning them to the charge case which then causes connection issues as they go into a standby mode that is hard to turn off.
So, I’ll move to the good points first…..
The sound is rich with a strong but not over-powering bass and with classical music there is a real sense of presence. I don’t use the equalisers, but the fact that they are available through the Android App is a bonus that some people will appreciate. I also like the fact that the App show the charge level and can even be used to find the earphones if misplaced.
However, there are some problems I have noticed…….
When I wear them when I am outdoors walking, I find I loose the signal sometimes when I turn my head, which suggests the Bluetooth signal is weaker than for other earphones I’ve used (I have my phone – the music source – in my trouser pocket). I’ve also noticed pauses (very occasionally) in the music, which begins again without my intervention – very odd, which maybe is a phone issue (Samsung S20), but I’m not sure. The earphones work well with the phone as a phone, but the microphone picks up a lot of background noise which makes a two-way conversation difficult for the person on the other end of the phone. I also have real problems seeing the L & R markings on the phones, which is needed to correctly orientate the mic – I think this is the colour contrast that makes it difficult for my aging eyes. Finally, yesterday (a few weeks after purchase) they just stopped working, they didn’t seem to be charging and wouldn’t pair when I unpaired them from the phone. Fortunately, there is a ‘help’ facility in the App and this guided me through a reset procedure that solved the problem, but I still don’t know why the issue arose in the first place.
Would I buy these again? At the reduced price yes, but at full price no – there are other earphones with good audio at the full price. The good points outweigh the bad points, which may also be more about me and my phone setup, but I find myself not using these earphone outdoors, but reserving their use for listening in the home.
Likes:
The sound is good and makes a good seal in my ear. I’ve left it with the rubber buds that were already on them and they seem to fit well.
They don’t have active noise cancelling but do a good job while out in the street cutting out road traffic well.
Very light weight.
The case makes a satisfying click shut.
Could be better:
The case is matt black and is soon covered in finger marks.
They feel very light in the hand which gives the impression of poor quality.
They look cheap – I was happy to pay the Prime price of 50 but would not pay more for these.
The volume control is terrible – it works but not feedback as to the level or if it’s activated. You hold the button and all of a sudden it’s too loud. Needs better control.
They would not auto-connect initially when I got them (after connecting them correctly). Had to turn off/on again to reconnect.
It would be good to have a light indicator showing that the buds are recharging once back in the case. You put them back in and assume the case is recharging them.
They don’t feel special in the hand.
The app is quite simple – it needs to connect the buds before giving you access to the app settings. Why can’t you just get in first and connect to the buds from within the app?
To sum up – my main issue is with the overall quality feel and poor plastic. The sound controls are too vague. The actual sound quality is good.
Happy to keep as a spare set but certainly not my main headphones going forwards.
I bought them because they had been reduced to a giveaway price of 49.95 and had great reviews and this is my thoughts and impressions.
They come lavishly packed which gives hope that they should be something special but first impressions were not that great. They come fitted with large memory foam ear tips which wouldn’t even stay in my ears so I swapped them out for medium sized silicon tips.
Playing tracks I knew from previous earbuds they sounded rather flat, lacking in bass and treble and any form of dynamics or excitement. It was difficult to keep a good seal in the ears with the silicon tips which didn’t help matters.
Replacing them with medium sized Memory Foam tips made a great improvement, it’s imperative that you use Memory Foam tips with these earbuds, they provide a much better seal which improves the bass and overall sound quality, plus they are far more comfortable to wear.
It’s absolutely imperative that you download the app on Android or IOS to improve the sound and usability of these earbuds using the built in equaliser. At the risk of upsetting Cambridge Audio by changing the tuning of their earbuds, they need a quite generous bass and treble boost to get the best out of them. Fortunately this doesn’t muddy or affect the superb midrange, it just gives them the the excitement and dynamics they are initially lacking. It’s the typical V shaped frequency response that other earbuds offer straight out of the box, it’s not an audiophile frequency response but it’s the most pleasing to the human ear, or at least it is to mine. The picture is my equaliser settings.
With the aid of the memory foam ear tips and a substantial lift in the bass and treble these earbuds now sound superb. IMPORTANT be advised that unless you insert the earbuds as deep into the ear canal as possible to provide a good airtight seal, you won’t get the best sound out of them.
Overall I’m now delighted I bought these earbuds and persevered to get the best out of them. At the reduced asking price they are an absolute bargain and I can’t think of any other earbuds that I’ve tried that can deliver the sonic performance the Melomania 1+ do. I can highly recommend them providing you use Memory Foam tips and adjust the equaliser to your own personal preference.
I can’t stress enough the importance of getting a perfect seal between the earbuds and the ear canal, you won’t get the bass extension and at worst they’ll sound tinny and you’ll end up hating them. Pushing and twisting earbuds deep into the ears can be uncomfortable and painful but that’s the only way you’ll hear the sound as it’s meant to be and proves that earbuds should only be used for casual listening and not for long periods. It’s pointless spending hundreds of pounds on earbuds, they’re not designed for serious listening, best to spend the money on a decent pair of headphones and only use earbuds when out and about or for short periods. You won’t get anything better than the Melomania 1+ at anywhere near this price point, I’m pretty sure of that.
The sound quality is excellent, they’re comfortable, and I can even fall asleep with them in. The case is compact and slips easily into my pocket. They’ve got a good few hours of charge (though this is where I’d prefer to stick to wired, which don’t need charging), and seem to charge up quite quickly. Rare is the time when I’m listening so solidly I run out of charge.
One star dropped for the foam buds. It’s great that they’re included (mine came with them on), but they only just fit into the charging case. Not a problem in itself, but as they wear out (as foam tips do), they get loose on the earbud, and because of the tight fit the tips remain in the case when you pull the bud out. You need tweezers to hand to get them out of the case… and also your ears. Because they remain in there as well when you take the buds out. This is because the tips just slide onto the bud, and there’s nothing securing them in place. I’ve had earphones that have tiny notches that the tips slide over that add extra security, and I’ve only ever had those come off in my ear when the tips were so worn out they’ve split open.
Fix that, and you’ve got some excellent ear buds, and I’d be happy to replace them with the same or updated product when they eventually wear out.