Cambridge Audio has thrown their hat in the True Wireless Earbuds ring with the Melomania 1, the first such product in the company’s long hi-fi history. Battery Life is the name of the game here, with Cambridge Audio claiming 9 hours of listening on a single charge. That’s a long time compared with the bulk of True Wireless products, which usually last about 3-6 hours per charge. With the included charging/storage case, you can recharge the Melomania 1 four more times for an additional 36 hours of use.
The Melomania 1 is equipped with 5.8mm diaphragms coated with graphene, a material that adds a lot of strength while keeping the drivers lightweight. This usually adds speed and clarity to the sound. This combined with the available CD-quality AAC and apt-X audio codecs show potential for excellent sound quality. They also use the latest Bluetooth 5.0 technology which provides enhanced battery life and longer wireless range than the older Bluetooth versions.
For phone calls, they incorporate Qualcomm’s Clear Voice Capture (cVc) noise-cancelling technology, which removes background noise from conversations, something that I really liked on the Status Audio BT Structure earphones I just reviewed.
As far as build is concerned, the Melomania 1 looks sleek and are specced to be lightweight, which is always good for comfort. For the gymrats, they are IPX5 rated for protection against water and sweat. I’m not sure about the stability in the ears, meaning how they stay in during wear, but they do come with foam ear tips as well as the standard silicone, so that should help.
The Melomania 1 will be available starting today, priced at $129.95.
The following info is courtesy of Cambridge Audio:
In over five decades of engineering hi-fi and home cinema products, British hi-fi and home theater specialist Cambridge Audio has launched many innovate products. The Melomania 1 is the latest, being Cambridge Audio’s first pair of true wireless in-ear headphones.
Designed to work with laptops, tablets, portable audio players and smartphones, the Melomania 1 – named after the live music venue on the ground floor of Cambridge Audio’s London R&D centre – sets a new standard for British-designed Bluetooth headphones by combining premium materials, precision engineering, high quality wireless audio performance and superb battery life.
The Melomania 1 will be available from 11th June 2019, priced at $129.95.
Outstanding battery life
With up to nine hours of battery life on a single charge, the Melomania 1 boasts significantly more stamina than many of its true wireless rivals – and it doesn’t have to end there. The supplied charging case enables the user to fully recharge the headphones as many as four times over, resulting in a further 36 hours of on-the-go use. So, with an incredible 45 hours of use between charges in total, the Melomania 1 makes battery anxiety a thing of the past; these headphones will go on and on producing excellent-sounding music for days.
Award-winning British audio engineering
Cambridge Audio has been crafting transparent-sounding, beautifully-engineered British audio products for over 50 years, and its award-winning London-based design team has ensured the Melomania 1 is no exception.
The Melomania 1’s 5.8mm drivers use graphene in their diaphragms, Cambridge Audio’s engineers selecting the lightweight material for its outstanding strength and flexibility. Those 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.
The true wireless design incorporates Bluetooth 5.0 technology for superb energy efficiency and signal stability. The headphones have a wireless range of up to 30m, and are able to carry the latest high-quality AAC and aptX codecs – meaning all smartphone users can enjoy lossless wireless audio with no signal drops.
And to ensure that voice calls remain crisp, clear and free from background noise, the Melomania 1 features high quality microelectro-mechanical systems (MEMS) microphones and Qualcomm’s Clear Voice Capture (cVc) noise-cancelling technology.
Lightweight and built to be worn everywhere
The Melomania 1 is designed for real-world use, whether that means powering through a week’s worth of the commute to work or surviving a training session in less than ideal conditions.
The headphones weigh just 4.6g each and are supplied with a choice of silicone and memory foam ear tips. These allow the user to tailor the fit to ensure an ideal combination of comfort, noise isolation and sound quality.
And thanks to IPX5 certification, the Melomania 1 is also fully protected against water and sweat, so the headphones don’t have to come off just because there’s a sudden rain shower or the user is about to attempt a new personal best.
I’m an audio writer who started as a young audio salesman/consumer electronics professional back in the late 90s. That’s where I discovered the magic of 2-Channel sound. My thirst for great sound has led me on a delightful music quest that continues today.
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