Cambridge Audio Melomania 1
£120
Cambridge Audio entered the true wireless market this year and proved its long-standing hi-fi credentials with the Melomania 1s: simply the best wireless in-ears you’ll find for less than £200.
Inside each unit, there’s a 5.8mm graphene driver, a triple-core processor (including a Qualcomm subsystem to support both AAC and aptx audio codecs) a noise-cancelling mic for clearer calls or chatting to Siri/google Assistant, plus Bluetooth 5.0. An IPX5 rating means they’re water and sweat-resistant too.
The Melomania 1 IEMS are truly wireless, so there are no wires anywhere except the little supplied micro USB cable to connect the charging case to a power source – which you won’t often need. Also, there’s just one button on each earpiece (designed to look like the Cambridge Audio logo), occupying its entire surface. A series of taps and presses will allow you to skip a track, increase volume and summon your voice assistant.
With nine hours’ battery life from the buds themselves, plus four additional charges from the case, that means an impressive 45 hours of continuous use from this little set-up.
Most importantly, though, they sound great. In fact, these buds are hard to beat near this price. They offer a cohesive yet expansive, rhythmically driven sound befitting of their moniker – Melomania translates as ‘crazy about music’.
Moreover, there is a level of insight and clarity, as well as expressive dynamic range that tracks grand shifts and vulnerable quivers alike, that is befitting of a true hi-fi company such as Cambridge Audio. The Melomania 1s simply take the core Cambridge sound and add a little bit of 2019 tech.