Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 review: detailed, balanced earbuds for long listening

What stands out is control. They sound good out of the box, so the 7-band EQ in the Melomania Connect app is there for taste rather than to fix anything. If you want booming bass, you'll be turning the EQ up and still wanting more.

On an Android phone that supports them, you get LDAC and aptX Lossless, two wireless formats that carry more detail than the usual ones. An iPhone doesn't support LDAC and uses AAC, which still sounds good but leaves those high-resolution formats on the table.

Qualcomm's adaptive noise canceling adjusts to what's around you, and a transparency mode lets the outside in when you need to hear it. The buds come with three sizes of silicone tips, so try them all before you settle on a fit. Both the buds and the case are rated IPX5, so a run in the rain is fine.

Cambridge Audio gives 12 hours on a charge on its product page and 11 on its spec sheet. Turn noise canceling on and that drops to 6.5 hours per charge and up to 21 hours with the case, against up to 39 hours with it off. If you keep noise canceling on, expect to recharge the case nearly twice as often.

The case charges over USB-C or on a wireless pad. Cambridge Audio calls it Qi-compatible but not Qi certified, so if your pad is picky, keep the cable handy.

You can remap the touch controls in the app, call up Siri or Google Assistant, and stay connected to two devices at once, like your phone and your laptop. Cambridge Audio says the app's gaming mode brings latency under 80 milliseconds, so game sound lines up better with the screen. Android phones pair quickly with Google Fast Pair. Spatial audio is on the A100 SE only, not this pair.

The Sony WF-1000XM6 is the obvious rival, and the A100 come out ahead on either phone. They're lighter, they're rated IPX5 where Sony rates its pair IPX4, and an iPhone gets every app feature through the Melomania Connect app. The Sony makes sense only if you're on Android and want Gemini in your ear. The Technics EAH-AZ100 lasts longer with the case: Technics puts it at 28 hours with noise canceling on, so it's the splurge for frequent flyers. For everyone else, the A100 do the job and cost far less. If you're on an iPhone and listen in short bursts, AirPods 5 are the smarter buy.