Seekers of pocketable sonic perfection are spoilt for alternative as of late. Earbuds have advanced with spectacular rapidity, and it’s now not the premium manufacturers – and massive costs – which have a stranglehold on sound high quality and usefulness.
I’ve been exploring the brand new Melomania A100 wi-fi ANC earbuds type Cambridge Audio, a traditional living proof. In days passed by these can be thought of a premium product, however the evolution of the style implies that the combination of high-end options and low worth level comes as a pleasing shock.
Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 earbuds
(Picture credit score: Cambridge Audio)
Cambridge Audio have crammed a variety of tech into the A100s, as is the best way with this marvel of recent miniaturisation. There are three microphones in every earbud for cellphone calls, chatting with Siri or Google Assistant (quickly to get replaced with Gemini, in response to rumours), in addition to for driving the noise cancellation system, plus there’s a transparency mode for if you need the skin world to creep again in.
They sound good as effectively, though solely the golden of ear will have the ability to discern the presence of precision-tuned 10mm Neodymium drivers. You’re extra prone to sculpt the sound to your style with the 7-and adjustable EQ obtainable through the up to date Melomania Join app, which mixes pre-tuned presets with consumer profiles.
Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 earbuds
(Picture credit score: Cambridge Audio)
An important metric for earbud customers is battery life. The A100s don’t disappoint, with a complete rated play time (i.e. utilizing a totally charged case to high up the earbuds) of round 39 hours. That’s with noise cancelling off – utilizing ANC reduces that headline determine all the way down to 21 hours. Whole cost time is simply over an hour, however ten minutes within the case ought to offer you 3.2 hours of ANC-free playback.
Cambridge have chosen the A100 to be the primary product with their new branding. The corporate itself can hint its historical past again to a bunch of scholars on the eponymous college within the late 60s, an period of swift technological adjustments in hi-fi. From Cambridge Audio Laboratories’ garage-built bespoke programs to mass-produced amps, Cambridge Audio was set other than the pack by its partaking industrial design.
Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 earbuds
(Picture credit score: Cambridge Audio)
As of late, the corporate is owned by the Audio Partnership group, which owns a clutch of traditional British manufacturers however manufactures nearly all of its output in China, Cambridge Audio included. Engineering and R&D stay within the UK, however the bulk of the corporate’s merchandise, from earbuds to CD gamers, are assembled in China, not the big manufacturing unit in St Ives, Cambridge, that used to construct the merchandise.
That’s a clue as to how the A100 earbuds might be so aggressive; you’d be onerous pressed to discover a single pair of mass-market earbuds or headphones that aren’t made someplace within the far east. Except you’re within the enterprise of actually bespoke audio programs with six-figure pricetags, quantity hi-fi won’t ever be a cottage business.
Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 earbuds
(Picture credit score: Cambridge Audio)
With that stated, Cambridge Audio retains a lot of its authentic character in a market formed by bare clones, knock-offs and uninspiring design. It’s a sector the place branding and visibility imply an incredible deal – present Cambridge companions embody Delorean, the on-again, off-again automobile maker, in addition to artists and file labels. Finally, nevertheless, the proof is within the product and the A100 earbuds are very a lot worthy of the title and your time.
Cambridge Audio Melomania A100, obtainable in black or white, £119, CambridgeAudio.com, Amazon.co.uk, @CambridgeAudio
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