You shouldn't have to pay $250 for top-notch sound quality — and the brand-new Cambrige Audio Melomania A100 SE prove it

Ahem, I have something I’d like to say. I’m actually over audio brands releasing earbuds with AI features. Bring back the good old days, when earbuds did nothing but play music block out annoying ambient sound. Those were the best of times, eh?

Well, Cambridge Audio is, consciously or unconsciously, bringing back that bygone era. And me? I’m all here for it. The new Melomania A100 SE are everything I want them to be: affordable, great-sounding, and straightforward. These are music-focused earbuds, and they’re not sorry about it. I can tell every bit of care has been put into how they sound — and it’s enough to make them some of the best earbuds of 2026.

So, are these entry-level hi-fi-tuned earbuds right for you? I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess “Yes”. I love these bad boys. But to find out, keep reading this Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 SE review.

Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 SE review: Specs

Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 SE review: What I like

• Pretty, pretty price tag
• Warm, inviting sound quality across all genres I tested
• Just about the music, no AI features

The Melomania are super lovable for four main reasons: affordability, sound quality, battery life, and music-focused features.

Price

Look, the Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 SE are cheap. In 2026, $149 for earbuds with a hi-fi-adjacent sound profile, ANC, wear detection, and music-focused features is a great deal. You can buy the Melomania A100 SE for $149 at Cambridge Audio direct or £129 at Amazon U.K.

At this price point, the competition’s looking less like the Sony WF-100XM6 and more like the Apple AirPods 5 and the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds. Even so, the Melomania crowd is still a little different to the AirPods/Bose crowd — these are everyday earbuds for people who take sound a little more seriously.

Although the AirPods 5 were a major improvement on the AirPods 4, the Melomania A100 SE sound warmer and more well-rounded. Similarly, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds go too far in the other direction — Bose’s bassy signature sound can be a bit too much for some audiophiles.

Sound quality

Overall, the Cambridge Melomania A100 SE sound excellent. Although a warmer earbud than traditional hi-fi IEMs — like the Sennheiser IE 200 — self-professed audiophiles will surely be pleased. Disappointed by Bowers & Wilkins’ Pi6’s shoddy connectivity and weird fit? Neither issues are present on the Melomania A100 SE.

Sub-bass is proficient, especially in sim0ne’s hard house track “Space Cadet”. The pulsing kick drum came through energetically here, leading the track with the energy of a ‘90s raver. Even so, sub-bass didn’t overpower the highest-frequency sounds — namely the shining synth stems layered over the verses and the skittering keyboards in the middle.

The A100 SE are surprisingly expansive, too. Muse’s “Soldier’s Poem” enveloped my ears with control, delicately layered above the acoustic bass and arpeggiated guitar sections. Undoubtedly, the vocals were the star of the show: each harmony was pronounced yet complementary, with zero muddling between tiers.

The biggest thing I look for in earbuds is dynamism and vibrancy — both of which are present here. Even a grunge, sludge-rock track, “Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)” by Deftones, oozed attitude. With my custom U-curve EQ, the dramatic low-end and upper treble worked in tandem to breathe body and excitement into the song. There was no tininess in the crashing cymbals, and while some listeners might be looking for a touch more detail in the sludgey guitars, this would most likely impress most of you.

On the whole, the Melomania A100 SE are accurate, faithful earbuds. There’s no vacuum in the bass, and there’s clarity across the treble. While not tuned as neutrally as IEMs, the richer soundstage is more appealing to the masses, so I’d recommend them to all music lovers amongst you.

I’ll quickly discuss the built-in “Dolby Audio” feature. I wasn’t a huge fan of how this feature made my music sound. It stretched the bass and made some of the upper mids tinny. This is unfortunate, but I’d recommend this more for watching Netflix or the like on your phone rather than music. It’s worth noting that no audio brand has really got Spatial Audio like Apple — Dolby Atmos on the AirPods Pro 3 is truly excellent.

Android users will also benefit from LDAC and aptX Lossless Bluetooth support on compatible devices.

No AI features

I swear to you, I have never thrown my hands into the air with so much verve and gusto. When I downloaded the Cambridge Melomania app, I set it up with my buds… and held my breath. Reader — the relief I felt upon seeing zero AI “features”. Just music. No AI translation. No heart rate monitor. No AI note-taking. No AI call screening (although that does sound useful… hmm…). No AI chatbot built into the headphones (ahem, Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro). Nothing.

Just. Music.

If you’re the kind of person who is seriously fed up of getting “innovative” AI features no one asked for shoved down your throat, these are the earbuds for you. Sure, the app has “Dolby Audio” mode, which upmixes your music into an Atmos-adjacent sound profile, and “DynamEQ”, which automatically configures bass and treble at low volumes, but these are music-oriented features.

I personally didn’t like how Dolby Audio made my music sound — it dampened bass and made vocals a little echoey — but this is a music feature, not AI nonsense.

Lifestyle features: Battery life & call quality

Without looking, guess how long the Melomania A100 SE last (without ANC). If you said 39 hours, then well done! Give yourself a pat on the back.

Yes, 39 hours. This is such good battery life. Apple released the AirPods 5 with just 4-5 hours in the buds and 24 hours in the case — I listened to the Melomania A100 SE for 4 hours with ANC and the buds only went down to 70%.

Of course, the EarFun Air Pro 4+ go for 54 hours without ANC, so you might want them if you need unbeatable battery — but the Cambridges are better for serious music lovers.

Naturally, pretty much all decent earbuds have great call quality these days, and the Melomania A100 SE are no different. To test out the call quality, I phoned my boyfriend, who reported my voice was clear and audible, if a touch fuzzy in the sibilance. Even so, he said they were “comparable” to my AirPods Pro 2.

Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 SE review: What I don’t like

• ANC is quite mid
• The app is a little buggy

While not necessarily a con, I, the world’s representative for the small-eared, must announce the Melomania A100 SE are quite large. Even with the smallest tips, my ears ached after a couple of hours.

Besides that, there are a couple of things worth keeping in mind if you’re thinking of buying the Melomania A100 SE.

ANC is mid

If your upstairs neighbour loves drilling and your downstairs neighbour has a newborn baby, the Melomania A100 SE might not be for you. I tested the earbuds across multiple situations: in the Tom’s Guide office, at home, and while gallivanting around the city.

When testing in the office, I could still hear myself typing and my colleagues fussing with plastic bags.

Frustratingly, ANC also changes how music sounds. Only slightly, but it’s noticeable — much more than on the AirPods 5 or Bose QuietComfort. With ANC on max strength, bass is a little flatter and there’s a tightness in the treble. Again, this is incredibly slight, but I have the ears of a foxhound.

The app

Unfortunately, the Melomania app is a little buggy. Sure, the A100 SE only came out a week ago (at the time of writing), so this could be teething problems. Cambridge hi-fi gear like the Cambridge Audio L/R X use StreamMagic rather than Melomania. StreamMagic works a treat, so hopefully the Melomania issues are temporary.

The touch controls selection menu is buggy: you can’t actually customize the controls yet. Although the app brings up a customization menu, you can’t click on the settings, so you're essentially stuck with the default settings.

I’ve reached out to Cambridge’s representative, so hopefully this won’t be an issue for much longer.

Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 SE compared

As mentioned earlier, the $149/£129 price tag aligns the Melomania A100 SE more with the AirPods 5 than Sony’s XM6s. At this price point, you’ve also got the EarFun Air Pro 4+ ($99), Nothing Ear (3a) ($99), and Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max ($149).

I’d recommend spending $50 extra and grabbing the Melomanias over the EarFun or Nothing options as the former sound a touch warmer. While the bassier Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max sound equally as decadent, I’d recommend the Cambridges for hi-fi lovers due to the more basic UI. If you want earbuds developed under a mantra more like “How can we make these sound even better?” than “How can we put even more features in these earbuds?” then the Cambridges are for you.

However, if you want a big-name brand, you’re looking at either the AirPods 5 or the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024). At $129-$149/$179 respectively, both Apple and Bose’s entry-level options would treat you nicely. For supreme ANC, look into the Bose, but for superior Apple ecosystem integration, I’d check out AirPods.

Of course, the Melomania A100 SE have multipoint — which worked seamlessly and without frustration for me — and a “Find My” feature, so Apple isn’t the be-all and end-all here.

Should you buy the Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 SE?

If you’re a serious music lover who wants earbuds reminiscent of a simpler time, then I wholeheartedly recommend the Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 SE. There’s no intrusive AI features like the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max, they sound richer than AirPods 5, and they’re more detailed than the Bose QuietComfort (2024).

I can’t speak for everyone, obviously, but I’ve had it up to here with AI and health features in earbuds. I’m ready to strip everything out of all my audio gear — or switch to wired buds altogether. The A100 SE perfectly strike that balance of serious music earbuds with Bluetooth convenience, and I’m so here for it.