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Clearly, Cambridge Audio aren’t messing about: only a year after the release of their much anticipated P100 wireless over-ear headphones, the company have unveiled a fancy new special edition, boasting a more comfortable headband, new DynamEQ tech and a new blue colourway option if the classic black and white variations are a little too predictable for you.
While I didn’t get the chance to stick my ears in the original P100s, it’d take a lot to prise me away from my beloved Sennheiser Momentums, so I thought I’d test the P100 SEs out and see what they were all about.
Melomania P100 SE review: design
The first and most striking impression for me was instant: these are big headphones. The carry case they come in is chunky as hell and certainly takes up more space than any other headphone case I’ve had.
And that’s before you get to the headphones themselves. Whether the sheer size of them bothers you will depend on two things a) how quickly you can get used to the feel of them and b) if bigger headphones are something you’d feel self-conscious about wearing out and about.
Personally, the size didn’t bother me and I’d actually argue it makes them look like an even more impressive, proper piece of audio kit. They’re heavy, too – noticeably so than my Sennheisers when I wear them – but it took all of 10 minutes for me to get used to them and after a couple of weeks of usage I don’t even think about it now.
The headband has been upgraded from the original Melomania P100’s for extra comfort, and I’d definitely agree that despite still weighing a fair bit, they’re well cushioned and feel comfortable against the head and ears.
Melomania P100 SE review: Features
The Melomania P100 SE’s boast what Cambridge Audio call their “DynamEQ technology”, promising to automatically adjust bass and treble to maintain great sound, even at low volumes. There are also a number of preset equalisers, as well as the ability customise and save your own preset for the true audiophiles.
I had a play around with a few of the presets and while I wouldn’t say they drastically improved my listening experience, I could definitely tell the difference between some of the options. I also found the Melomania app required to mess around with all of this easy to use with a nice, clean, straightforward interface.
I tested the excellent new Deftones album Private Music under the ‘Rock’ preset and it undoubtedly helped to make Steph Carpenter’s riffs just a little weightier, while a blast of recent Barry Can’t Swim album Loner under the ‘Electronic’ preset made his propulsive edm bangers that bit crisper.
As for that all-important ANC? I found it to be of excellent quality: I first tested it while in a busy gym with some chart-bothering pop music blaring out of the PA, and then next on my morning commute on an overground train and on the London tube.
In both cases, most of the background noise was drastically thinned out, which is a must for any pair of high-end headphones I want to start using regularly.
Oh, and I have to acknowledge that remarkable battery life: 100 hours on full charge, or 60 if you’re using the ANC, puts these headphones leagues ahead of all competitors on that front. It’s the one feature with which the Melomania P100 SE’s comfortably leave everything else in the dust.
Melomania P100 SE review: Sound
Overall, I found the sound quality of the Melomania P100 SE’s to be really quite good. While not any kind of spectacular upgrade on its rivals, I’d say these headphones more than hold their own against most in the same price bracket, even if I’m not sure they quite match up to the best-in-class offerings from the likes of Sony and Sennheiser.
That said, be it while listening to specific genres using those presets or just hammering through a mixed playlist on its default setting, I found everything I listened to to be of high quality – including voice notes from friends, which sounded crystal clear with the ANC on while I was walking around a busy Paddington street earlier this year.
The alternatives
Sennheiser Momentum 4
For around the same money, you can get your hands on the Sennheiser Momentum 4 – an excellent set of over-ear headphones that boats 60 hours of battery, excellent Adaptive Noise Cancellation and crystal clear audio. App integration also allows you to tweak the settings to give you the best audio delivery.
Sony WH-1000XM4
While Sony’s XM4 have been superseded by the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Sony WH-1000XM6, don’t dismiss the 2021 model. For a start, a pair of these over-ears will save you hundreds of dollars/pounds over the newer headphones – and they still sound amazing with superb noise cancelling. Thirty hours of battery life isn’t to be sniffed at – and they fold down for travel purposes.
Read our full Sony WH-1000XM4 review