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The Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 are practically legendary, with universal praise from the vast majority of critics as well as consumer reviews both on Amazon and more reputable sites such as Richer Sounds.

The Melomania Touch was announced last year, adopting a more conventional design with a fitness focussed form, but can they replicate the success of the Melomania?

Specification

  • Bluetooth 5.0
  • Qualcomm QCC3020
  • aptX, AAC, SBC with low latency
  • 7mm Dynamic with Graphene-enhanced Diaphragm
  • 20Hz – 20kHz Frequency response
  • Up to 9 hours battery life from earbuds (Continuous A2DP Playback) *In Low Power mode
  • Up to 50 Hours including case (9 + 41) *In Low Power mode
  • IPX4 (Water Splash Resistant (Earbuds & Case)) 
  • 5.9g each (11.8g both Earbuds); Charging Case: 56g; Total: 68g

Design / Fit

The original Melomania had a bit of an odd design, being large bullet-shaped buds that looked like they would easily fall out of your ears. They ended up being more comfortable than expected, but I wouldn’t say it is the ideal design for a fitness enthusiast.

The Melomania Touch take a more sensible approach with an ergonomically designed bud that fits closer to the ear inside the concha. They also have little wings the provide an anchor against the helix of the ear.

These do not come with foam ear tips, but the mounting point for the tips is a standard size, so you could buy them if you want. I doubt you’d get them back into the case with foam tips on, though.

Overall comfort is excellent, and I have used these both outdoor runs and weight lifting without any issues with them falling out or feeling like they will fall out. One minor negative is that these have a lower IP rating than the Melomania 1+ with IPX4 vs IPX5. This seems like an odd decision as the design of these is definitely more fitness-focused. I have yet to have a pair of TWS earbuds die from sweat/water ingress, whereas wired buds used to die every few months, so IP ratings are not a massive concern for me.

Sound Quality / In Use

Unsurprisingly for Cambridge Audio, the sound quality is superb. It is a tough call to say if these are better or worse than the Cambridge Melomania 1+ I reviewed in the past. I did my best to switch between earbuds using two phones playing the same track. The sound profile is different but not significantly so that I can accurately describe the difference in words.

If anything, I would say the 7mm drivers used in these compared to the 5.8mm of the Melomania 1 are a little bit better are producing bass. Neither earbud is excessively bassy, and I find them far more balanced than most competing brands.

Just like the Melomania 1+, you can use the app to adjust the EQ to your liking.

I have noticed on reviews in the past that people have criticised these for Bluetooth dropouts and for overly sensitive touch controls.

I haven’t personally experienced any dropouts. Some earphones can have issues with aptX HD having intermittent problems, but the aptX on these I have been perfect for me.

However, I can confirm that the touch controls are very sensitive. It isn’t too bad though, within the app you can configure the touch controls, either disabling them all or disabling certain functions. For me, disabling pause/play eliminated most of the annoying touch-sensitive quirks.

Battery Life

These have the same claimed 9-hour battery as the Melomania 1+, both being much longer than competing brands. The case of the Melomania Touch extends the battery by 41 hours while the 1+ is 36 hours.

The 9-hour battery life requires you to switch the earbuds into low power mode, which I doubt many people will do. With the default mode, you get 7 hours + an additional 33 hours in the charging case. This is still excellent and well more than I’d ever need from one session.

These lack wireless charging, it is not a deal-breaker, but with an RRP of £120, it is something I would have expected. Based on the current price, this is forgivable.

Price and Alternative Options

Reviewing these around Black Friday makes price comparisons a little harder. These have an RRP of £119.99, but at the time of writing, they were £79.99

The Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+ have the same RRP but are £10 more at £89.99.

It is a competitive market at this price, and I have reviewed many amazing earbuds for around £100

I think the Nothing Ear 1 deserve mention, they can’t compete acoustically with the Melomania, but they have good ANC, wireless charging, and I found them even more comfortable to wear than either of the Melomania buds.

There is the Anker Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro (with ANC) or Liberty 2 Pro (without ANC) for £139.99 and £89.99, respectively. These are definitely not as well balanced as the Melomania, but the EQ settings allow you to dial in the sound to your taste. The bass-forward sound profile has good mainstream appeal.

Overall

The Melomania Touch are very similar to the excellent Melomania 1+ one in many ways. I think a lot of people would prefer the overall design/comfort of these, but the sensitive touch control can be a bit annoying.

Both earbuds are superb and well priced, especially the current sales putting them sub-£100. They may lack some of the features of cheap Chinese brands, but the excellent sound quality makes up for it.  

With the RRP being the same and currently just a £10 price difference between the two, it is a hard call to say which is best. I’d probably lean towards the Touch, myself, purely due to them being a better fit for exercise.

Cambridge Audio Melomania Touch Review Rating
Overall
90%
90%
  • Overall - 90%
    90%

Pros

  • Excellent out of box performance
  • EQ can significantly change the sound profile to your preference
  • Good battery + IP rating make these good for fitness
  • Good price

Cons

  • Oversensitive touch control

Last update on 2024-03-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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