The Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 and OnePlus Buds 4 are two of the more interesting true wireless releases this year, both landing around the $100 mark with adaptive ANC and high-resolution codec support. They take different routes to get there: the Melomania A100 leans on a single 10mm driver and LDAC, while the Buds 4 use a hybrid dual-driver setup with LHDC. This head-to-head works through the published specifications and review consensus to help you decide which one fits your listening habits, without pretending there is a single winner.
Price and positioning
The Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 is priced at $99, which puts it just under the psychological barrier for a feature-packed pair of earbuds. The OnePlus Buds 4 asks $115, a $16 premium that buys you a dual-driver architecture and a slightly different codec set. Neither is a budget impulse buy, but both sit firmly in the mid-range where buyers expect ANC, app support, and decent battery life as standard.
What you are paying for with the Melomania A100 is Cambridge Audio's audio heritage and a codec list that includes aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless, and LDAC. The OnePlus Buds 4 counter with LHDC and a hybrid driver arrangement that aims for more separation between bass and treble. If you are already in one ecosystem, the OnePlus tie-in may matter; otherwise, the price difference is small enough that it should not be the deciding factor.
The scores, side by side
The HearWiki buyability score for the Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 is 86/100, while the OnePlus Buds 4 sits at 83/100. That three-point gap is modest and reflects overall consensus rather than a clear knockout. The sub-scores tell a more nuanced story: the Melomania A100 leads on sound (9/10 vs 8.8/10), battery (8.5/10 vs 6.3/10), and value (9.6/10 vs 8.5/10), while the OnePlus Buds 4 wins on ANC (8.4/10 vs 7.8/10). Call quality is tied at 8/10.
The headline score is not a weighted average of the sub-scores; it is a separate buyability measure that weighs price, availability, and review sentiment. So the gap you see here is not simply a sum of the parts. What the numbers do show is that the OnePlus Buds 4 are stronger at silencing the world around you, while the Cambridge Audio pair are better value for money and last longer on a charge.
Sound
Both pairs are rated highly for sound, and the difference between 9/10 and 8.8/10 is within the range of personal preference. The Melomania A100 uses a single 10mm dynamic driver with support for LDAC, aptX Adaptive, and aptX Lossless, which gives you flexibility depending on your source device. The OnePlus Buds 4 use a dual-driver hybrid setup—typically a dynamic driver for bass and a balanced armature for treble—which can offer better separation but also risks a less cohesive tuning if not executed well.
Published reviews suggest the Melomania A100 deliver a warm, engaging sound with good detail retrieval, while the Buds 4 lean slightly brighter with more pronounced bass. Neither is a neutral reference monitor; both are tuned for consumer enjoyment. If you listen to a lot of lossless files on an Android phone, the LDAC support on the Cambridge Audio pair is a genuine advantage. If you use an iPhone, both pairs will default to AAC, so the codec difference matters less.
Noise cancelling and battery
This is where the two diverge most clearly. The OnePlus Buds 4 score 8.4/10 for ANC, which puts them ahead of the Melomania A100's 7.8/10. Both offer adaptive noise cancellation that adjusts to your surroundings, but the OnePlus implementation appears to be more aggressive at filtering low-frequency rumble, which is what most people notice on a commute. The Cambridge Audio pair are still competent, just not class-leading.
Battery life is the opposite story. The Melomania A100 are rated for 11 hours per charge with ANC off, which is excellent for the price. The OnePlus Buds 4 are also rated for 11 hours per charge, but published reviews and the sub-score of 6.3/10 suggest real-world usage with ANC on drops to around 5-6 hours. The Cambridge Audio pair also see a significant drop with ANC enabled, but the base number is higher to start with. The Melomania A100 case supports wireless charging, while the OnePlus Buds 4 case is USB-C only.
Calls and everyday use
Both pairs score 8/10 for call quality, which means you can expect clear voice pickup in quiet settings and acceptable performance in moderate noise. The Melomania A100 use a six-microphone array with call noise reduction, while the OnePlus Buds 4 rely on three microphones but still manage to keep your voice intelligible. Neither is a dedicated headset, but both are fine for taking calls on the go.
In everyday use, the Melomania A100 have an IPX5 rating, which makes them sweat-resistant for workouts. The OnePlus Buds 4 go one better with IP55, adding dust resistance on top of the same water protection. Touch controls on both pairs are described as sensitive in some reviews, so you may need to adjust your tap technique. Both pairs support multipoint connectivity, which is handy if you switch between a phone and laptop.
For a broader look at what else is out there, you can browse our best true wireless guide or the best ANC earbuds section. If you are on a tighter budget, the best budget earbuds under $50 might be worth a look, though both of these pairs sit above that threshold.
Which one should you buy?
If you value battery life, codec flexibility, and a lower price, the Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 are the stronger choice. The 11-hour battery with ANC off is a real advantage for long flights or workdays, and LDAC support makes them a better match for Android users with lossless libraries. The value sub-score of 9.6/10 reflects that they offer a lot for $99.
If noise cancelling is your priority and you are willing to trade battery life for it, the OnePlus Buds 4 are the better pick. The ANC sub-score of 8.4/10 is the highest in this comparison, and the hybrid drivers give you a different flavour of sound that some will prefer. The $115 price is still reasonable, but you will be charging the case more often.
There is no wrong answer here—the gap between the two is small. Try to identify what annoys you more: a rattling bus engine or a dying earbud at hour six. That will point you in the right direction.
For a full spec-by-spec breakdown, see the comparison table.
FAQ
Which earbuds have better battery life, Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 or OnePlus Buds 4?
The Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 have a clear edge on paper, rated for 11 hours per charge with ANC off. The OnePlus Buds 4 are also rated for 11 hours, but published reviews indicate real-world use with ANC on drops to around 5-6 hours, which is why their battery sub-score is lower.
Do the OnePlus Buds 4 support LDAC?
No, the OnePlus Buds 4 support AAC and LHDC codecs, not LDAC. If LDAC is essential for your high-resolution listening, the Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 are the pair that supports it, along with aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless.
Are the Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 good for phone calls?
Yes, they score 8/10 for call quality, which is on par with the OnePlus Buds 4. You can expect clear voice pickup in quiet environments and acceptable performance in moderate noise, though neither pair is class-leading for calls in very loud settings.
