True Wireless
Apple AirPods 4 ANC
80Outstanding
$180
Full review dataApple AirPods 4 ANC vs Cambridge Audio Melomania A100: which should you buy?
On aggregated review scores the Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 comes out ahead with a HearWiki score of 86. The full breakdown - sub-scores, specs and what reviewers actually said - is below.
Our pick: Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 - Outstanding overall at around $99.
True Wireless
Cambridge Audio Melomania A100
86Outstanding
$99
Full review dataScore breakdown
Each axis is a 0–10 blend of what reviewers scored, not a lab measurement.
Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 leads on 7 of 7 measures.
- Apple AirPods 4 ANC
- Cambridge Audio Melomania A100
HearWiki score
80
86
Sound
7.6
9.0
Noise cancelling
6.7
7.8
Battery
5.9
8.5
Calls
7.9
8.0
Value
7.1
9.6
Price (USD)
$180
$99
Generation & platform
The scores rank quality. This is the other question: is the newer one actually newer technology, or the same platform in a new shell?
New platform
Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 (2025) against Apple AirPods 4 ANC (2024). The Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 is the newer platform here: Bluetooth 5.4 against 5.3 and Top codec aptX Lossless against AAC.
- AirPods 4 ANC2024
- Melomania A10020251 yr newer
What differsAirPods 4 ANCMelomania A100
- Bluetooth
- 5.3
- 5.4
- Top codec
- AAC
- aptX Lossless
- Multipoint pairing
- No
- Yes
- Wear detection
- Yes
- No
- Water resistance
- IP54
- IPX5
Platform
Everyday features
Level on: ANC type, Wireless charging, USB-C, Transparency mode, Custom EQ, Companion app.
Specifications
AirPods 4 ANCMelomania A100
- Type
- True Wireless
- True Wireless
- Price (USD)
- $180
- $99
- HearWiki score
- 80
- 86
- Released
- 2024
- 2025
- Availability
- Still sold new
- Sold new
- Driver
- 11 mm dynamic
- 10 mm dynamic
- Driver type
- dynamic
- dynamic
- Driver size
- 11 mm
- 10 mm
- Drivers per side
- 1
- 1
- Frequency response
- 20 Hz - 20 kHz
- 20 Hz - 20 kHz
- Impedance
- -
- 25 Ω
- Bluetooth
- 5.3
- 5.4
- Codecs
- SBC, AAC
- SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless, LDAC
- Multipoint pairing
- No
- Yes
- Battery life
- 4 h
- 11 h
- Battery life (ANC on)
- 4 h
- 6.5 h
- Battery incl. case
- 20 h
- 39 h
- Full charge time
- -
- 66 min
- Quick charge
- -
- 10 min → 3.2 h
- Wireless charging
- Yes
- Yes
- Active noise cancelling
- Yes
- Yes
- ANC type
- adaptive
- adaptive
- Transparency mode
- Yes
- Yes
- Companion app
- Yes
- Yes
- Custom EQ
- Yes
- Yes
- Wear detection
- Yes
- No
- Controls
- both
- touch
- Voice assistant
- Siri
- Google Assistant, Siri
- Weight
- 4.3 g
- 9.4 g
- Case weight
- 34.7 g
- 38.7 g
- Water resistance
- IP54
- IPX5
- USB-C
- Yes
- Yes
- Pad material
- -
- silicone
- Microphones
- 3
- 6
- Call noise reduction
- -
- Yes
What reviewers said
Apple AirPods 4 ANC
The Apple AirPods 4 ANC deliver adaptive noise cancellation and a balanced, bass-improved sound in a compact, IP54-rated design. They offer solid performance for Apple users, with a comfortable fit for active use, though battery life is on the shorter side and multipoint is absent.
- Pro:Effective adaptive ANC for the price
- Pro:Improved bass response and overall clarity
- Pro:Comfortable, stable fit for workouts
- Con:Battery life is limited to 4 hours per charge
- Con:No multipoint Bluetooth connection
- Con:ANC is decent but not class-leading
Cambridge Audio Melomania A100
The Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 are true wireless earbuds that deliver a versatile feature set at a mid-range price. They combine adaptive active noise cancellation with high-resolution wireless audio support, including LDAC and aptX Lossless, along with a comfortable, water-resistant design. With a lengthy total battery life and convenient extras like wireless charging and multipoint, they aim to be a well-rounded daily companion.
- Pro:Excellent codec support including LDAC and aptX Lossless
- Pro:Adaptive ANC and transparency mode for flexible listening
- Pro:Long total battery life with wireless charging case
- Con:Battery life drops significantly with ANC enabled
- Con:Touch controls may take time to master
- Con:No mention of ear tips or fit accessories in specs
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
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