Is the Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 worth the upgrade from the Apple AirPods 3?
Verdict
Clear upgrade
Going from the Apple AirPods 3 to the Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 buys you 15.6 points of HearWiki score - a clear step up that reviewers agree on rather than a marketing refresh. The gains are concentrated in sound (7.0 to 9.0), calls (6.3 to 8.0) and battery (7.0 to 8.5). On paper: battery life 6 h to 11 h, active noise cancelling and codecs SBC, AAC to SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless, LDAC. Worth checking: weight goes 4.3 g to 9.4 g and wear detection goes Yes to No. That costs $15 more, or about $1 per point of score - reasonable value for the jump. If your current pair is worn out or the gains line up with how you listen, this one is worth the money.
What actually changes
Sub-scores both products have, on the same 0-10 scale. Bars extend right for a gain, left for a loss.
- Sound7.09.0
- Battery7.08.5
- Calls6.38.0
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | AirPods 3 | Melomania A100 | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 6 h | 11 h | |
| Active noise cancelling | No | Yes | |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless, LDAC | |
| Weight | 4.3 g | 9.4 g | |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 5.4 | |
| Multipoint pairing | No | Yes | |
| Water resistance | IPX4 | IPX5 | |
| Battery incl. case | 30 h | 39 h | |
| Microphones | 3 | 6 | |
| Transparency mode | No | Yes | |
| Wear detection | Yes | No | |
| USB-C | No | Yes | |
| ANC type | none | adaptive | |
| Controls | buttons | touch | |
| Driver | dynamic | 10 mm dynamic |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "AirPods 3 to Melomania A100". The other direction is a separate question with a different answer. Scores blend published review verdicts across true wireless and shift as new reviews land, so a marginal call today may not be one next quarter.