Is the Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 worth the upgrade from the Beats Powerbeats Pro?
Verdict
Clear upgrade
Going from the Beats Powerbeats Pro to the Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 buys you 21.5 points of HearWiki score - a clear step up that reviewers agree on rather than a marketing refresh. The gains are concentrated in sound (7.4 to 9.0), calls (6.8 to 8.0) and battery (7.5 to 8.5). On paper: battery life 9 h to 11 h, active noise cancelling and codecs SBC, AAC to SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless, LDAC. Worth checking: driver size goes 12 mm to 10 mm and wear detection goes Yes to No. One caution: this steps down a line tier (Powerbeats Pro to Melomania A100), and base models usually trade away tier features - check the codec and ANC rows above before trusting the score gap alone. It's also $151 cheaper, which makes this an easy call. 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.
- Sound7.49.0
- Battery7.58.5
- Calls6.88.0
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | Powerbeats Pro | Melomania A100 | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 9 h | 11 h | |
| Active noise cancelling | No | Yes | |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless, LDAC | |
| Weight | 21 g | 9.4 g | |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 5.4 | |
| Multipoint pairing | No | Yes | |
| Water resistance | IPX4 | IPX5 | |
| Battery incl. case | 24 h | 39 h | |
| Driver size | 12 mm | 10 mm | |
| Case weight | 80 g | 38.7 g | |
| Wireless charging | No | Yes | |
| Wear detection | Yes | No | |
| USB-C | No | Yes | |
| Quick charge | 5 min → 1.5 h | 10 min → 3.2 h | |
| Controls | buttons | touch | |
| Driver | 12 mm dynamic | 10 mm dynamic |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "Powerbeats Pro 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.