One of my favourite earphones over the last couple of years is the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 and now theyve been given a refresh to the Melomania 1+. I received the matte black version and have been giving them the usual routine of tests to see if the upgrade lives up to the originals high standards.
The Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+ are shaped like bullets for a compact design. The slim charging case slips nicely into any pocket and is well built with a satisfying snap when you close the lid. The buds have a positive snap when you place them back into the case thanks to strong magnets.
On the outside of the case, theres now a USB-C charging port that replaces the micro-USB port of the original. Theres no wireless charging which some may lament but considering the price Im happy to live without it.
The circular outer pad of each bud features an attractive LED band that indicates their charging and pairing status. The case has five LED lights that display the state of the case’s battery when you flip open the lid. Under the tiny LED light on each bud, the letters ‘L’ and ‘R’ are written in blue making them easy to identify.
The overall design and look of the Melomania 1+ are identical to the originals and this isnt a bad thing. However, they do stick out from your ears a little more than the likes of their more expensive sibling the Melomania Touch.
Those interested in using these for workouts should know that although I never had them fall out, theyre not going to be as secure as the Melomania Touch which feature ear hooks. However, they are sweatproof thanks to IPX5 certification.
Fit and comfort
The Melomania 1+ come with a selection of rubber and memory foam tips to ensure you get the shape and fit for comfort. After a lot of testing, I found the largest memory foam tips provided the best seal in my ear canals and as a result, sound quality. I was a little surprised at just how much of a difference the tips made to the sound quality. The least effective tip produced a noticeable lack of bass. As a rule, its always worth going through all of the provided ear tips when you get new earbuds but even more so with the Melomania 1+.
In terms of comfort, I found the silicone tips slightly more comfortable but Im a sucker for sound quality so I was willing to forgo a little comfort for the sake of fidelity.
Each bud only weighs 4.6g and overall comfort is excellent youll soon forget your wearing them.
Battery performance and controls
Battery life is class-leading with up to nine hours from the buds themselves in low power mode and a further 36 hours from the charging case for a total of 45 hours. Changing to high performance moded in the app will drop this to seven hours on each bud and 35 hours in total for case and buds combined.
Unlink a lot of other earbuds the Melomania 1+ dont have touch-sensitive controls and thats definitely not a bad thing. Too often, touch controls can be annoying because its too easy to accidentally hit off the touch-sensitive area. The clickable controls are in each earbud for pausing, skipping, and replaying tunes. 
A continuous press will shift the volume level up or down left for down, right for up. You can also accept/reject incoming calls via the control pads. The mic is located next to the L and R and should be pointed downwards to optimal call quality. You can turn the controls off in the free Melomania app if you dont like them but Im not sure why youd want to.
Sound quality and new app support
The Melomania 1+ support Bluetooth 5.0 for a stable signal, as well as SBC, AAC and aptX codecs.
Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+ with Melomania app.
Inside the compact little buds are 5.8mm drivers with diaphragms made from graphene and for such small buds, theyre able to produce incredible sound quality with powerful bass. 
Again, you do have to find the optimal ear tips to ensure the best possible sound for your ears but when you do, the rewards are plentiful. It really is impressive just how much clarity and range the Melomania 1+ have to offer, especially when you take into account the price. The only small critique I would have is that the soundstage isnt as spacious compared to the likes of the Sennheiser Momentum 2 but its above average.
One obvious omission is the lack of ANC but once you find the best fitting ear tip theres a decent amount of passive noise isolation. In fact, I found them better at blocking out sound than some earbuds with ANC.
New to the Melomania 1+ is the Melomania app. Theres an excellent EQ with presets and the option to save your own custom settings. You can also upgrade the firmware something you couldnt do with the originals.
Verdict
The Melomania 1+ is a worthy upgrade to the originals and although the improvements are small tweaks, its the sum of all the parts that make them one of the best true wireless earbuds you can buy for the price. Yes, they dont have ANC or wireless charging but if you can live without those features and love good sound quality, youll love the Melomania 1+.
Available now from Richer Sounds for 149