Sennheiser's next-gen wireless earbuds look identical to their predecessor but boost connectivity and audio support to match rivals. They have a level of performance that makes them among the best wireless earbuds around right now, but the price is high.
For
- Balanced audiophile sound
- Class-leading aptX Lossless audio support
- Strong sound personalization features
- Effective ANC
Against
- Bulky design compared to price rivals
Cambridge Audio's Melomania M100 bring a significant boost to their bullet-shaped predecessor with the addition of noise cancelation and high-quality codec support to rival Sennheiser's buds, and they undercut them by some margin.
For
- Engaging audiophile sound
- Class-leading aptX Lossless audio support
- Great comfort levels
- Effective ANC
Against
- Navigational controls have no audible feedback
- Wear detection can be flaky
If sound quality is most important to you when shopping for the best wireless earbuds, Sennheiser's Momentum True Wireless 4 and Cambridge Audio's Melomania M100 wireless earbuds are closely matched in terms of specs and performance. The only differentiating factors are styling, battery life, and pricing.
These are two of the best noise-canceling buds on the market right now. Both have top-tier Bluetooth specs, astonishing sound quality with aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless audio codec support, and noise canceling to challenge several of the top-ranking best noise-canceling earbuds.
Read on to find out which flagship wireless earbuds sound the best overall.
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 vs Cambridge Audio Melomania M100: Specs compared
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 vs Cambridge Audio Melomania M100: Price and availability
The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 buds are priced at $299 / £259 / AU$499. That's at the top of the wireless earbuds market's pricing structure, but they are stacked with features and high-level performance to showcase the maker's prowess.
With a price tag of $219 / £169, the Melomania M100 are a great value and look like a sweet deal compared to the Sennheiser. In terms of value, the M100s are one of the cheapest big-brand flagship noise-canceling buds I've seen.
Winner: Cambridge Audio Melomania M100
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 vs Cambridge Audio Melomania M100: Design and fit
Sennheiser's TW3 showcases a redesign that's 16% smaller than the model they replace, and the TW4 follow the same design. I like the new black copper finish — silver and graphite options are also available, and they come with four sizes of ear tips. The square design make them look a little larger than other models, but in use they're easy to fit.
Although I don't have a figure demonstrate the percentage reduction, the Melomania M100 wireless earbuds are a much smaller design than their bullet-shaped predecessor. They're available in black. But if you live in the U.K. you may also be interested in the limited run M100 Hikerdelic How High Edition available at cambridgeaudio.com. This special colorway has identical specs and is priced the same as the standard M100.
Although there are no dimensions or weights specified, they're approximately the same size and weight as the Sennheiser buds. The Cambridge Audio buds are supplied with just three sizes of silicone tips: S, M, and L, plus two sizes of memory foam tips: S and L.
Winner: Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 vs Cambridge Audio Melomania M100: Features
The Sennheiser MTW4 have a adaptive mode to dynamically control the level of active noise cancelation in your surroundings. It's effective, but not up to the standards of the the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds — the best noise-canceling earbuds overall. There are Low, Mid, and High transparency settings.
The Cambridge Audio has three noise canceling levels: High, Medium, and Low. Neither model supports spatial audio tech.
The Sennheiser buds have reliable ear-detection sensors to automatically pause playback when a bud is removed from your ear. Playback resumes once the earbuds are re-inserted. Wear detection is on board the M100s but playback is only paused when both earbuds are removed.
Both models have aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive, and Bluetooth LE Audio support from compatible Android devices. They'll also be able to support Auracast audio-sharing in a future firmware update, making them among the first wireless earbuds to enable listeners to hear audio shared from nearby devices and Auracast-powered public transmitters at train stations and airports that can beam public announcements straight to the earbuds.
In terms of features it really is a close race, but Sennheiser just takes the lead thanks to its adaptive ANC mode.
Winner: Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 vs Cambridge Audio Melomania M100: Controls
Both of these wireless earbuds offer tap commands to navigate playback, change volume and activate noise-canceling modes. I found my commands unreliable on the Melomania M100 Plus wireless earbuds, at least to begin with. The responses to my finger taps felt slow and delayed, resulting in a level of uncertainty about whether a command had been registered or not. Sadly, there's no audible feedback during playback navigation to acknowledge skip back or skip forward, or that volume commands via hold and single/double-press gestures have been received.
There are, however, voice commands assigned to noise-canceling, transparency and game modes. Users can choose from multiple audible feedback languages including tones as well as voice overs from the British actor and comedian Matt Berry.
Both models enable users to activate a device's native voice assistant.
Winner: Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 vs Cambridge Audio Melomania M100: Sound quality
I love Sennheiser's sound signature on the TW4. They're have a remarkably balanced sound across the entire frequency range straight out of the box. The factory-set sound signature was very enjoyable, but I found I was able to improve things even further via the sophisticated Sound Personalization mode.
In my listening test comparisons with the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 versus the Cambridge Audio Melomania M100, both are rewarding in terms of delivering high-quality audio over Bluetooth. Both have aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless support from a compatible Android phone.
The Sennheiser buds have a rich and warm sound that was consistently enjoyable with impressive bass levels and stereo soundstage that appears to project sounds forwards in the listening space. It's a truly engrossing sound experience that's close to the top-ranking best wireless earbuds.
But the Cambridge Audio buds sound even more musically engaging. The M100's custom 10mm drivers matched with Class AB amplification derived from audio specialist's CX Series Hi-Fi amplifiers are a sonic triumph. The larger-sized drivers achieve deep bass and an engaging soundstage that hits the sweet spot for my ears. I'm enthralled by the additional details that these buds bring to tracks I thought I knew well, and the expansive soundstage that's created between my ears.
Overall I prefer the sound tuning of the Cambridge Audio, but feel it's important to mention that both have spectacular sound capabilities and that any buying decision will come down to the kind of sound you prefer.
Winner: Cambridge Audio Melomania M100
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 vs Cambridge Audio Melomania M100: ANC
The Sennheisers hold their own in terms of noise-canceling even if they don't quite block out external sounds to the same level as the very top models in the best noise-canceling earbuds buying guide. With Adaptive Noise Canceling enabled, it was still possible to pick out occasional sounds from the Sonos speaker playing along in my home office. Plus, I felt that Sennheiser's sonic signature has a slightly altered presentation when ANC mode is switched off.
One useful feature is the Anti-Wind setting that’s available in the Sennheiser Smart Control app. The earbuds protrude slightly from each ear, and the outer casing seems prone to catching gusts of wind. But with the Anti-Wind mode enabled while standing on an exposed and blowy train station platform, it was effective at making the sound of the wind disappear.
Cambridge Audio's buds don't have the same level of ANC features, but they hold their own even if they don't quite block out external sounds to the same standard. With Active Noise Canceling enabled, it was still possible to pick out occasional sounds from the Sonos speaker playing along in my home office and neighbors working in the yard. On work commutes they didn't manage to suppress the sound of fellow travelers or the loud sounds of carriages riding the tracks on the London Underground (subway).
Winner: Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 vs Cambridge Audio Melomania M100: Battery life
While battery life will vary depending on how you use the wireless earbuds, the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 offers 7.5 hours, and users will get 30 hours from the charging case with ANC off. A quick charge is said to provide up to 1 hour of additional listening from just 8 minutes of charging.
The Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 earbuds on the other hand give one of the longest ANC playback times among elite models. They claim up to 10 hours of playback from just a single charge with ANC activated, or 16 hours with ANC switched off, which makes them more powerful than some of the best wireless earbuds. Cambridge Audio says that users will get more than two full charges from the case.
Both have charging cases with USB-C ports and offer Qi wireless charging support.
Winner: Cambridge Audio Melomania M100
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 vs Cambridge Audio Melomania M100: Verdict
There's an $80 price difference between the models in this face-off, and the M100s are easily the best value. The Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 buds are shaking up the best wireless earbuds market thanks to their balance of features, performance and attractive price point.
Although I'd be happy to listen to either model playing my Tidal playlist, the Cambridge Audio Melomania M100s have stronger battery life to keep me listening for longer and a more engaging sound balance overall.
