How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want studio-grade wired monitoring with a closed-back design you can wear for hours, choose Audio-Technica 3; if you need true wireless freedom with adaptive noise cancelling and up to 39 hours of battery, choose Cambridge Audio Melomania A100. That's the short version. The long version comes down to one question: are you sitting at a desk doing critical listening, or are you moving through your day and want great sound without a cable?
• Audio-Technica 3's biggest strength: A wired, closed-back monitor design with 40mm drivers, copper-clad aluminum voice coils, and a wide 15–20,000 Hz response — built for accurate, distraction-free listening.
• Audio-Technica 3's biggest trade-off: It's wired only, with a 6.35 mm jack and no wireless connectivity or active noise cancelling — you're tethered to your gear.
• Cambridge Audio Melomania A100's biggest strength: True wireless freedom with adaptive active noise cancelling, aptX Lossless and LDAC support, a 7-band EQ, and up to 39 hours of battery with the charging case.
• Cambridge Audio Melomania A100's biggest trade-off: In-ear buds mean you rely on tips and fit for isolation, and you're dependent on Bluetooth rather than a direct wired signal.
• Choose Audio-Technica 3 if you mix, track, or do critical listening at a desk and want a durable wired monitor.
• Choose Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 if you want wireless convenience, noise cancelling, and long battery life for commuting, travel, or everyday listening.
The Audio-Technica 3 is a three-pack of the ATH-M20x professional monitor headphones, and everything about the design points to one job: accurate, reliable wired listening. The 40mm dynamic drivers paired with copper-clad aluminum wire voice coils are built to reproduce detail across a 15–20,000 Hz range, and the closed-back enclosure seals around your ears to cut down external noise. That combination is exactly what you want when you're tracking, mixing, or just trying to hear what's actually in a recording instead of what your room is adding to it.
The comfort story matters here too. At roughly 6.7 oz, these are light enough to wear through a long session, and the contoured earcups are designed to seal tightly — which helps both isolation and bass response. The build uses aluminum and microfiber materials, and with a 700mW maximum input power rating, they're built to handle loud, demanding monitoring without falling apart. If you're the kind of person who plugs into an interface, a mixer, or a headphone amp and stays put for a while, this is the tool for the job.
Who should skip it? Anyone who wants to walk around, take calls, or pair with a phone over Bluetooth. There's no wireless here, no active noise cancelling, and the connection is a 6.35 mm wired jack — so if your source doesn't have that output (or an adapter), plan accordingly. The three-pack format also tells you something: this is aimed at people who want spares or who are equipping more than one listener, not someone shopping for a single pair of everyday earbuds.
The Melomania A100 is Cambridge Audio's true wireless play, and it's clearly aimed at people who want hi-fi sound without a cable. The headline features read like a wish list for a daily driver: 10mm deep-bass dynamic drivers, aptX Lossless and LDAC for high-quality wireless audio, adaptive active noise cancelling that adjusts to your surroundings, and a 7-band adjustable EQ you control through the Melomania app. On paper, that's a lot of flexibility for tailoring sound to your taste.
The battery figure is the other big one: up to 39 hours with the charging case, with a 39-hour charge time figure listed alongside it. Wireless charging is supported, so you can drop the case on a pad instead of hunting for a cable. Controls run through touch gestures plus app control, with Siri and Google Assistant support built in — useful if you take calls or bark voice commands while commuting. The kit includes three sizes of silicone eartips (S, M, L), a USB-C to USB-C cable, and a quick start guide.
Who should skip it? If your priority is a fixed, wired monitoring setup at a desk, the A100's strengths — wireless, ANC, battery — are features you'd be paying for and not using. In-ear buds also live or die by fit; if you've never gotten along with silicone tips, that's a real consideration. But if you want one pair that handles the train, the gym, the office, and the couch, this is the more versatile design.
• Best for studio monitoring and mixing → Audio-Technica 3. The closed-back design, 40mm drivers, and flat-ish 15–20,000 Hz response are built for critical listening.
• Best for commuting and travel → Cambridge Audio Melomania A100. Adaptive active noise cancelling and true wireless freedom win on a noisy train or plane.
• Best for battery life → Cambridge Audio Melomania A100. Up to 39 hours with the charging case versus a wired connection that needs no battery at all but tethers you to a device.
• Best for long, stationary sessions → Audio-Technica 3. At 6.7 oz with contoured, sealing earcups, comfort over hours is the design goal.
• Best for sound customization → Cambridge Audio Melomania A100. The 7-band EQ in the app lets you tune the response; the A100 also supports aptX Lossless and LDAC.
• Best for durability in a fixed setup → Audio-Technica 3. Aluminum and microfiber construction plus a 700mW power handling rating suit demanding, repeated use.
• Best for hands-free calls and voice assistants → Cambridge Audio Melomania A100. Touch controls with Siri and Google Assistant support make it the better daily companion.
• Best if you want spares or to equip multiple listeners → Audio-Technica 3. It ships as a three-pack, which the A100 does not.
In my opinion, the right pick depends entirely on where you listen. If you do serious, seated listening — mixing, tracking, or just wanting an honest wired signal — I'd buy the Audio-Technica 3. The closed-back monitor design, 40mm drivers, and 700mW power handling are purpose-built for that, and the three-pack gives you redundancy. If you want one pair of earbuds for everything else — commuting, calls, travel, and everyday listening — I'd buy the Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 for its adaptive ANC, LDAC and aptX Lossless support, app EQ, and up to 39 hours of battery. Two different tools, two different jobs. Pick the job you actually have.
No. The Audio-Technica 3 is a wired monitor headphone with a 6.35 mm jack and no Bluetooth connectivity. If you need wireless, the Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 is the one to look at.
Yes. It uses adaptive active noise cancelling, which adjusts to your environment, plus an in-ear design with silicone tips in three sizes for a sealing fit. The Audio-Technica 3 uses passive sound isolation from its closed-back earcups instead.
The Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 lists up to 39 hours of battery with its charging case, and it supports wireless charging. The Audio-Technica 3 is wired, so it has no battery at all — it draws power from whatever you plug it into.
For mixing, I'd go with the Audio-Technica 3. Its 40mm drivers, closed-back design, and 15–20,000 Hz frequency response are aimed at accurate monitoring. The Melomania A100 is a great wireless listen, but it's tuned as an everyday earbud with EQ and ANC rather than a reference monitor. If price matters to you on either, check the current price on Amazon before deciding.
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