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Updated: 2026-09-25 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a wired, open-back headphone built for long listening sessions at a desk, choose MEZE AUDIO 105; if you need wireless freedom, adaptive noise cancelling and a battery that lasts for days, choose Cambridge Audio Melomania P100.
• MEZE AUDIO 105 — biggest trade-off: it is wired only, has no noise cancelling at all, and being open-back it leaks sound both ways, so it is a stay-at-home headphone.
• Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 — biggest strength: Bluetooth with aptX Lossless, Adaptive Active Noise Cancelling, a 7-band EQ and a claimed 100-hour playback with a user-replaceable battery and ear cups.
• Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 — biggest trade-off: it tops out at a 20Hz–20,000Hz frequency range and leans on app-based control, so it is a convenience-first headphone rather than a purist wired one.
• Who each pick is for: the MEZE AUDIO 105 is for the listener who sits down, plugs in and wants texture and space; the Melomania P100 is for the commuter, traveller or hybrid worker who wants one headphone for everything.
The 105 AER is an open-back, over-ear wired headphone with 50mm dynamic drivers, a 42-ohm impedance and 112dB sensitivity. Those last two numbers matter more than they look: at 42 ohms and 112dB, this is an easy load. A phone dongle, a laptop jack or a modest desktop amp will all drive it to sensible volume. You do not need a dedicated headphone amplifier to enjoy it, which is unusual in the audiophile open-back space.
The tuning is the headline. Meze describes a warm, full-bodied presentation with a slight lift in the bass and sub-bass — a richer, more resonant foundation rather than a clinical, bass-light open-back. The 20Hz–30,000Hz range gives the treble room to breathe, and the open-back design is what creates the sense of space and instrument separation the brand talks about. Velour ear pads are the right call here: soft, breathable, and far less sweaty than leather over a three-hour session.
Who should skip it? Anyone who needs noise cancelling on a flight, anyone who wants to walk around untethered, and anyone in a shared room — open-back means your music is everyone's music. It ships with a hard EVA carrying pouch, a detachable 1.8m Kevlar OFC cable, a cable pouch and a 3.5mm-to-6.3mm gold-plated adapter, so it travels safely, but it is not a commute headphone.
Cambridge Audio Melomania P100: Who It's For
The Melomania P100 SE is the opposite philosophy executed well. Bluetooth 5, Adaptive Active Noise Cancelling, aptX Lossless transmission up to 24-bit/96kHz, and a 7-band adjustable EQ through the Melomania Connect app. It also supports multipoint, so it can hold two devices at once — laptop and phone — and switch between them without re-pairing. Wear Detect pauses when you take it off.
Battery is the marquee feature: 100 hours of playback, and a five-minute charge reportedly gets you up to four hours. That is the kind of number that changes behaviour. You stop thinking about charging. And because the battery and ear cups are user-replaceable, the headphone is not disposable when the cell eventually degrades — a genuinely rare thing in wireless cans.
DynamEQ handles dynamic adaptive equalisation, Class AB amplification drives the signature sound, and there is a gaming mode for lower latency. Impedance is a low 10 ohms, which suits the wireless and amplified path it is designed for. The frequency range is 20Hz–20,000Hz — the standard full-audio band, but narrower than the Meze on paper. A USB-C to USB-C charging cable and a USB-C to 3.5mm jack cable are both included, so wired listening is possible when you want it.
Skip it if you are chasing maximum detail and openness for critical listening, or if you dislike app-dependent control — the EQ, Siri and Google Assistant integration all run through the Melomania Connect app. It is a 0.7 kg package with a carry case, not a featherweight.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for sound quality and openness → MEZE AUDIO 105. Open-back, 50mm drivers, 5Hz–30kHz range and a warm, spacious tuning.
• Best for commuting and flights → Cambridge Audio Melomania P100. Adaptive ANC plus Bluetooth 5 and multipoint.
• Best for long desk sessions → MEZE AUDIO 105. Velour pads, self-adjusting headband and breathable open-back design.
• Best for repairability and longevity → a tie, for different reasons. The Meze is fully serviceable with replaceable drivers and cables; the P100 lets you swap the battery and ear cups.
• Best for call and voice-assistant use → Cambridge Audio Melomania P100. Siri and Google Assistant support with Wear Detect.
• Best for a noisy shared space → Cambridge Audio Melomania P100. The Meze has no noise control and leaks sound.
• Best as a single do-everything headphone → Cambridge Audio Melomania P100. It covers wireless, wired, EQ and gaming in one package.
If I had to pick one, I would buy the Cambridge Audio Melomania P100. In my opinion, it wins on versatility: wireless when you want it, wired when you need it, noise cancelling where it counts, and a battery plus replaceable parts that make it a long-term buy rather than a seasonal one.
That said, my choice is about lifestyle, not absolute sound. If you listen mostly at a desk and care about space, warmth and texture, the MEZE AUDIO 105 is the more rewarding headphone — and its fully serviceable, glue-free construction is exactly what I would want in a keeper. Check the current price on Amazon for both before you commit.
FAQ
No. It is a wired, open-back headphone with a detachable 1.8m Kevlar OFC cable and a 3.5mm jack, plus a 3.5mm-to-6.3mm adapter. There is no Bluetooth and no battery.
Yes. It uses Adaptive Active Noise Cancelling, and it also supports Bluetooth 5, aptX Lossless and multipoint. The MEZE AUDIO 105 has no noise control at all.
The Melomania P100, by a wide margin. Cambridge Audio rates it at 100 hours of playback with a user-replaceable battery, and a short charge adds hours of listening. The MEZE AUDIO 105 is passive and wired, so battery life does not apply.
Yes. A USB-C to 3.5mm jack cable is included, so you can run it passively without Bluetooth. That makes it the more flexible of the two if you want one headphone for both travel and desk use.
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