Compare Marshall Monitor III A.N.C. Over-Ear Bluetooth Headphones vs Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 Headphones

The lack of a built-in 3.5mm analog jack was a repeated drawback, even though USB-C-to-3.5mm wired listening is possible.

3.5mm analog support was positive overall because reviewers valued wired flexibility, though one reviewer noted the port requires the supplied USB-C adapter.

ANC was usually judged good, solid, or decent for daily use, but several reviewers said it still trails Bose, Sony, or the top tier.

ANC was seen as good to very good for the price, especially for low-frequency noise, but reviewers repeatedly said Bose, Sony or AirPods Max still do better.

Advanced software features were considered solid and modern, but reviewers did not see them as uniquely class-leading.

Advanced software features were adequate rather than class-leading, with useful app functions but fewer modern extras than some rivals.

Aesthetics were distinctive and often praised, but some reviewers noted the retro Marshall look will not suit everyone.

Discreet aesthetics were mostly positive, with praise for subtle branding and finishes, though one reviewer disliked the headband silhouette.

ANC background noise performance was decent: one review measured strong overall noise reduction, and another said white noise was not bad.

ANC background noise was a concern in quieter use, with static or clicking mentioned by multiple reviewers.

ANC-off listening measured slightly better in one review, suggesting ANC can subtly affect the sound signature.

ANC’s effect on the sound signature was mostly positive, with no tonal shift in one review and a bass boost in another.

ANC slightly affects audio performance, with one review noting higher sound-quality scores when ANC is disabled.

ANC’s audio impact was mixed: some heard no tonal shift or a useful bass boost, while others heard crackle or distracting movement artifacts.

Android compatibility was positive in one review that found the headphones sounded good on Android.

Android compatibility was positive, with Android USB recognition and Google Fast Pair both described favorably.

The app was viewed positively for customization, controls, battery options, and a generally intuitive experience.

The app was generally viewed as useful, simple or feature-rich, though some reviewers saw it mainly as a firmware and EQ utility.

aptX support was criticized as absent, especially for Android or lossless-codec users.

aptX support was repeatedly treated as a premium strength, especially aptX Lossless and Adaptive for higher-quality Bluetooth playback.

Audio-video sync was a concern for gaming because one reviewer tied the lack of low-latency codecs to more noticeable latency.

Audio-video sync was generally strong thanks to gaming or low-latency modes, though PCMag said latency was reduced rather than eliminated.

Auracast support was treated as a positive future-facing feature, especially for Android and LE Audio readiness.

Auto-play and wear detection worked but was slow to react in one test.

Auto-play/wear detection was mixed in PCMag because it resumed playback even when the user had paused manually.

Auto power-off was praised as useful for forgetful users and battery conservation.

Award recognition was strong because PCMag awarded the P100 an Editors’ Choice.

Bass was usually described as punchy or well-balanced, though several reviewers said it could use more impact, cleaner control, or stronger low-end weight.

Bass was usually described as punchy, controlled and substantial without overwhelming other frequencies, with only one What Hi-Fi comparison finding it short on kick.

Battery life had the strongest agreement: reviewers repeatedly described it as class-leading, incredible, extraordinary, or far ahead of competitors.

Battery life was the strongest consensus feature, repeatedly described as epic, class-leading, insane, benchmark-setting or outstanding.

Bluetooth performance was praised in one review as stable and high-performance.

Bluetooth performance was generally reliable, with reviewers citing stable pairing, good range, basement roaming and compatibility across devices.

Bluetooth version support was tied to a stable, high-performance wireless connection in one review.

Bluetooth 5.3 was treated positively where evaluated, especially as newer, stronger and more reliable.

Build quality was generally strong and rugged, with praise for durability and materials, offset by one report of creaking.

Build quality was consistently strong, with reviewers calling the headphones premium, robust, top-notch or substantial.

Hi-res playback support was a weakness because reviewers repeatedly noted no hi-res Bluetooth audio support.

Hi-res wired and DAC-related playback were viewed positively, especially USB-C lossless playback and direct wired listening quality.

Button controls were a standout strength, with reviewers preferring the tactile joystick and physical buttons over touch controls.

Physical button controls were mostly praised as simple, tactile and preferable to touch, despite Tom’s Guide finding the control layout imperfect.

Cable quality received praise in one review for the black cable with brass tips and premium-feeling presentation.

Cable quality was praised in Tom’s Guide, which described the bundled audio cables as durable woven fabric.

The carry case was usually praised as sturdy, compact, premium, or travel-friendly, though a few reviewers found it bulky or unnecessary.

The case was usually praised for protection, storage and fit, but several reviewers still noted its larger or chunkier footprint.

Charging was praised for fast top-ups, with reviewers citing up to 12 hours of playback from a short charge.

Fast charging was praised across reviews, with five-minute top-ups repeatedly described as useful, powerful or impressive.

Clamping comfort was rated very highly, with reviewers reporting little to virtually zero pressure.

Clamping force was divisive, with some calling it well judged or Goldilocks-approved and others finding the fit tight or pressure-inducing.

Codec support was a clear weakness because reviewers noted no hi-res, lossless, or low-latency codec support.

Codec support was praised as broad and high-end, centered on aptX Lossless and aptX Adaptive, though PCMag still preferred LDAC availability.

Comfort was one of the strongest consensus wins, with reviewers repeatedly praising all-day wear, soft fit, and low fatigue.

Long-use comfort was mixed: many found the P100 comfortable for hours, but Tom’s Guide and PCMag reported discomfort, weight or pressure points.

Connectivity options were mixed: wired and wireless playback were useful, but the lack of a built-in 3.5mm jack and coiled cable hurt convenience.

Connectivity options were a strength, with reviewers valuing Bluetooth, USB-C digital audio, 3.5mm support and included cables.

Design and aesthetics were mostly praised for the distinctive Marshall look, premium detailing, and rugged styling, though taste varied.

Design was generally praised as attractive, stylish and well put together, though a few reviewers found the headband shape or bulk less flattering.

Head-tracked 3D audio was a weak area because Stereo Guide recommended Sony, Apple or Bose for that feature set.

Durability over time was viewed positively because reviewers described more durable, repairable construction and long-term toughness.

Durability evidence was very positive, with reviewers noting no creaks, groans or visible wear after handling and travel.

Ear cup padding was widely praised as extremely soft, plush, pillow-like, and important to comfort and sealing.

Ear cup padding was widely praised as soft, plush, well-cushioned or snug without suffocating the ears.

Ear cup rotation and swivel helped portability, though one reviewer found the twisting mechanism odd on the head.

Ear cup swivel and rotation were generally useful, though PCMag felt the rotation would matter more if the case supported flat storage.

Earpad/body-borne noise was a notable negative for one reviewer, who heard footsteps and heartbeat-like sounds.

Ecosystem integration evidence was limited but positive, with Google Fast Pair enabling one-tap pairing.

EQ customization was broadly useful and responsive, though one reviewer wanted more precision than the five-band setup provides.

EQ customization was one of the clearest software strengths, with reviewers praising the seven-band EQ and how well the sound responds to tuning.

Features at launch were adequate but not standout, with one reviewer saying the standard feature set lacked a truly distinctive tool.

Launch features were viewed as adequate to good, but reviewers wanted more modern extras such as spatial audio or more polished software features.

Firmware support was viewed positively where discussed, with the app framed as a path to future features and tweaks.

The default frequency response was judged broadly listener-friendly, especially for casual listeners.

Frequency balance was generally praised as natural, flat or properly balanced, though PCMag and What Hi-Fi wanted more default liveliness.

Headband adjustability earned a small positive note for visible adjustment numbering.

Headband adjustment was positively described as stable, seamless or cleanly integrated into the design.

Headband comfort was praised for reducing top-of-head pressure through light weight and support-strap design.

Headband padding was mixed: one review wanted it softer, while others praised the soft lining or found pressure points after long wear.

Hinge durability was praised for being able to twist without showing signs of breaking.

What Hi-Fi praised the smoothly rotating hinges as part of the headphones’ assured style and construction.

Immersive audio quality was mixed, with some reviewers enjoying the added atmosphere and others finding the effect limited or not truly immersive.

Immersive audio quality was praised through spatiality, cohesive presentation and a sense of being pulled into the music.

Included accessories received praise for the attractive red-velvet case and included cables.

Included accessories were well received, especially the case, storage pouch and USB-C or 3.5mm cabling.

Instrument separation was a consistent strength when mentioned, with reviewers noting solid layering, instrument placement, and separation across bass, mids, and highs.

Instrument separation was a recurring strength, with reviewers noting clear detail retrieval, distinct vocals and instruments, and strong layering.

Integrated microphone feedback was mixed, with clear/crisp quiet-room results but criticism of vocal clarity or noisy-environment performance.

The integrated microphones were praised by Tom’s Guide for superb speech recognition and accurate vocal capture.

LDAC was only discussed as an absent higher-quality codec, making it a codec-support weakness.

LDAC was a weakness in the one review that discussed it, because the reviewer preferred LDAC over aptX Lossless for Android hi-res listening.

LE Audio readiness was treated as a positive future-proofing feature by multiple reviewers.

Maximum-volume clarity was strong in the reviews that addressed it, with no audible or max-volume distortion reported.

One reviewer praised high-volume clarity by noting zero distortion while highs remained retained clearly.

Microphone noise reduction was praised for handling simulated or real wind well, despite some vocal-clarity caveats elsewhere.

Microphone noise handling was split: some reviewers heard reduced echo and clear calls, while PCMag found background noise still came through.

Call microphone quality received strong praise from one reviewer, especially for windy phone calls.

Call quality was mixed but mostly favorable, with strong speech intelligibility in some reviews and weaker, distant mic capture in PCMag.

Midrange impressions were mixed: some praised vocals and instruments, while others heard under-emphasized mids, prominent high mids, or occasional clutter.

Most reviewers found vocals and mids clear, expressive and well placed, although What Hi-Fi and one YouTube reviewer heard a thinner or less forward midrange.

Multi-platform compatibility was positive where tested on both iOS and Android.

Multi-platform support was generally positive across Android, iOS, macOS and Windows, though Apple wired behavior was less smooth in one review.

Multipoint reliability was strong where tested, with seamless switching or extremely reliable two-device use.

Multipoint was a consistent strength, with reviewers reporting smooth dual-device pairing, hitch-free operation or fast switching.

Passive isolation was praised for the soft cushions and seal, which helped block noise even before ANC was considered.

Passive isolation was viewed positively, with reviewers saying the fit and earcups blocked or reduced outside sound effectively even before ANC.

Overall recommendations were positive but caveated: reviewers liked the package, especially for travel and rock-focused listening, while noting ANC, codecs, and wired tradeoffs.

Overall recommendations were strongly positive, with most reviewers calling the P100 high-value, competitive or easy to recommend, despite some caveats.

Portability and foldability were major strengths thanks to the compact folding design and small travel footprint.

Portability was a limitation, with reviewers noting the P100 does not fold small and is not among the sleekest or most compact over-ears.

Premium feel was praised through richer materials, superior build impressions, and a luxurious presentation.

Premium feel was generally strong, with praise for materials, style and finish, though What Hi-Fi noted cheap-feeling earcups.

The preset EQ experience was praised in one review, especially the bass boost setting for adding dynamic sound without excess bass.

Preset EQ reactions were mixed: some liked Flat or broader presets, while PCMag said presets did not restore enough energy.

Replaceable earpads were praised as easy to remove or replace and useful for longevity.

Replaceable earpads were a recurring repairability strength, with reviewers praising easy replacement and longer-term ownership.

Replaceable pads and headband parts were a repairability plus where described.

Replaceable pads and battery support were a strong repairability advantage and helped reviewers view the headphones as longer-lasting.

Sensor performance was a concern because one reviewer reported random wear-sensor triggers.

Sensors were praised in one review as a cool wear-detection feature, though other wear-detection attributes show reliability caveats.

Sidetone was praised by one reviewer who liked hearing some of their own voice during calls.

Smart listening features were mixed: adaptive volume, Spotify Tap, and battery preservation drew praise, while missing convenience features held the score down.

Smart listening features were praised in one review as part of a broad feature set intended to elevate the listening experience.

Smart Pause performance was criticized for random triggering in one longer test.

Smart Pause performance was weak to mixed, with reviewers reporting delayed, context-insensitive or inconsistent auto-pause behavior.

Setup simplicity received praise from one reviewer who called pairing/setup easy.

Setup and software simplicity were generally strong, with reviewers calling setup child’s play, the interface simple, and controls straightforward.

Sound leakage was viewed positively in one review because the plush ear cups helped minimize leak.

Sound leakage was praised by one reviewer, who found the closed-back design useful for recording because it did not leak externally.

Reviewers generally liked the sound, describing it as pleasing, energetic, balanced, or excellent, with the strongest praise for rock and instrument-driven listening.

Reviewers broadly praised the P100’s sound as detailed, clean, spacious and high-value, though What Hi-Fi and PCMag wanted more energy or EQ help.

Soundstage width drew mixed reactions, from solid or opened-up presentation to narrow, cluttered, or not true-spatial enough.

Soundstage evidence was positive overall, with reviewers describing wide, expansive, spacious or plausible imaging for a closed-back ANC headphone.

Spatial audio was divisive: some liked the extra space, but others found it unnatural, underwhelming, or below true Atmos-style experiences.

Spatial audio was a clear limitation, with reviewers noting no spatial audio and steering head-tracking seekers toward other brands.

Connection stability was praised as stable and high-performance in one review.

Stability was weak for active use: reviewers reported looseness, popping with movement, slipping, or suitability mainly for stationary listening.

Streaming service integration was praised strongly for Spotify Tap, especially for starting playback without pulling out a phone.

Sustainability and repairability were praised for replaceable parts and repair-minded design, with a caveat that batteries are not user-replaceable.

Repairability and sustainability were major strengths, especially user-replaceable batteries and earpads plus longevity-focused design.

Sustainability materials received a modest positive note for recycled plastic use.

Sustainable materials were praised, especially recycled content, plastic-free packaging and an eco-conscious design approach.

Touch controls were not implemented, and Tom’s Guide treated that absence as a missed opportunity for the earcup design.

Transparency mode was considered usable and sometimes natural, but reviewers also noted hiss, limited realism, or weaker performance than the best rivals.

Transparency mode drew mixed-to-positive reactions: several found it useful or natural, while others said clarity and ambient audibility needed work.

Travel friendliness was a major strength due to battery life, compact folding, wired flexibility, and protective case design.

Travel friendliness was strong because of battery life and isolation, but softened by the relatively bulky case and non-folding design.

Treble feedback was split between clear, impressive highs and complaints about sibilance, fatigue, or sharpness on some tracks.

Treble was generally praised for bite, sparkle and articulation without harshness, while PCMag noted some upper-register energy was missing by default.

USB-C was useful for charging and wired listening, but reviewers criticized the one-port limitation and need for power in wired use.

USB-C was a strength, especially for charging and wired digital playback, with reviewers praising hi-res wired output and easy computer connection.

Value was generally fair to good, especially on sale, but reviewers noted strong cheaper or better-performing rivals.

Value for money was one of the strongest themes, with reviewers repeatedly saying the P100 competes above its price.

Voice assistant integration was rated adequate, with Tom’s Guide calling hands-free commands fine and speech capture accurate.

Voice prompts and feedback added personality through Marshall-style guitar sounds during power and pairing.

Voice prompts were a standout novelty, especially the Matt Berry/Southwark option that reviewers found unusually enjoyable.

One reviewer found the headphones plenty loud, with comfortable listening volume well below maximum.

Volume and dynamic output were rated highly, with reviewers describing strong headroom, loud maximum levels and excellent dynamic range.

Water and sweat resistance was a weakness because reviewers noted the headphones are not waterproof and should avoid rain or gym use.

Water resistance was a weakness in the one review that discussed it, noting there was no water-resistant rating.

Wear detection auto-pause was only moderately successful, working but reacting slowly.

Wear detection auto-pause was criticized by Tom’s Guide for not always initiating and sometimes delaying.

Wear detection performance was a weakness in one longer test because the sensor randomly triggered.

Wear detection performance was mixed-to-weak, with reviewers noting delays, context issues or oversensitivity before firmware updates.

Weight comfort was a major strength, with reviewers repeatedly calling the headphones light for the class and easy to wear.

Weight comfort was mixed: some reviewers felt the weight was distributed well, while others called the headphones heavy, bulky or heavier than rivals.

Wind handling was mixed: one reviewer found wind susceptibility in ANC/transparency, while another found moderate wind manageable.

Wind and movement noise handling was a recurring concern, with several reviewers hearing wind, popping, footstep or left/right ANC artifacts.