Sound Advice: Headphones belie their reasonable cost

Q: Do you have any advice on noise-canceling headphones under $300?

A: the Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 headphones do everything extremely well and don’t cost a fortune. They provide Bluetooth and wired connections, noise cancellation and toe-tapping hi-fi sound in one stylish, comfortable and compelling package. At $239, they are a tremendous bargain and future classic.

The headphones are available in black or gray and include a matching case. The active noise cancellation is effective, and the optional Melomania app provides finer control of the P100’s functions. Connection options include Bluetooth, a USB-C headphone cable, or from the USB-C port to a USB-C port on your portable device. I strongly recommend using USB-C to USB-C when possible because it provides the best sound quality. (Just use the included charging cable.) The batteries offer 60 hours of playtime per charge.

Melomania means “love of music” and “musical,” which perfectly describes the P100. When I first tried them, I found it difficult to take them off and get on with my day because I wanted to keep listening and explore more tracks on my iPad.

When demonstrating them to others I noticed every listener drumming their fingers, swaying their head side to side or tapping their toes as they smiled. I don’t remember ever seeing this across the board with other headphones. The sound is lively, vivid, bright and clear without being fatiguing, with solid bass notes, beautiful tonality and satisfying fullness. They bring the music forward and just plain sound good.

You would have to spend far more to get significantly better headphones, and even then the P100s wonderful musicality is not matched by many headphones regardless of price. I heard quite a few multi-thousand-dollar headphones at the AXPONA show, some driven by specialized amplifiers that also cost thousands. It’s possible to design something with impeccable technical performance that leaves the listener feeling flat, and I experienced that with many of these megabuck headphone/amplifier combinations. I doubt anyone would feel that way about the Melomania P100. (cambridgeaudio.com)

Q: I bought a WarmDerm RF skin-tightening machine. After reading the directions I am hesitant to use it because I have hip replacements and it says not to use it if you have surgical implants. Do you know the safety of using it on your face after hip replacement surgery?

A: You can use it on your face because the probe will be far away from your hip implants. For those who are unfamiliar, RF skin tightening is a clinically proven way to remove wrinkles and tighten skin, providing a noticeable improvement without surgery or injections.

But technology has marched on, and many users are moving from RF to laser masks, which are faster, more effective and easier to use. These masks also cost about $750, and while I like the concept, I am finding it difficult to spend $750 to upgrade when I already have something that works. I may have more to say about these masks one day, but for now the good news is the competition has driven down the price of RF skin-tightening machines.

In addition to RF to build elastin and collagen, the updated WarmDerm machine adds microcurrent stimulation to enhance facial muscle tone and now sells for $259.99 (after a checkbox coupon) on Amazon, far lower than the $369.99 in its heyday.

Send questions to Don Lindich at donlindich@gmail.com. Get recommendations and read past columns at soundadvicenews.com.