In my opinion, headphones are one of humanity’s greatest inventions. And if they’re wireless, even better. You can multitask while listening to music, podcasts, radio, and so on. I spend a lot of time with headphones on, using them at home, at the gym, on walks. When I was offered to test the Sennheiser Accentum Wireless headphones, I eagerly agreed – after all, this is a model from a renowned audio brand that will celebrate its 80th anniversary next year. The company’s products are popular both among audiophiles and sound professionals.
In 2022, the company released the premium-class Sennheiser Momentum 4 headphones (priced at almost $410), and about a year later, the Sennheiser Accentum Wireless headphones were introduced to the market, which cost half as much (around $205) and are positioned by the manufacturer as mid-range headphones, similar in design and some technical solutions to the higher-end model. The device promises 50 hours of battery life, hybrid ANC, and support for Bluetooth 5.2 with aptX and aptX HD codecs.
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Sennheiser Accentum Wireless headphones specifications
- Type – full-size, wireless
- Connection interface – Bluetooth 5.2 (A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP, GATT)
- Range – 20 m
- Microphone – built-in
- Color – black, white
- The presence of active noise control – yes
- Type of attachment – with a headband
- Codec support – AAC, SBC, aptX
- The size of the speakers is 37 mm
- Ear cushion material – leatherette
- Headphone frequency range – 10-22000 Hz
- Type of emitter – dynamic
- Microphone design – built-in into the headphone body
- Weight – 222 g
- Operating time – up to 50 hours
Appearance
The headphones come in a cardboard box along with a USB cable and documentation. One of the differences from the premium line of Sennheiser headphones is the absence of a carrying case for transportation. This model does not include a case. Additionally, there are no extra cables like those that come with the Sennheiser Momentum 4.
The headphones are entirely made of plastic but don’t appear fragile. The soft ear cushions are covered with leatherette. Here, there’s no luxurious memory foam material like in the Momentum 4, but it’s still a “budget” model. The arch at the bottom has a layer of foam. Inside it are two telescopic extension levers. The headphone cups can rotate in two planes. The lightweight of the headphones allows for comfortable placement on the head and extended wear without any issues. However, everyone’s head is different, so what’s comfortable for me might not be comfortable for you – it’s worth trying them out.
I wear glasses constantly, and I want to note that I didn’t experience any issues while wearing the headphones. The only minor observation I had during listening was that the ear cushions fit snugly against the head, which caused a bit of warmth.
The headphone design doesn’t include a special folding mechanism for portability. However, due to the rotating ear cups and telescopic levers, you can try to make them somewhat more compact for transport.
An important point to note is that the model lacks any certifications guaranteeing water resistance.
In summary, it can be said that the headphones are made with quality in mind, and the design is well thought out. All materials are pleasant to the touch, and they are comfortable to use.
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Sennheiser Accentum Wireless control
The controls here are straightforward. On the right ear cup, there are four physical buttons: power on/off, two volume adjustment buttons, and between them, the play/pause button, which allows for stopping and resuming playback with a double or triple press. There’s no touch panel or battery level indicator like in the more expensive model.
The power button is multifunctional. Depending on the number of presses, it can perform various functions: power on/off, noise-canceling mode, access to the voice assistant, and Bluetooth pairing. The buttons are quite small, but each is easy to find by touch; you just need to get a little used to them. Perhaps the only issue might be pressing the buttons with thin gloves. When pressed, there’s a tactile click – a convenient option that informs the user about the adjustments being made.
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Sound settings, application
Sennheiser provides a smartphone application called “Smart Control.” It serves as the control center for all the brand’s headphones that can be connected to a smartphone via Bluetooth..
Android:
iOS:
During the connection of new headphones, the application offers to choose optimal sound settings. Users can adjust the sound manually using a five-band equalizer. Alternatively, they can select an appropriate equalizer curve from seven pre-set settings for different music genres. These settings can be edited and saved.
Furthermore, the application offers individual sound settings during the use of the headphones. These include:
- Various equalizer settings
- Transparency mode adjustments
- Noise cancellation level adjustments
- Individual sound settings for different environments such as outdoors, in the office, in transit, and so on.
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Sound, ANC, phone calls
I can’t call myself an audiophile or an expert in sound engineering. Therefore, I’ll allow myself to express a subjective opinion.
During the testing process, I listened to musical compositions of various styles and genres. These included hits like “Thunderstruck” and “Highway to Hell” by AC/DC, classical pieces from Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons,” and violin concertos by Bach. And of course, it wouldn’t be complete without some old-school disco: “Modern Talking,” “Earth Wind & Fire,” early Rod Stewart. All listening sessions were done with the equalizer set to standard modes.
One of the positive aspects worth noting is the good balance of sound. There were no sharp sounds or musical instruments that stood out too much against others. Instruments sound clear, and individual parts can be distinguished. The rhythm is well defined.
Speaking about frequencies, there’s a very rich, saturated bass. The sound on mid frequencies is balanced. However, the high frequencies seemed somewhat soft and muted to me.
It’s difficult to talk about drawbacks based solely on personal feelings. But during the listening of musical compositions, there was a lingering sense of the sound being somewhat average. The sound is pleasant, even, and clear, but I didn’t feel any excitement or wow effect from listening to music on the Sennheiser Accentum.
When it comes to listening to podcasts and interviews, there are no issues. Speech is clear and intelligible. Additionally, in the “Smart Control” application, there are specific settings to enhance the sound of human speech.
Regarding voice calls, the Accentum is equipped with two microphones and a special wind noise reduction mode. There were no problems during phone conversations, even in noisy environments.
By the way, there is support for multipoint mode, meaning the Sennheiser Accentum Wireless headphones can be simultaneously connected to two devices. For example, to a phone and a laptop. You can watch a movie on your laptop, and when you receive a call, the headphones will switch to the phone’s audio. After finishing the call, they will automatically switch back to the movie without any manual intervention required.
However, what is lacking is the ability to operate in wired mode, auto-pause when removing the headphones, and the advanced aptX Adaptive codec (although aptX HD is supported).
I want to highlight the active noise cancellation (ANC) system separately. It has an interesting implementation – you cannot turn off ANC! You can only switch to transparency mode. Overall, the headphones fit snugly against the head (which already provides excellent sound isolation), and when ANC is activated, it creates the impression of immersion in almost silent space. The Accentum provides reliable and uniform noise cancellation across the entire sound spectrum (not just low frequencies). In the more expensive Sennheiser Momentum 4 model, ANC can automatically adjust to the surrounding conditions and works slightly more efficiently, but the difference is not as critical as the price. The “transparency mode” also works seamlessly, providing natural sound.
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Battery life
The manufacturer declares a solid 50-hour battery life for the Sennheiser Accentum Wireless. During testing, it more or less lived up to this claim. The performance is excellent, so the inability to turn off ANC wouldn’t be considered a problem.
The 50-hour battery life is also offered by more expensive audiophile models such as the Sony WH-1000XM5 and the Bose QuietComfort 45. However, it’s less than the 60 hours provided by the higher-end Sennheiser Momentum 4 model, which, admittedly, costs twice as much.
Summary
In my opinion, the Sennheiser Accentum Wireless headphones are a quality product designed primarily for everyday use at work, during walks, while traveling, and so on. They provide good sound quality thanks to the aptX and aptX HD codecs, have strong ANC, long battery life, can work with two devices simultaneously, and judging by the build quality, they are likely to last a long time.
There are also drawbacks – the ear cushions are quite tight, causing heat and discomfort for some users, the non-folding design, lack of auto-pause feature, inability to work in wired mode, and minimal accessories included. At the same time, although they are cheaper than the flagship Sennheiser Momentum 4 model, they are still far from being the cheapest option, priced at around $410 to be more precise.
If you’re looking for headphones to relax in a comfortable chair, disconnect from the outside world, immerse yourself in your favorite music for an hour, and enjoy its sound, then I would recommend looking into more premium headphone models, even though they may cost more.
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