Sennheiser Accentum Review: Best Midrange ANC Headphones?

If you’ve shopped for headphones before, you’d know that finding a good pair of ANC headphones in the sub-15K INR segment is next to impossible, considering players like Bose play in the 20K segment. To fill this gap, Sennheiser has launched its Accentum lineup, comprising the Accentum and the Accentum Plus. Now, the question remains: has Sennheiser delivered a champion, or does cost-cutting hinder the overall experience? Let’s find out with the review of the Sennheiser Accentum headphones.

Sennheiser Accentum Review: Design and Comfort

Starting with the box contents, the absence of a carrying case is immediately noticeable. While we can cut the company some slack due to the price, the lack of a case means users will need to carry the headphones in their backpacks, which isn’t ideal and could lead to damage. Furthermore, the fact that the headphones only swivel and do not fold makes carrying them a hassle, as any slight bump could potentially damage them.

Moving on to the design, we expected Sennheiser to compromise on build quality like other brands. However, despite being made of plastic, the build feels surprisingly premium, with no rattles or squeaks. Additionally, the black color hides fingerprints and smudges well.

Coming to comfort, it’s apparent that Sennheiser has invested in making the pair as comfortable as possible. The ear padding is soft, with ample cushioning, and the headband cushions ensure users don’t experience discomfort during longer listening sessions. While we did experience some earwarming during sessions lasting longer than an hour, this is to be expected and shouldn’t be a problem for most casual listeners.

Sennheiser Accentum Review: Controls

Sennheiser has opted for physical buttons instead of fancy touch gestures for the controls. Although this implementation would have been a welcomed addition given the headaches often associated with touch controls on headphones, the buttons are quite small. This requires users to develop muscle memory to control the headphones effectively. The controls include a power button, which doubles as the pairing button, a play/pause button, and volume up and down buttons.

In terms of ports, the device only includes a USB-C charging port, meaning that users cannot use their existing 3.5mm jack cables. Moreover, the exclusion of the auto-play pause feature was weird as well. This function’s absence means users must manually stop music playback every time, which can be cumbersome.

Companion App

Like most other pairs, the Accentum comes with a companion app, the Sennheiser Smart Control. Fortunately, the app is easy to use, featuring a simple and ergonomic layout. In terms of controls, the app includes an equalizer that allows users to choose from pre-made settings or create a custom sound profile.

However, if you’re not familiar with different equalizer settings, Sennheiser offers the Sound Check feature. This feature guides users through a series of sound tests to choose a custom preset based on their preferences.

Another notable feature is the Sound Zone. This feature allows users to customize ANC and equalizer settings automatically based on their location. For instance, users can set a specific Sound Zone for their workplace to disable ANC for better communication.

Sennheiser Accentum Review: Connectivity and Battery Life

Fortunately, with Bluetooth 5.2, we encountered no connectivity issues with the headphones, whether paired with one device or multiple. The connection is strong enough to allow users to listen in different rooms as well.

Moving on to battery life, Sennheiser claimed that the Accentum headphones can easily last for 50 hours, and we can confirm this statement. The headphones lasted throughout a week of casual listening and movie watching with ANC enabled.

Sennheiser Accentum Review: Sound Quality

Now, let’s get into the most important aspect: the sound quality of the Sennheiser Accentum headphones. Overall, the sound quality is impressive. When we tested the headphones with songs like “Oxytocin,” “Like That,” “Starboy,” and “Too Sweet,” the first noticeable aspect was Sennheiser’s balanced tuning, accurately capturing both highs and lows. Unlike other options, no single aspect overpowers the others. Additionally, the headphones offer excellent detail, allowing us to differentiate all the instruments in a given song without missing anything.

While some users might assume the sound stage is flat, we believe it provides a good starting point for them to customize the sound profile to their liking. Regarding bass, it’s fortunately not overpowering, and the app includes a Bass Boost option for users seeking a more pronounced bass feel.

ANC Performance

Moving on to ANC, although we would have liked to see different ANC levels depending on the situation, the actual performance exceeded our expectations. The headphones effectively cancel out most noise, and the device includes a specific wind cancellation feature, which tunes the ANC to eliminate wind noises.

Finally, the transparency mode functioned great. Conversations with the headphones on felt natural, without any robotic feel, and we could hear our surroundings.

Are the Sennheiser Accentum worth it?

With a starting price of Rs 11,990, the Sennheiser Accentum headphones offer a compelling choice in the sub-15K segment with a balanced sound, excellent ANC, and impressive battery life. Although the controls may require some adjustment period, if you’re shopping in this price range, they’re worth considering.