4 min readNew DelhiMar 9, 2024 09:55 AM IST
First published on: Mar 9, 2024 at 09:55 AM IST
A few weeks back, I reviewed the impressive Sennheiser Accentum Plus, which we thought was a “good mid-range headphone” that took care of most audio needs for present day users. Now, the German audio brand has launched the Sennheiser Accentum, which is making top-end audio even more accessible for users.
When it comes to look and feel the two devices are more or less the same. But the major difference is with the controls — there are no touch controls in the Accentum and you will have to manage with the buttons under the right ear cup. Also, there is no carrying case with this one like the Accentum Plus had. For cutting these corners, Sennheiser is also charging a much lesser price tag of Rs 11,990.
There are no touch controls in the Accentum. (Nandagopal Rajan / Express photo)
So is the sound profile the same or have corners been cut here too?
To start with the noise cancellation is pretty decent and good enough to negate most of the repetitive sounds in your environment from buzzing ACs to construction work in the neighborhood. In transparency mode you become more aware of the surrounding, but without getting the sense that everything has suddenly become too loud.
The audio profile of the Accentum was what I was more curious about, given that following up on the Accentum Plus would be a hard act to follow. As the haunting Poomani Maalika from Bramayugam came to life inside the plus earphones, Christo Xavier’s silken voice filled the space as the soft edakka took the backstage. The experience was very natural and the sort of audio texture that relaxes you, even though I had switched on bass boost.
Stepping to the other side if the spectrum with Olivier Latry’s version of Bach’s Cantana, in Dolby Atmos, I got the sense the Accentum was holding back a bit and not really opening up, even though the audio profile was rich and full. I tried adjusting the volume and the headphones told me I had maxed out there, so had I on the iPhone controls. Now, this was clearly a level down from what the Plus would offer. But that was not such a big dampener for me as my playlists are mostly songs that are not loud in their disposition.
The Smart Control app lets you select the equaliser setting of your choice if the presets don’t work for you. Here there is also a podcast setting which overrides the equaliser and gives the kind of clarity that makes you feel you were sitting with your favourite podcaster. You can also set up sound zones where the settings change on their own. All good features to have at this price points.
The noise cancellation is pretty decent and good enough to negate most of the repetitive sounds in your environment. (Nandagopal Rajan / Express photo)
Being a Sennheiser, the Accentum is good at handling calls and both sides hear each other with a lot of clarity. Also, the battery life is a stupendous 50 hours on a full charge which means you can go the US and come back without reaching out for the charging cable.
At Rs 11,990 is among the most affordable Sennheisers you can buy, certainly in the wireless range. And despite this lower price point, the Accentum offers some top-end features likes active noise cancellation and equaliser while cutting down on some that could be deemed as luxury. However, it has also muted the audio output a bit to justify the difference between the Accentum and the Accentum Plus. The Sennheiser Accentum is still a great buy for those looking for top-end audio, but on a tight budget and not in search or loud music.
Sennheiser Accentum review: Top-end specs on a budget, but is there a catch? (Nandagopal Rajan / Express photo) 
There are no touch controls in the Accentum. (Nandagopal Rajan / Express photo)
The noise cancellation is pretty decent and good enough to negate most of the repetitive sounds in your environment. (Nandagopal Rajan / Express photo)
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