Pros:
- Balanced sound output
- Support for aptX HD codecs
- Good ANC, excellent Transparency mode
- Sturdy build, yet lightweight
- Impressive battery backup, support for quick charge
- Dual-pairing support
- Handy companion app
Cons:
- A tad uncomfortable to wear for long
- Lacks wear detection, ingress protection, 3.5 mm Aux connector
- Non-foldable design, no carry pouch
Rating: 4/5
Price: Rs 11,990
The Momentum series of wireless headphones from Sennheiser are probably the most desired from the brand in the general flagship segment. But that is not a pair many have the budget for, just like the Sony WH-1000XM5. To cater to the mainstream crowd, Sony released the WH-CH720N wireless headphones last year which we quite liked. It offered impressive active noise cancellation (ANC) and sound quality for its asking price.
Sennheiser has tried to do something similar with their new Accentum series, with not one, but two models to choose from. Today, we will take a closer look at the more affordable of the two, the Sennheiser Accentum, that takes the Sony WH-CH720N head-on and offers features like support for aptX HD codec that is missing on the Sony. Let’s get to know it better.
Sennheiser Accentum Review: Build, design and comfort (7/10)
The Sennheiser Accentum does look quite a bit like the Momentum 4 with a similar design language. Though largely made of plastic, the build quality and finish are pretty good, and the weight is perfectly fine at 222 grams; in fact quite good, given the presence of ANC circuitry and a high capacity 800 mAh battery. This headphone is available in Black and White colour variants, and we got the former for review which has an even matte finish.
The height adjustment is smooth and Sennheiser doesn’t employ a step-based mechanism for that. The ear-cups are nicely padded but the headband could have done a little better on that front. To bypass this minor hiccup, one can extend the height a bit more and wear it slightly loose. This also helps in achieving a more comfortable fit over the ears in case you have a larger head. The fit is slightly on the tighter side with a bit more clamping force than ideal.
With a little adjustment, the Accentum offers a comfortable fit and your ears or the region around it doesn’t ache when you take the headphones off after an hour or two. The earcups provide a good seal and effective passive noise isolation. But things tend to get sweaty in there a bit too soon. In just 20 to 30 minutes, I could feel my ears get noticeably sweaty, and I had to take these headphones off from time to time, which is not a bad practice anyway. In Sennheiser’s defence, I tested these earphones in hot and humid summer months in Mumbai which could have contributed more to the sweat factor.
Physical buttons for playback control, volume and power/pairing/noise cancellation can be found on the right ear cup along with a USB-C charging port. This headphone lacks touch inputs available on other pricier Sennheiser headphones, but that’s not a deal-breaker as the buttons here are fairly easy to access. The ear-cups can be turned and flattened but not folded. So they take up more space than some foldable headphones when being carried unless you slip them in your bag vertically. You don’t get a carry pouch in the bundle though.
Sennheiser Accentum Review: Key features (8/10)
The codec support on these Bluetooth 5.2 over-the-ear headphones is much better than its Sony counterpart. The Accentum is not only compliant with SBC and AAC codecs but also with aptX, aptX HD and mSBC. Multi-point support is also available and this headphone can be paired with two devices simultaneously, which is always handy. You get hybrid active noise cancellation here along with a transparency mode to let ambient sounds through.
Strangely, there is no option to switch off both to prolong the battery further. Other things missing here are wear detection sensors that pause the audio when you take the headphones off, any form of ingress protection and also a 3.5 mm headphone jack, as a result, you cannot use it as a wired headphone if it runs out of battery. Each ear-cup hosts a 37 mm dynamic driver and there are two microphones for calling and ANC.
These headphones are compatible with the Sennheiser Smart Control app available on Android and iOS. It lets you tweak a handful of settings and utilise these headphones to the fullest. You can set Sound Zones to automatically switch between ANC and transparency depending on geographical locations, update the firmware and also play around with the sound output.
It gives you access to a bunch of sound presets and also provides you with a 5-band equaliser to alter the output and create your personalised sound profiles. The app is functional and easy to use. The wireless range is perfectly fine with the headphones retaining a strong connection at 10 metres with a clear line of sight.
Sennheiser Accentum Review: Performance (8/10)
Let’s get the obvious question out of the way right at the start. Is the sound quality of the Accentum comparable to the Momentum 4? Absolutely not, but neither is the price. You can buy the former for less than half the price of the latter. With that out of the way, I would like to add that for a product priced at 12K, the output is quite impressive and with a distinct Sennheiser DNA. The default sound signature, though not neutral, is nicely balanced.
The bass is tight and yet has ample thump. The mids have a good presence with clear vocals and decent instrument separation. The highs have ample sparkle without being sibilant. The detail in sound is quite good for the segment, but the soundstage isn’t too broad, and as a result, the sound feels a tad centred. A bit more breadth could have made the output more fuller and the instrument separation better.
Having said that, the Accentum output is very pleasant and enjoyable across various genres of music. If you do not like boosted bass, you will like it even better than the Sony CH720N. Those who prefer a bit more warmth in their audio may find the sound slightly bright, and the Sony would be a better fit for them. Another thing in favour of the CH720N is its loudness, as these Sennheiser cans need to be pushed over 80 per cent for normal loudness.
As I mentioned earlier, you get a handful of sound tweaks in the companion app, and you can play around with the options to finetune the output to your taste. However, that drops the loudness further and the volume needs to be pushed over 90 per cent. The Sennheiser Accentum is enjoyable in music and also when watching movies or other content on OTT. The dialogue clarity is crisp, action sequences pack a punch and there was no delay between audio and video either.
The sound output stays consistent irrespective of whether you use ANC or Transparency mode. Speaking of ANC, it is quite effective at cutting out several low-frequency sounds and even certain lower midrange frequencies. The ANC may be a notch lower than that on the Sony CH720N but the Transparency mode is excellent and probably a little better than Sony too. When enabled, it lets ambient sounds through when you need to be aware of your surroundings or have a quick chat with someone with your headphones on; the sounds feel natural.
Sennheiser Accentum Review: Call quality (8/10)
The microphone quality is quite good on these headphones and your voice is transmitted with good clarity to the person on the line even when outdoors. The other person is audible too but I would have preferred the voice to be just a little sharper. The wind noise suppression works well and even the ambient noise is kept in check. So, you can use the Accentum for hands-free calling and don’t need to scurry around to switch to the phone earpiece when receiving a call.
Sennheiser Accentum Review: Battery life (9/10)
Sennheiser claims a battery backup of 50 hours for the Accentum with ANC on, which is an impressive number. What’s even more impressive is it actually gets close. At 3 hours of daily listening, the headphones lasted two full weeks. That translates to over 42 hours of juice on a full charge with aptX HD codec and volume around 80 per cent. As I mentioned earlier, you have to use these with either ANC or Transparency enabled, as those are the only modes available here, which makes that number commendable.
These headphones do take close to 3 hours to charge fully, but for my kind of usage, you may need to charge them only twice a month. If it runs out of juice when in a hurry, a quick 10 minutes of charge can give you close to 5 hours of play time, which is good enough for a day’s usage even if it includes a full-length Scorsese movie. A word of caution, these headphones do not switch off automatically by default when not in use and drain the battery considerably faster. You will need to enable ‘auto power off’ from the app.
Sennheiser Accentum Review: Price and verdict
The Sennheiser Accentum is priced at Rs 11,990 in India with two years warranty. The pricing is competitive and well worth what it offers. You get a fairly comfortable pair of circum-aural wireless headphones with clean and balanced sound output, good codec support, effective ANC and Transparency modes, a useful companion app and excellent battery backup. The only real competition is the Sony WH-CH720N which sells for just under 10K.
The price difference is not the reason to opt for Sony over this; there are more factors to consider. Both headphones have a lot in common except the sound quality. Though different, both sound great for the price. If you prefer a more balanced sound, then Sennheiser is a better choice for you, and if you like a bit more bass then the Sony. While the CH720N comes on top in the ANC department, the Sennheiser has better battery backup and codec support. Choose one depending on the parameters that matter to you more.
