Rating: 4/5
With over 75 years of experience and a reputation for high-end audio,
Sennheiser
headphones are a go-to choice for audiophiles seeking good sound quality. The company has been revamping and updating its products as per the needs of the next-gen consumer that not only needs a pair of excellent headphones but also provide some “me time” in the fast going life.
The
Sennheiser Accentum Plus
aims to deliver on these demands with its solid experience.
The headphones are priced at Rs 15,990. We reviewed the headphones for a while, here’s a breakdown of how they performed.
DESIGN
The
Sennheiser Accentum
Plus are rather clean yet sleek-looking headphones. There are two minimalistic-looking ear cups with cushioning. We did not have any problems when we used the headphones for longer durations.
The earcups have touch controls and there is an automatic anti-wind mode. The right earcup comes with a sensor that helps in Smart Pause – pause music when the headphones are off and resume when they are on the ears.
The headband is stiff but comfortable, thanks to the cushioning on the band. It fits rather snuggly and is ideal for those who want to go on a run. There is a USB Type-C port for charging and a 3,5mm jack. If you want to save battery, you can use the included 3.5mm cable to listen to music.
The earcups can be stored in a pouch and the earcups need to be swivelled in one one way to fit in the case. While we liked the feel and fit of the earphones, people with larger heads or who prefer to use earphones with their cap or hat on are likely to have a problem.
PERFORMANCE
Sennheiser headsets are, at large, tied-up with audiophiles. We have seen video editors and even some DJs as well as music producers opting for Sennheiser headphones. Our expectations from the earphones were high, and the headphones delivered.
They come with angled transducers (37mm diameter) to create a wider soundstage for an immersive listening experience. The lightweight design and comfortable ear cups ensured extended wearability.
The music output met our expectations, delivering an excellent listening experience. Every note resonated with clarity and depth, reproducing the intended sound of the recordings. From punk rock to psychedelic trance, from downtempo to sunset chillstep, from synthwave to EDM, the headphones handled all genres well.
The headphones delivered a balanced soundstage catered to a wider range of music genres. For example, while listening to Green Day, we didn’t feel that the guitar and drums were overpowering the vocals.
Similarly, when listening to Nada’s Rajamati, which included various Indian instruments, several low notes accentuated by natural sounds of water flowing and bamboo music in the background, the sound was reproduced perfectly, essentially taking us at the centre of the music setting.
We found that in downtempo songs like Ajna, in which there is a constant bass guitar playing in the background, the lows and mids were separated enough for us to enjoy the different guitar music. Despite a lot of music, including a drum, four guitars and vocals, we didn’t find any overlapping sound.
Coming to the Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), the Sennheiser Accentum Plus are among the top performing headphones when it comes to blocking out ambient noise for a more immersive listening experience. Even when we didn’t listen to songs, the ANC worked effectively in a busy newsroom. (more in app section)
Not only was the audio output satisfactory, the calling performance was up to the mark. The earphones quickly switched between our MacBook (on which we were listening to songs) to Pixel 8 Pro (which we used to take calls during our work).
APP AND BATTERY
The Sennheiser Accentum Plus can be connected to the Sennheiser app. While the out-of-the-box sound of the headphones is great, users can customise the output even more with sound modes or via the built-in 5 Band equaliser.
The best thing we liked is the ability to control the level of Adaptive Hybrid ANC. One can either adjust it manually to allow a certain level of noise to seep in or enable the adaptive feature that enables the headphones to adjust dynamically to changing noise levels according to the environments.
Sennheiser Accentum Plus are claimed to offer a battery life of 50 hours with ANC on. We found the company’s claims to be fairly true during our use. We charged the earphones once a week. We preferred listening to music on high volumes and with ANC on at all times.
The company also claims that a 10-minute charge offers 5 hours of playtime. Even if you don’t have charge in the earphones, you can quickly plug in the included wire for audio connection or battery-saving listening. All this can be carried in a case that protects the headphones during travel.
VERDICT
The Sennheiser Accentum Plus offers a good balance of features and performance for its price range. It's a solid choice for users seeking decent noise cancellation, good sound quality, and long battery life. However, some may find the price to be on the higher side. While affordable compared to high-end models, some competitors may offer similar features at a slightly lower price point. Furthermore, the touch response could have been a bit more intuitive.
English (US) ·