Sennheiser Accentum Wireless review

Don't expect the Accentum Wireless to steal the spotlight with their unassuming appearance. It's all about understated elegance here, and the Accentum nails it. No flashy design flourishes or outlandish aesthetics, just a pair of headphones that blend into the background like they were born to do so. They might as well be studio headphones for all you can tell at first glance.

Pit the Accentum against its similarly priced rival, the Sony CH720, and the contrast is stark. The Accentum oozes quality from every pore, boasting a construction that feels like it could withstand a battering from Mumbai's rowdiest train commute. The headband, pads, even those dainty swivels holding the cups in place – all exude a sense of solidity that's quintessentially Sennheiser. But here's the rub: while the Accentum shines in durability, it's a bit of a letdown that Sennheiser skimps on the extras, like tossing in a simple carry case. Not even a flimsy cover to shield these beauties from the elements.

When it comes to comfort, the headband and earpads of the Accentum are as plush as an old broken-in armchair, especially considering the price tag. Sennheiser boasts that you can don these cans for a full day's marathon without batting an eyelid, and for the most part, they're not far off the mark. Yet, after a prolonged listening session, your ears might start to feel a tad warm, like they're getting cozy by the fireplace or more realistically the Bombay heat.

The first on the list that we absolutely love is the 50 hour battery life! We don’t need ‘one more’ device to charge and that battery life helps the narrative. It even rivals the more expensive crop of premium headphones such as the Bose QC 45 and the Sony 1000XM5. Sennheiser’s own Momentum 4 offers about 60 hours and that costs upwards of Rs. 25,000. So at this price, a 50 hour battery life is a luxury!

Other features include touch controls, which are standard fare and there’s Bluetooth Multipoint  aboard too. The noise-cancellation is as impressive as some of the industry leaders in the segment and the Accentum features two mics for clearer voice through calls and it works well.

We start with Glass Animals’ Black Mambo and it is clear from the first beat that the Accentum is a master of placement. Each instrument has its individual place in the soundstage and the Accentum does a brilliant job of isolating them and setting a clear sonic presentation. There’s no clutter here that is usually associated with headphones at this price and the level of organization is astounding! No instrument envelopes the other and we couldn’t find any sonic bleeding as well. 

We move on to The Expert by Yello and there’s a level of intricacy here that you find in headphones that are more expensive. The levels of detail also didn’t leave us wanting much  and there’s a solidity to the track that quite fairly we haven’t heard at this price. However, the same track also exposes an issue. The otherwise energetic track full of verve and oomph sounds less dramatic via the Accentums. We constantly find ourselves wishing for that little more rhythmic drive and energy. 

We move on to Bon Iver’s Perth and notice the same sense of an overall colorless approach to the tune. The cacophonous crescendo of the drums and even the horns when they kick in, sound restrained and a bit neutered. Justin Vernon’s vocals don’t tend to pierce through the  marching band drums as they build on in the track, which leaves us frustrated at the missed potential of the Accentums! Unfortunately the approach to music they take is that of a cautious pensioner driving extra carefully rather than a daredevil boy-racer.

The Sennheiser Accentum wireless ticks most of the boxes for a pair of ANCs at this price. They’ve got a great battery life, decent ANC performance and superb build quality. When it comes to the audio, they do a great job of laying out a wide soundstage. The problem however is the overall bland application to the music. So if you’re looking for a bit more rhythmic drive and dynamics, we would recommend you audition others in the segment before taking the final pick.