Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless review: Compact design meets clear sound

For years, Sennheiser has released products under its popular Momentum brand. For 2024, Sennheiser has introduced a new entrant, targeted at the mid-range segment. The Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless earphones feature 7mm TrueResponse drivers, Bluetooth 5.3 multi-point connectivity, Qi wireless charging, active noise cancellation (ANC) with transparency mode and many of the premium features from the Momentum range. Priced at ₹12,990, do the fit and sound live up to the name? Let’s find out.

Design, fit and app controls

Sennheiser teamed up with Swiss company Sonova’s hearing aid division to ensure optimal comfort. On the other hand, Sennheiser has outfitted the Accentum True Wireless earbuds with a plastic earbud and case design. The earbuds lack the luxury and premium feel of their expensive siblings. Surprisingly though, Sennheiser has managed to keep the earbuds and case, in an overall lightweight package. The earbuds are portable and can fit into any pocket easily.

There are four different sizes of silicone ear tips. After fiddling with the earbuds for a few seconds, I was able to find a snug fit. The curved design makes it comfortable to wear and the earbuds didn’t fall out during long walks or workouts. The only trouble I had was getting them in and out. The earbuds aren’t small by any means, and if you have small ears, then you may have a problem with the fit.

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The earphones weigh 5.5g each, with the charging case adding 41g. The earbuds are IP54-rated for dust and splash resistance. On the other hand, the case (which has wireless charging support) has no IP rating.

The Accentum True Wireless earbuds are compatible with the Sennheiser Smart Control app, which works on both Android and iOS smartphones. On the app, you can customise the equaliser (with a five-band EQ) and there’s also a Sound Check feature that generates a custom user profile, provided you log in to the app. ANC is dynamically adjusted and there’s a wind mode as well. The transparency level can be adjusted per your convenience. Further, in the app, you can configure the touch controls, except for the phone call commands. One thing I’d suggest that you immediately do is to disable the single tap gestures. It’s nearly impossible to take out or wear the earbuds without triggering the gestures.

Let’s get to the sound

We’ve come to know Sennheiser as a brand that takes its products with a certain sense of seriousness. The effort they put into crafting these earbuds is clear. The Accentum True Wireless lies at the upper end of midrange earbuds. Though they are not among the best I’ve tried. What you get with the Accentum True Wireless is balanced sound without any overpowering bass.

My main gripe is that the sound signature straight out of the box is middling. When I first put on the earbuds and played a few songs such as D.A.N.C.E. by Justice, R U Mine? by Arctic Monkeys or Too Sweet by Hozier, it seemed like the sound was coming from far away and it was muddled. With a song like Too Sweet, I had to turn up the volume to get the vocals to be heard over the various instruments. Same with Skyfall by Adele.

I immediately turned to the app, turned the equalizer, and selected rock. The sound was much better. The only other thing I’d fault the earbuds for is the lack of separation of instruments. This is only noticeable in instrument-heavy songs or jazz. The soundstage isn’t spacious enough to accommodate all the various sounds. But these earbuds do produce a punchy, lively sound. After some tuning, the Accentum True Wireless sound much cleaner and clearer. They may not be the best bang for the buck, but they will satisfy listeners.

Noise-cancellation surpassed my expectations. Noise-cancelling is always on thanks to Sennheiser’s hybrid system, but it doesn’t always get the job done. Just go to the app, put ANC to the maximum, and then you’ll be very pleased with the silencing of external sounds. The ANC here was on par, and sometimes even better than the Nothing Ear (a) earbuds. The one thing to note is that the earbuds don’t go deep into your ears. That means that some ambient noises will seep through.

Battery life

Sennheiser promises battery life of up to 6 hours with ANC enabled. That’s close to what other true wireless earbuds offer. During my testing, I almost got six hours on a single charge, but couldn’t surpass it. Without ANC, I was able to go up to seven hours. With the charging case, you get up to 28 hours of total playback time. Furthermore, with just a 10-minute charge, you can get 1 hour of playback.

Should you buy them?

The Accentum True Wireless are a little on the pricey side. That’s because earbuds like the Nothing Ear (2) and Oppo Enco X2 are available at a lower price, with equally good, if not better sound. Additionally, the fit may not be for everyone. Once I got used to the earbuds, I found them extremely comfortable, but I can see those who would say the opposite.

The sound signature will appeal to a lot of listeners, once they’ve tuned it to their satisfaction. The Accentum True Wireless earbuds are a good buy but not an automatic recommendation.

Sahil Bhalla is a Delhi-based writer. He posts @IMSahilBhalla

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