Upgrades that aren’t value the additional price

Lower than 4 months after debuting its mid-range Accentum headphones, Sennheiser revealed one other model at CES that is still extra inexpensive than its flagship Momentum set. Dubbed the Accentum Plus, this more-expensive mannequin swaps the bodily buttons for contact controls whereas providing revised lively noise cancellation (ANC), wear-detection and different conveniences the primary model didn’t. The entire additions come at a worth, although, because the Plus ($230) prices $50 greater than the common Accentum. For a set of headphones that principally appears to be like the identical, are inside updates sufficient to justify a much bigger funding?

Design

It’s tough to inform the Accentum Plus and Accentum aside at first look. That lack of bodily controls on the older mannequin is what primarily distinguishes the 2. The Plus model nonetheless has one button which manages energy, pairing and voice assistants, however all the audio and name controls are touch-based and positioned on the surface of the correct ear cup. They work effectively, from faucets for playback to swipes for quantity, however relying in your preferences, ditching the bodily controls for contact could also be a flip off. The opposite distinction is that the Plus has a 3.5mm aux jack together with a USB-C connection whereas the primary Accentum solely has the latter.

Sennheiser

Regardless of adjustments to ANC and some new options, the Accentum Plus isn’t a major improve over the common Accentum that debuted final 12 months.

Execs

• Higher-than-expected battery life
• Trademark Sennheiser sound at louder volumes
• Multipoint Bluetooth
• Put on detection

Cons

• Low-cost-looking design
• Adaptive ANC isn’t an enormous distinction
• Sound suffers at decrease volumes

$224 at Amazon

An almost an identical design means Sennheiser didn’t handle my key criticism of the primary Accentum. The headphones stay nearly fully made out of plastic, which provides them an inexpensive feel and appear. Plus, it doesn’t encourage numerous confidence within the construct high quality for a set of $230 headphones. The corporate launched its new design type on the Momentum 4 in 2022, which it continued with the general look on the Accentum line. However, the most recent Momentums are a bit extra polished than these two more moderen fashions.

Software program and options

For probably the most half, the Sennheiser Good Management App provides the identical options for the Accentum Plus because it does for the Accentum. Nearly all the things you’d want is on the primary display, with battery proportion on the prime. Beneath that sit connection administration for multipoint Bluetooth and My Sound audio customization. There, you possibly can alter a five-band EQ, choose a prebuilt sound preset or make your personal. The corporate additionally provides Sound Personalization that calibrates the audio primarily based in your responses to a couple samples within the app.

Sennheiser’s Sound Zones are right here as effectively, supplying you with the power to configure particular audio settings primarily based in your location. You’ll be able to create as much as 20 of those for locations like residence, work, fitness center and extra. After all, you must give the app permission to trace your location, which could possibly be a nonstarter for some customers.

The final merchandise on the primary interface of the app is ANC management. Right here, you possibly can disable the automated “adaptive” adjustment to the Accentum Plus’ noise cancellation and depart “common” noise cancellation on. There’s a slider to mix of ANC and transparency as you see match. You’ll be able to cycle between ANC and transparency mode with a double faucet on the correct ear cup, however that motion doesn’t let you activate any most well-liked blends. As a substitute, it solely activates full ANC or full transparency.

Sound high quality

Sennheiser’s flagship earbuds and headphones have persistently provided the perfect sound high quality amongst all the merchandise I’ve examined. The corporate has a knack for a well-tuned audio profile that is dynamic, however not overbearing, and that gives loads of wonderful element due to wonderful readability throughout the EQ. That trademark crispness returns on the Accentum Plus, nevertheless it’s at its finest at round 65-75 p.c quantity. Knock that stage right down to round 50 p.c and sound high quality begins to undergo.

There’s a nice ethereal, atmospheric high quality to tracks on Fever Ray’s Radical Romantics on the Accentum Plus, enveloping you the best way the sound on costlier headphones would. Nonetheless, while you lower the quantity to about 50 p.c, bass begins to overpower among the particulars and the audio profile begins to muddy. The readability that makes Sennheiser’s headphones so good is gone at this level, which is a bummer for these of us who do not at all times need louder listening.

Whereas there’s ample bass that’s offset by crisp highs all through most genres, extra chaotic types like steel is usually a blended bag. Boomy bass remains to be there on Texas In July’s With out Cause and Higher Lovers’ God Made Me An Animal, however finer particulars in guitars and drum textures begin to get misplaced. The general efficiency is a bit flat with all the devices coming throughout compressed in comparison with different units. Swap over to one thing extra mellow like Charles Wesley Godwin’s Dwell From Echo Mountain and it’s such as you placed on completely different headphones. It feels far more such as you’re within the room the place this was recorded.

ANC efficiency

Sennheiser says the Accentum Plus has hybrid adaptive ANC the place the Accentum simply has hybrid ANC. Which means that the Plus mannequin adjusts to adjustments in environmental noise whereas the common mannequin has only one stage of blocking means. Throughout my checks, I struggled to inform an enormous distinction between the 2, even when switching shortly from one set to the opposite. The general ANC efficiency is stable in most circumstances, nevertheless it’s removed from what you’d get on the perfect that Bose, Sony and even Sennheiser have to supply. And because the Plus model is costlier, I anticipated an apparent enchancment.

Name high quality

Like most over-ear headphones, the Accentum Plus is simply wonderful for calls. The audio high quality isn’t pristine, nevertheless it’s definitely satisfactory for many makes use of. That features work calls, though I’d recommend one thing with a greater mic should you’re truly main the presentation. Total, the voice high quality comes throughout compressed and a bit tinny. It’s not the worst, nevertheless it’s additionally most likely not what you need when the way you sound actually issues. You’ll be able to select to have the headphones routinely swap to transparency mode while you take a name. Nonetheless, the Accentum Plus doesn’t pipe in your voice, so the general audio isn’t as pure as more-expensive choices just like the AirPods Max.

Battery life

The Plus’ battery life stays unchanged from the common Accentum at 50 hours. That’s undoubtedly not a nasty factor. In actual fact, I exceeded that determine throughout my checks, notching 57 hours of use with ANC enabled. This included a mixture of listening and calls, and throughout the latter I switched to transparency mode as a substitute of noise cancellation. There have been additionally a couple of days in between classes the place the headphones sat unused. If you do end up out of juice, you will get 5 hours of listening time after plugging in for less than 10 minutes.

The competitors

On condition that the upgrades on the Plus are marginal, it’s onerous to suggest them over the cheaper Accentum. Each carry Sennheiser’s crisp, clear sound that performs effectively more often than not. The ANC enhancements aren’t sufficient to justify spending extra and the one factor chances are you’ll actually profit from is computerized pausing that wear-detection brings. The corporate’s Momentum 4 would undoubtedly be an improve over both Accentum, however that prices round $300. Plus, Sennheiser’s flagship headphones nonetheless have its newer, more-boring design – albeit with a couple of refinements.

Should you’re available in the market for inexpensive noise-canceling headphones that don’t minimize too many corners, think about the Sony’s WH-CH720N. Presently obtainable for $105, this price range possibility received’t win any design awards because it’s additionally all-plastic, nevertheless it’s extra snug and has nice audio for the worth. Noise cancellation is simply okay, although Adaptive Sound Management permits you to automate audio settings primarily based on exercise or location and there’s assist for Sony’s 360 Actuality Audio.

Wrap-up

Sennheiser’s try to enhance on its preliminary mid-range Accentum providing is a blended bag. For all of its updates, the Accentum Plus isn’t the large enchancment you’d count on with its larger worth. Certain, the sound is nice at instances and the ANC will get the job completed, however the perfect factor about this Plus model is the better-than-expected battery life. Nonetheless, you will get that very same play time on the common Accentum for $50 much less. Some small design refinements and a more-obvious step up when it comes to audio high quality and ANC efficiency would’ve made a bigger influence. However, because it stands, the Accentum Plus is not a major improve over final 12 months’s mannequin.