Sennheiser Accentum

These earbuds are absolutely worth the investment. I was torn between the Sony LinkBuds and these, especially since Sony is often praised for its top-notch ANC. However, after comparing the two, I found that these Sennheiser earbuds offer more features at the same price. I couldn’t be happier with my choice. They excel in comfort, sound quality, battery life, and noise cancellation—everything that matters to me is perfect. If you’re in the market for a high-quality pair of true wireless earbuds that won’t empty your wallet, I highly recommend these.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine program, I had the chance to try out the Sennheiser Accentum active earbuds. I’ve been using them for four weeks now, and overall, I’m quite satisfied.

Let me start with my general impressions before diving into their primary function: noise cancellation.

🟡 Maximum volume: not excessively loud.
🟢 At maximum volume, the music stays clear. At minimum volume, it retains definition with a slight bass emphasis, but everything is still audible.
🟢 The battery combination (earbuds + case) is fantastic; I often forget to charge them. With one to two hours of daily use, they last for weeks. The earbuds alone last for several hours. There’s an option to set a charging mode that preserves battery longevity, slowing the charge and capping it at 80%.
🟢 The charging case is compact and discreet, featuring a multi-color LED that indicates battery status upon opening.
🟢 Each earbud has a sensor that detects whether it’s in your ear, which helps avoid false touches, but it only works well when the earbud is out. When worn, false touches happen frequently. Additionally, removing one earbud disables some modes—I’m not sure why (see below).

I chose these primarily for their noise cancellation, which Sennheiser terms ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) and includes a “Transparent” mode. There are various selectable modes via the app or by clicking the left earbud.
🟢 “TRANSPARENT”: While playing music, the two built-in microphones (one in each earbud) listen continuously and amplify external sounds. The experience should mimic listening to music from an external source rather than through earbuds. It’s useful for biking or running to be aware of surrounding traffic. Does it work? Fairly well. External sounds are noticeable; in noisy environments, you can hear voices but may struggle to understand them. In quieter settings, it’s clearer. I wish the volume could be adjusted separately, but it can’t.
When the TRANSPARENT mode is OFF, you can use the “ANC” (Active Noise Cancellation) mode.
🟢 “ANC OFF”: Noise cancellation is disabled. It feels like wearing standard in-ear earbuds; external sounds are muffled only because your ear canal is blocked.
🟢 “ANC ON”: External sound cancellation is active. The microphones pick up noise, and the speakers play it back in reverse phase, effectively canceling it out with the music. This works quite well: external sounds aren’t completely eliminated but significantly reduced. For example, if I’m listening to music while someone has the TV on, the volume is about 80% less noticeable compared to the “ANC OFF” mode. It’s not 100%, but it’s a solid result.
🟢 Software: The Android app is excellent—features an equalizer, sound adjustment options, “Low Latency” mode (which seems to offer no real benefits), and more. Very well done.
🟡 “ANTI WIND”: The wind noise cancellation mode is hit or miss. Sometimes it works, then it doesn’t; it feels like the setting toggles itself. Needs improvement.

Now for the drawbacks:
🔴 When using gestures on the earbuds, there’s no beep or voice confirmation for the TRANSPARENT mode ON/OFF, making it hard to know if it’s activated. I find myself snapping my fingers to check, which is frustrating.
🔴 The TRANSPARENT mode deactivates as soon as you remove one earbud. This seems intentional, but why?
🔴 A beep indicates whether ANC is active, but there’s no way to tell if it’s on in “ANTI WIND” or regular mode.
🔴 Price: Even on sale for $179, it feels unjustified. I own a pair of active Baseus earbuds with similar features that cost around $50-60. Technologically, the Sennheisers are superior, but I wouldn’t spend that much.

Amazing earbuds!

I’ve tested numerous earbuds, but none have matched the comfort of these. The silicone tips are soft and ergonomically designed, keeping them securely in place without any discomfort, even after hours of use. They’re ideal for long work sessions! I’m thrilled that Sennheiser has entered this price range. The sound quality, as anticipated from Sennheiser, surpasses any alternatives I’ve tried.

I own around 20 sets of in-ear headphones and several over-ear models, and the Accentum tw have quickly become my favorites. Unlike the Sennheiser flagship Momentum True Wireless 4, they come in a compact, pocket-friendly case, making it easy to carry them everywhere. They fit comfortably in my ears and provide better sound isolation, so my seat neighbor on the train doesn’t have to listen to my music. I love the sound, which benefits from larger drivers that deliver more punch and great spatial quality. You can actually feel the pluck of guitar strings in acoustic tracks, and it feels as if you’re sitting among the musicians, with instruments appearing to come from different directions. In tracks by Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, every detail is audible, including that characteristic “vinyl crackle,” and in Macklemore’s Downtown, the bass is simply fun without overshadowing the rest of the music. I even prefer the sound over the MTW4. The ANC is just average, but the Accentum don’t have any major flaws: battery life is good, and the Bluetooth connection is stable, connecting instantly without any lag—even when using multipoint with my iPhone and Windows laptop. I only experience this level of seamlessness with the Nothing Ear; all other in-ears I’ve tested take longer to connect and switch between devices, sometimes glitching (even the AirPods Pro 2 have connection issues with my iPad when switching back and forth from my iPhone). I’ve yet to encounter any problems here. The controls are customizable, but I find the factory settings work perfectly for me. Especially useful is the feature where activating transparency mode on the left bud pauses the music, allowing for quick awareness of my surroundings (conversations, train announcements, etc.) with just one press. It’s also important for me that I can adjust the volume directly from the earbuds without fumbling for my phone.

The great sound, the more compact case, and above all, the smooth user experience have made the Accentum my current “daily driver.” Subjectively, their sound is better than any other earbuds I’ve tried so far. They fit more securely and comfortably than the MTW4, Sony WF-1000XM5, or stem-style earbuds like the Nothing Ear or OnePlus Buds 2 Pro. The only time I still prefer my AirPods Pro 2 is during very crowded and loud train rides due to their significantly stronger ANC, and for sports, I prefer the Jabra Elite 8 Active because of the physical buttons.

Connecting these earbuds to my devices is a breeze. Once linked, they maintain a steady connection with no disruptions. The touch controls are easy to use and very responsive, making it simple to handle audio playback and calls. The dual-mic technology provides excellent voice clarity during calls, which is crucial for my remote work environment.