The new ACCENTUM TW ANC wireless earbuds offer premium Sennheiser sound at a sensible price.
Recently I reviewed the latest version of Sennheiser’s flagship Momentum 4 TW earbuds. Although they sounded great, the price could put them out of reach of some consumers. Now Sennheiser has announced the ACCENTUM true wireless earbuds with many of the MOMENTUM features but at a more affordable price point.
Although the ACCENTUM feel more plastic than the MOMENTUM earbuds, the feel and fit of these new earbuds are superb. The compact charging case opens to reveal the beautifully sculpted earpieces which ship with ear tips in four different sizes to suit all ear canal types.
At the heart of the ACCENTUM True Wireless earbuds is Sennheiser’s proprietary 7mm dynamic True Response Transducers. These single-unit drivers cover the entire frequency range and deliver a meaty bass, forward midrange and a civilized treble that adds focus to the soundstage with plenty of volume on offer.
The ultra-low distortion drivers used in the ACCENTUM True Wireless are manufactured at Sennheiser’s Tullamore factory, in Ireland. This is the same place where Sennheiser makes driver units for the flagship MOMENTUM range and the company’s line-up of audiophile headphones.
The ACCENTUM TW earbuds have a comfortable shape that makes them easy to wear for hours at a time.
The reason why these earbuds feel so good in the wearer’s ear is partly due to the influence of Sennheiser’s licensee, Sonova AG. The Swiss company is a leading manufacturer of hearing aids and has used all its knowledge to design a pair of earbuds that can be worn for extended periods without feeling uncomfortable.
Thousands of ear models were analyzed before the ACCENTUM design team reached the optimal balance between stability, comfort and style. The result is a shape with an innovative contour that suits a wide range of ears. In recognition of its new ergonomic design, the ACCENTUM TW earbuds received a prestigious Red Dot Design award.
Like the MOMENTUM TW, these new earbuds also offer Hybrid Active Noise Cancelation which is always on and constantly adapts to the level of noise that’s going on. Microphones built into each earpiece continuously monitor external sounds and then subtract that noise from the audio feed. The result is a big reduction in the impact of continuous low-frequency sounds like road noise, the hum of HVAC units or the drone of aircraft engines.
In addition to ANC, the ACCENTUM also have a transparency mode that enables the wearer to select how much sound from the outside world they want to hear. This is ideal for being aware of dangers like traffic or for being alert to travel announcements. The amount of transparency can be set using the excellent Sennheiser Smart Control app for iOS and Android devices. The app also provides a five-band graphic equalizer for shaping the sound to suit the listener’s preference. Touch controls on the earbuds can also be customized to suit the wearer.
Alongside the microphones for ANC, each earpiece also contains beamforming microphones that are used to pick up the wearer’s voice for making phone calls, taking part in video conferences or simply issuing commands to voice assistants like Siri or Google. The quality of the microphones is excellent and I think I’d be happy to use them for phone calls when out and about.
The charging case of the ACCENTUM TW earbuds is wonderfully compact.
The ACCENTUM True Wireless connect to smartphones or computers via the latest Bluetooth 5.3 wireless technology. The earbuds are ready for the new Bluetooth LE Audio standard that’s being rolled out, plus there’s support for Auracast, the new technology that can broadcast audio to multiple devices. Auracast will be rolled out on devices like TVs and even notice boards so that in a place like a sports bar or airport, many people can tune into the Auracast signal and hear the audio from a TV or noticeboard.
In addition to the latest version of Bluetooth, the ACCENTUM support SBC and AAC codecs as well as aptX and LC3 for high-res audio reproduction. Even with the high-quality codecs, the ACCENTUM have a quoted battery life of up to eight hours, depending on volume level. There are also another two full charges in the ACCENTUM storage case taking the total potential playtime to 28 hours before the case needs recharging.
When it comes to charging, there is a choice of a USB Type C cable or a Qi-wireless compatible charging mat. The USB charging port supports quick charging and a swift burst charge of just 10 minutes would deliver an hour of playtime, handy if you forgot the charge your earbuds and are just about to go out for a run.
The Sennheiser ACCENTUM TW are available in both Black and White colorways.
The sound of the ACCENTUM TW is wonderfully well rounded with a clear treble, a forward projected midrange and a bass that doesn’t crush or swamp the mid frequencies. The dynamic 7mm True Responds transducers used in these earbuds is an engineering marvel and produces a well-rounded sound with very low levels of distortion. And with Bluetooth LE Audio compatibility, these earbuds are future-proofed for when LE rolls out on new smartphones soon.
While the price isn't bargain basement, for the technology on offer with the Sennheiser ACCENTUM TW ... [+]
Verdict: In some ways, I think I almost prefer the new Sennheiser ACCENTUM True Wireless over the more expensive MOMENTUM 4 TW. The compact size of the case is small enough to pop in a pocket and the shape of the earpieces is so comfortable to wear, even for long listening sessions. The ANC works well and the Sennheiser Smart Control app is a classy piece of software that adds extra flexibility to the ACCENTUM TW. If you want an affordable pair of true wireless ANC earbuds, the ACCENTUM TW are hard to beat thanks to their superb 7mm True Response drivers which I suspect are the same or very close to the ones used in the MOMENTUM 4 TW. Highly Recommended.
Pricing & Availability: Sennheiser ACCENTUM True Wireless is available for pre-order starting today and will officially launch on May 21st. The earbuds are available in black or white colorways from select retailers and sennheiser-hearing.com priced at $199.95 / £169.99 / €199.99.
More info: sennheiser-hearing.com
Tech Specs:
- Drivers: Dynamic 7mm True Response.
- ANC: Hybrid adaptive.
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3 (Classic and LE Audio)
- Supported profiles: A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, TMAP, PBP
- Audio codecs: SBC, AAC, aptX, LC3
- Frequency range: 5Hz – 21kHz.
- Speaker sensitivity: 107dB SPL (1kHz / 1mW).
- Speaker THD: <0,08% (1kHz / 94dB).
- Mic principle: MEMS.
- Mic frequency range: 100Hz – 10kHz.
- Mic pick-up pattern: 2 mics per earbud, beamforming for noise reduction.
- Transparency mode: Yes.
- Battery life: 8 hours (earbuds) 20 hours (case) 28 hours (total).
- Charging: USB C and Wireless.
- Burst charge: 10 minutes = 1 hour.
- Environment rating: IP54 (splash resistant).
- Weight: 52g (case and earbuds) 5.5g (each earbud).
