I've been a fan of Sennheiser for a long time, starting decades ago when I bought one of my first audiophile-grade headphones. I loved their high-quality sound and appreciated the engineering that went into a well-made pair of headphones. Since then, however, that relationship has seen its share of ups and downs.
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One instance involved a less-than-stellar pair of earbuds that offered tinny, hollow sound, too-delicate wires, and lack of substance. But that didn't sour my opinion of the company because every time they hit a home run, it is so far out of the park that the ball is forever lost.
View at AmazonSuch is the case with theAccentum True Wireless earbuds . When I opened the package and flipped the lid on the clamshell case, my first impression was that they looked sleek, but there wasn't really anything that stood out design-wise.
Then, I connected them to my Pixel 8 Pro and launched "Analog Kid" by Rush, my go-to tune when I test earbuds, earphones, and speakers. It took me eight measures to realize Sennheiser had done it again. These earbuds are just fantastic.
More on that in a bit. First, the specs:
I compare every pair of earbuds I test to the Denon PerL Pro, which is still the best-sounding pair I've heard to date, and sells for around$350. Given that the Accentum buds cost roughly$150 less, it was a safe bet they wouldn't stand up to the PerL Pro.
They did.
I'm not going to say they beat the PerL Pro on every level, but this was as close as any I've tested. The Accentum earbuds offer deep, rich sound with a soundstage to best any earbud at this price point.
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Usually, with similarly priced earbuds, I have to install the companion app on my phone to adjust the EQ to get them to achieve a sound profile that accommodates my taste. With the Accentum buds, the default sound was fantastic. They reproduced just the right mixture of lows, mids, and highs to create a state of aural bliss. And no matter what piece of music I threw at these earbuds, they didn't blink and produced smooth and beautiful noise for my ears to enjoy.
I can't praise the sound produced by these earbuds enough. But that wasn't the only thing to catch my attention. If there's one area where the Accentum earbuds outrank the Denon PerL Pro, it's comfort.
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The Accentum earbuds fit perfectly, and can be worn for extended periods of time without issue. Because of how the Denon earbuds fit, they can put slight pressure on the back of the ear after an hour or two, so I only wear them when I know I'm having a short listening session. On the other hand, the Accentum buds have a natural and relaxed fit, and they feel as comfortable when you take them out as they did when you first put them in.
As far as the noise canceling is concerned, I didn't bother testing the transparency mode because the ANC on these earbuds is fantastic. As soon as the music started playing, all sounds were drowned out and it was just me and the tunes. This ANC beats every pair of earbuds I've tested to date (even the Pixel Buds Pro).
If you're choosy about how your earbuds' sound and are looking for an unrivaled fit, theSennheiser Accentum earbuds are the way to go. At a price considerably lower than other earbuds with this high-quality sound, you cannot beat these.
Yes, you can certainly find earbuds that sound a bit better than the Accentum buds, but you'll likely be paying at least$100 more for them. If that's not in your budget, you won't be sacrificing much with the Accentum earbuds, and there's no denying these are the most comfortable earbuds out there.
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The Accentum buds' only drawback is their battery life. Eight hours is on par with other premium earbuds, but I'd like to squeeze out a little more juice. Still, I'll take an entire day's worth of battery life in exchange for great sound, high-performing noise-canceling tech, and all-day comfort.