It’s a sign of how wild the market for true wireless in-ear headphones has become, that even a brand with nothing to prove has everything to do with it every time launches a new product.
Sennheiser is just the latest manufacturer to realize that there’s no break available when it comes to true wireless earbuds. Their new Accentum True Wireless reach a sector of the market where “pretty good” is not good enough. And it doesn’t matter who you are, what your reputation is, or how long you’ve been a player. The question is always, “What have you done for me lately?”
And at first glance, Sennheiser doesn’t seem to have done itself any favors with the Accentum True Wireless. They are certainly usefully compact; The charging case that the earbuds travel in measures just 1.1 x 1.9 x 2.0 inches and weighs 40 grams, with each earbud weighing just 5.4 grams. But the plastic that each component is made of feels hard and slippery, and is by no means premium. The fact that the build and finish quality is typically Sennheiser, which is another way of saying beyond reproach, doesn’t help the Accentum True Wireless look or feel even remotely luxurious.
Surprisingly, considering the above, these have managed to win a Red Dot design award. Perhaps this is because the shape of the headphones is carefully ergonomic? While the “pickup” section seems unpromising, the security of fit is reassuring and long-term comfort is virtually guaranteed. Four pairs of silicone eartips of different sizes in the package do no harm in this regard either.
Photography: Amazonas
Clear control
Sennheiser also brings back a bit of that “premium” aura with a look at the spec sheet. Battery life of up to 28 hours (eight with headphones) with active noise cancellation disabled isn’t bad at all, and support for Qi-certified wireless charging pads isn’t anything to sneeze at either. A full charge takes 90 minutes, while a 10-minute pit stop should be enough for over an hour of playback.
Wireless connectivity is via Bluetooth 5.3 and, in addition to the usual SBC and AAC codecs, there is also LC3 and aptX support. It would have been nice to see support for one of Qualcomm’s even more advanced codecs, but at least Bluetooth LE and Auracast are coming in an imminent firmware update (sort of). Sound, once integrated, is provided by a pair of 7mm versions of Sennheiser’s TrueResponse dynamic drivers; The frequency response is claimed to be 5 Hz to 21 kHz.
One area where Sennheiser can always be confident in its leading status is control, and the Accentum True Wireless is no exception. Admirably understated, the Smart Control app (free for iOS and Android) is a paradigm of stability, logic and general good sense, putting it a notch or two above any number of nominal competitors.