Sennheiser Accentum Headphones vs Sennheiser Accentum Plus Headphones – Do you really need to spend extra to get the best?

After launching two headphones in February, Sennheiser has launched their third pair of headphones in India, the Sennheiser Accentum Headphones. They are an addition to their consumer-grade headphones lineup, joining in the HD BT headphones, the Momentum headphones, and their closest sibling, the Accentum Plus headphones. I had reviewed the Sennheiser Accentum Plus headphones in February, so, when these headphones, bearing an uncanny resemblance to their Plus sibling came into the Digit Test Centre, I decided to pit them against each other to find out how the Sennheiser Accentum is different from the Plus variant, and does it offer better value for your money at ₹14,990. Let’s find out if the Sennheiser Accentum Headphones are the value kings or if the crown stays with the Sennheiser Accentum Plus Headphones –

Sennheiser Accentum Headphones vs Sennheiser Accentum Plus Headphones: Build and Design

From the time you open the box, you will notice that Sennheiser has stuck to a similar design with the Accentum Headphones as they did with the Accentum Plus, which draws a lot from its more expensive cousin, the Momentum 4 headphones. The only noticeable differences in the design are on the earcups, the buttons and the branding on the headband. The earcups have a small groove running around the circumference on the Plus and the Sennheiser logo on the Accentum Plus has a metallic finish to it. The Accentum headphones have ore buttons on the side, stepping in for the touch controls which we found on the Accentum Plus. The fit is equally great as the Accentum Plus and the cushioning on the headband and the earcups also matches up the high standards set by the Accentum Plus in the sub ₹20,000 range.

The materials used in the construction of both the headphones are identical and sturdy. The Sennheiser Accentum Headphones managed to pass our signature creak test, where we put the headphones through a very thorough stress test to see if the materials make any sound or not, with flying colours. Coming to the last thing that you will notice when you get your hands on the Accentum Headphones, is that there is no carrying case in the box. Sennheiser has reserved that for the Accentum Plus. Now, keep in mind the ₹5,000 price difference between the headphones. You are still getting a lot of value with the Accentum headphones when compared to the Accentum Plus, in my opinion.

In this part, there is a clear winner for me. It is the Accentum headphones. They sport a design that screams class, a finish that matches up to the best headphones in the price range, and a fit that will suit most people out there. The markup that you will pay for the Accentum Plus, does pull it down a bit, in this section. But, there are three more sections left. 

Sennheiser Accentum Headphones vs Sennheiser Accentum Plus Headphones: Features

This section is where the Accentum Plus not only make up all the lost ground, but also zoom past the Accentum Headphones. The Accentum Plus comes with host of features which are missing on the Accentum Headphones. First, is the on-ear play and pause. For people who work in offices and are around people, on and off ear detection is something that is a boon. And, when I did not see that on the Accentum Headphones, I was disappointed. Next, is the ANC. I will talk about the ANC performance in the next section. Here, what we will be focussing on is the type of ANC that is baked in.

The Sennheiser Accentum Plus headphones sport Hybrid Adaptive ANC, which is capable of dynamically altering the ANC levels on your headphones based on the surroundings. And, it works like a charm. In my time of use, I did not have to bear max ANC levels throughout the day. With the Accentum headphones, you do not get Adaptive ANC. While it is a nice to have, I would not say it is a deal breaker. However, for people looking to spend a bit extra on their headphones, I would say go for it!

You also get sound personalisation on the Accentum Plus, which is missing on the Accentum headphones. Again, something that is not a deal breaker for many, but a very nice thing to have on your headphones if you are someone who always has had an analytical ear when listening to music. Both the Adaptive ANC and the sound personalisation on these headphones can be controlled from the Sennheiser Smart Control App which is supported on the Accentum headphones, but with limited functionality. Now, there are a lot more subtle differences between the two headphones, but if you are someone who is looking for a pair of headphones under 20K, and want the creature comforts that come with the Accentum Plus, then you will not be disappointed with your investment. 

Now, the main part, performance.

Sennheiser Accentum Headphones vs Sennheiser Accentum Plus Headphones: Performance

Let’s start off with the sound signature of the Sennheiser Accentum Plus and Sennheiser Accentum Headphones. As you can see in the graph, the sound signatures of both the headphones are fairly similar. In the low treble region, we see a slight disparity between the sound reproduction of the two headphones. And, beyond that, there is a slight difference in the way the headphones handle highs. Now, this is noticeable in day-to-day use as well. The Sennheiser Accentum Headphones have a brighter sound overall than the Accentum Plus. But, you will have a pay keen attention to the sibilants in your tracks, and the difference will be noticeable especially when you are listening to genres like metal or rock. Other than that, the sound is fairly neutral on both the headphones, and the subtle boosts in the lows and the highs give it a nice well-rounded character, which I loved in my day-to-day use. And, if you do not like the sound, you have the EQ settings that you can tweak in the app. While there, you can also pick the CODECs, which include – SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, mSBC, and CVSD.

The staging of the sound is also great, with the details in the positioning of the different elements of the track around your head being clear as daylight when you are listening to them. The vocals are intimate if they have been mastered in the central channel, and if you are listening to, or consuming content that has been mastered to have a sense of grandeur to it, these headphones will not let you down.

As for the ANC, you get the same performance as the Sennheiser Accnetum Plus headphones. Thus, I would like to quote my review of those headphones to describe the ANC on these headphones – “the Sennheiser Accentum Plus Wireless Headphones perform great in closed and controlled environments. However, when exposed to challenging conditions, they struggle a bit.” Same is the case with mic, which also performed similar to that on the Accentum Plus.

The battery life on both the headphones is also excellent. Both of them clock in at 50 hours of claimed time. During my tests, the Accentum pipped the Accentum Plus by a slight margin, coming in at 47 hours of playback time, with ANC on and volume set to 50 per cent, which is around 75 db SPL, compared to that of 45 hours and 15 minutes to be precise.

Who wins here? Well, with their lower price tag, the Sennheiser Accentum take the lead in this department.

Should you buy the Sennheiser Accentum or the Accentum Plus?

Well, it depends. If you are looking for a pair of headphones that sound great, have a solid set of features around the ₹10K to ₹12K price range, then the Accentum Headphones are a no-brainer. They are hands down one of the best headphones you can get in this price range. If you manage to save a bit more, and are looking for the creature comforts that come in with flagship headphones, then you will not be disappointed with what you are getting with the Accentum Plus headphones. The extra money is definitely worth it!