Headphones

Hot on the heels of Sennheiser’s more affordable Accentum (HFC 511, £160) comes the new Accentum Plus. Rather than being a replacement, the Plus sits between the affordable Accentum (which gets a price cut to £150) and top-of-the-range Momentum 4.

The extra £50 gets you a decent zip-up carrying case, which was conspicuously lacking from the original Accentum. The design doesn’t appear to have changed, though, as both models use the same 37mm dynamic drivers, with a frequency response of 10Hz-22kHz. The right earpiece now provides a touch-sensitive panel so you can tap or swipe to control music playback or switch to voice calls. The right earpiece still houses a USB-C connector for charging and/or a wired input for digital audio and a 3.5mm connector for analogue audio (both cables are bundled). The wireless side of things has also been updated, with the addition of aptX Adaptive. And the Accentum Plus adds a second processor to handle both Bluetooth and active noise-cancellation (ANC). It’s rather odd that it won’t allow you to turn ANC off completely, letting you switch between it being on and a ‘transparent’ mode that lets some background noise through. Even so, the Accentum Plus provides a decent 50-hour battery.

Sound quality
You’re getting more than just a carrying case for that extra money, as the second audio processor in the Accentum Plus makes a significant difference to both sound quality and the effectiveness of the noise-cancellation features. The Plus seems a little more powerful than its predecessor, and I’m slightly taken aback by the abrupt burst of horns that introduces Last Days by Max Richter. It’s a well-balanced sound, though, lending a sharp martial tone to the trumpets while also capturing the deep, ominous march of the trombones. The swirling strings of the BBC Philharmonic come across crisp and clear, and the Accentum Plus keeps pace as the strings build to a dramatic climax that sounds like a head-on collision between two separate orchestras. It also handles the sudden change of pace as the strings fall away, immediately focusing on the forlorn solo oboe that sounds as though it’s the last man standing amidst the chaos of war.

This seems as good a moment as any to test noise cancelling, and I’m impressed as the Accentum Plus clamps down very effectively on the low-frequency rumble of an aircraft engine. It also seems a little more effective than the entry-level Accentum when dealing with the more varied sounds of airport background noise, although some sound does still leak through, and more expensive rivals such as Bose and Sony still have the edge here.

That balanced sound also works well on Dry Your Eyes by The Streets. The Accentum Plus lends a tender, wistful sound to the opening strings, but then catches the sharp stab on the snare that drives the song forward and it does a good job capturing the conflicted combination of anger and sadness in Mike Skinner’s urban ballad. It shows a light touch on the gently strummed acoustic guitar, and while Skinner is no Freddie Mercury, the Accentum Plus highlights the breathy emphasis that shows his pain as he concludes: “you’ve got to walk away now”.

Conclusion
While it’s ultimately a tricky choice picking between the Accentum and Accentum Plus – especially for Apple users who won’t be able to get the best from aptX Adaptive – the improved noise cancelling and decent battery life make the Accentum Plus a very attractive option if you need a good headphone for long journeys at a competitive price. CJ    

DETAILS
Product:Sennheiser Accentum Plus
Type: Bluetooth noise-cancelling headphone

FEATURES
● 37mm dynamic drivers
● 6922 Bluetooth 5.2; SBC; AAC; aptX Adaptive
● Battery: 50 hours