The Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus Wireless are a mid-tier set of active noise cancelling (ANC) headphones with extensive connection compatibility. As their name suggests, they're the step up in the range from the Sennheiser ACCENTUM Wireless with a handful of upgrades to connectivity and controls in a similar form factor. The Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus can pair with your phone, PC, PlayStation, and, if you've been bitten by the nostalgia bug, a portable cassette tape player. Bolstered by Sennheiser's companion app, they're fully featured with listening mode controls, EQ, and aptX Adaptive Bluetooth codecs. Let's see how they measure up.
The Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus are good for neutral listening. Out of the box, their sound profile favors a bass-heavy sound with a neutral midrange and a cool treble. However, the companion app features plenty of sound customization tools, like a hearing test, to adjust their tuning and EQ. Their extensive connectivity means you can easily move between an analog headphone amp, your phone, and a PC. On the other hand, because they're closed-back headphones, their passive soundstage isn't immersive, and they exhibit frequency response inconsistency, meaning they sometimes sound different between each use.
The Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus are decent for commutes and traveling. Their long battery life will last you through many trips before needing a recharge, and their controls make switching listening modes and playback commands easy. The included case can store all of the accessories, but neither the case nor the headphones are necessarily small. Their ANC helps make your noisy environment more tolerable, although the noise cancellation performance isn't class-leading. They're also not as amply padded as they could be, which can lead to discomfort during very long flights. Depending on how loud the volume is, the escaping audio can disturb passengers sitting beside you.
The Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus are decent for sports and fitness use. Like most over-ear headphones, they're not very portable, but their case makes them easier to stow them away in a gym bag. You can comprehensively control audio playback via the headphones without feeling around for buttons too much or pulling out your phone. Their ANC helps with focusing at the gym by minimizing distractions. However, they lack waterproofing (which is expected of over-ears), and their stability makes them suitable for upright movements like dumbbell arm curls, but they'll come off if you attempt burpees.
The Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus are satisfactory for office use. Their long battery life can last through a work week without necessarily needing a recharge (depending on usage). They have multi-device pairing and can connect via USB, Bluetooth, and analog, offering you several ways to connect and move between devices. The headband could use more padding, and they're decently comfortable with firm cushioning. Their ANC helps to isolate you from the noise of your workplace, but it's not the most effective, so some of your environment will still reach your ears. Meanwhile, if you play your music loudly or sit in close proximity to coworkers, you may bother them with the audio leaking.
The Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus are not suitable for wireless gaming. They only connect wirelessly via Bluetooth codecs, and latency will be too high with most games unless your phone or PC is compatible with the aptX Adaptive (Low Latency) codec. Even so, their latency still isn't low enough to recommend them as wireless gaming headphones.
The Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus are decent for wired gaming. You can connect via the analog or the USB cable, which offers versatility. However, the mic only works when you use the USB connection. When connected over USB, you can control volume and noise cancelling, but their padding isn't the most comfortable to wear for extended sessions. Their sound supplies ample low-end emphasis for greater immersion during tense gameplay, while their mids and treble convey voices intelligibly. That said, they don't create an open and expansive feeling soundstage, and they have slight latency, which isn't an issue in all games, but it could be annoying during speed runs.
The Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus are decent for phone calls. The mic system's captured audio sounds thinner than your natural speaking voice. They have an adjustable sidetone and comprehensive call controls that are directly accessible on the headphones. While the mic system reduces environmental noise, it remains present in the background. That said, their ANC helps to isolate you from your environment so that you can hear the person on the line better.
The Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus are available in two colors: 'Black' and 'White'. Our unit is the 'White' variant; you can see the label for our unit here. If you find any other variants, please let us know in the forums.
The Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus represent an incremental improvement over the standard Sennheiser ACCENTUM Wireless headphones. Added to the feature set are a longer battery life, the aptX Adaptive Bluetooth codec, analog connectivity, a touchpad, and a case. On the whole, they follow a similar recipe, and unless you really miss one of those features, you shouldn't need to upgrade. Compared to the flagship, Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless, their connectivity and noise cancelling performance are similar, although the MOMENTUM 4's ANC is slightly better coupled with a greater continuous battery life. However, the ACCENTUM Plus have lower latency even on high-quality settings (but that can vary between devices).
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The Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus Wireless represent a small upgrade over the standard Sennheiser ACCENTUM Wireless headphones, and given a choice, are better. Their basic form, default sound, and app are nearly identical in execution. You gain a touchpad on the right ear cup housing, a greater battery life, a carry case, aptX Adaptive, and analog connectivity on the ACCENTUM Plus Wireless. aptX Adaptive can allow you to experience better synchronization for audio and video if your device supports the Bluetooth codec. The standard ACCENTUM Wireless use buttons for controls, which some folks may prefer, and they cancel noise very similarly to the Plus model. While they lack analog connectivity, they still support USB audio and aptX HD codec for high-quality audio.
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless have a premium build and feel slightly more comfortable than the Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus Wireless. The MOMENTUM 4 Wireless use touch controls on both ear cups and have a bit better, but very similar, ANC performance. Their default sound is bass-heavy with neutral mids and a slightly more accurate top-end. While the ACCENTUM Plus Wireless has a slightly brighter treble, finessing their app's EQ for either pair of headphones can make them sound more alike. The ACCENTUM Plus Wireless can connect via aptX Adaptive to prioritize audio quality or reduce latency. Their mic sounds a bit worse but handles environmental noise better. You also only get touch controls on the right ear cup instead of on both ear cups, and their build quality isn't as premium.
Between the Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless and Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus Wireless, the Sony have much better noise cancelling and isolation performance. Out of the two, only the Sony support virtual surround sound. Their cushioning is softer and more isolating, and their fit delivers a more consistent sound. The headphones' default sound is boomier in the bass and slightly muddier in the mid-range, with a more accurate treble response. You can EQ their sound in the app. They use touch controls on both ear cups, plus they have a speak-to-chat function. Unlike the Sennheiser, they don't support USB audio, and they lack an ANC mode for windy conditions. The Sennheiser's battery lasts roughly twice as long as the Sony's. The Sennheiser cans sound bass-heavy with a more accurate mid-range and a less detailed treble response. Similarly, you can EQ them in the app. Their noise cancelling is not as effective (except with wind), and they deliver less consistent sound between wears. Only the right side has touch controls.
The Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless have a few advantages over the Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus Wireless, although it depends on your specific priorities as to which is ultimately better for your needs. The Bose are more comfortable and sound more consistent between wears. Their noise isolation is better, particularly when reducing mid and low-pitched noise, like ambient din and engine rumblings. The default sound is bright and piercing unless you use the basic EQ in-app. They also only let you listen with ANC or transparency modes on. The Sennheiser's battery life is more than twice as long-lasting. They have more connectivity options with aptX Adaptive codecs, which can allow for lower latency playback and higher resolution Bluetooth audio, plus they support USB audio. Their app offers a bit more utility with EQ and assignable touch controls. However, the Sennheisers are less portable, don't fold down, and won't filter out as much noise.
The Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus outwardly look quite a lot like the previous Sennheiser ACCENTUM Wireless, with slightly different-shaped ear pads. At a glance, it's very difficult to differentiate one from the other. The sleek, closed-back over-ears come in two color variants, 'Black' and 'White'. The 'Black' version is monochromatic, while the 'White' variant uses taupe-colored accents for the padding. Branding includes the manufacturer's logo on either side of the headband.
The headphones feel decently comfortable. They feature a wide range of motion for swiveling the ear cups on a horizontal and vertical plane to allow them to fit over a variety of different head shapes and sizes. The faux leather is soft to the touch, but the padding feels firm and not squishy. Their clamping force is secure and not overly tight, although getting a comfortable seal is harder with glasses. While the inside of the headband is covered in soft faux leather, it can catch on your hair. Additionally, the padding is concentrated only in the center (where it rests on your crown), so every other point of contact along the headband is basically with unpadded leatherette-covered plastic. Unfortunately, this spartan padding on the narrow headband doesn't extend all the way down the headphones, which can make the headphones less comfortable for folks with larger heads.
The Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus have impressive controls. Their scheme combines a touchpad with a single multi-function button. If you're left-handed or experience limited hand mobility, the downside is that, unlike the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless, these only have a touchpad on the right earcup's housing. Otherwise, the large space on the flat of the earcup makes entering commands pretty easy to execute. The headphones chime to indicate volume is minimized or set to max, listening modes, low battery, and for each step of powering on through pairing. These may take some memorization, but it's fairly comprehensive.
Multi-function button:
Touchpad:
The Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus are passably portable. They don't feature articulating arms that fold down any smaller, although the ear cups can lay flat. Because these are over-ears, they're not small, but at least you can use their case.
Their case is good. It has a zipper and a stiff shape with a fabric exterior. The interior has a soft lining, and you can fit all of the accessories; take a look inside. However, it's a bit of a tight fit to get the headphones in, and there's no additional padding to protect from bumps. Nevertheless, the case represents an upgrade over the previous Sennheiser ACCENTUM Wireless, which don't include a case at all.
Their build quality is good. Their plastic build is virtually the same as the previous generation from the ACCENTUM line. The plastic and faux leather build is reasonably sturdy, with rotating hinges that aren't too loose. While the narrow headband keeps the size and weight down, it doesn't use notched incremental adjustments, and over prolonged use, it can get looser. Like the previous generation, the wiring that runs through the inside of the headband to each ear cup is a potential point of trouble, as the plastic can wear down the outer casing of the wire (as pictured here). Although we didn't experience issues with the cabling, this is more of a long-term concern.
The Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus are bassy-sounding with a neutral leaning voicing by default. Their low-end supplies strong thump and rumble without cluttering the high-bass range's transition into the midrange. As a result, EDM and hip-hop gain added bass emphasis, while lead instruments like synths and guitars sound accurate and not muddy, though they might seem somewhat buried by the low-end's relative volume in busy tracks. Vocals come across as concise and intelligible, although their details are dulled due to a dip in the treble. Fortunately, you can also adjust the frequency response's tuning in the companion app.
Compared to the previous Sennheiser ACCENTUM Wireless, they sound very similar. That said, it's worth noting that audio delivery from both headphones can differ per use based on fit, positioning, and seal.
Their frequency response consistency is okay. If you have thick hair or glasses, the headphones will likely sound different between wears and other wearers. This is because they break the headphones' seal. Getting predictable audio delivery demands you pay attention when placing the headphones and positioning them with each use.
Their bass accuracy is great. While the low-bass is exaggerated to add extra thump, most of the mid and high bass levels off to give a weighty boom without bloat. This gives the kick drum and bassline in tracks like September Again by Nation of Language rumble and body.
Their mid accuracy is remarkable. Without any substantial deviations, throughout the midrange instruments and vocals come through sounding natural and even. However, they can compete in busy mixes with the elevated bass response.
Their treble accuracy is decent. Carrying on from the neutral midrange, the low-treble continues to keep vocals present. However, they sound uneven due to the prominent dip midway through the low-treble. This dip dulls and pushes the harmonic details of vocals and cymbals down in the mix. Another mid-treble peak brightens the tuning, adding airiness and sparkle to the top end.
The Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus have good peaks and dips performance, and they control their sound profile well overall with a couple of deviations. Peaks in the low-bass add rumble to kick drums and sub-bass synths, while dips alleviate bloat and muddiness in the bass and transition into the mid-range, which are fairly even. A series of small peaks in the high-mid into the low-treble push vocals and solo instruments up in the mix, making them a bit more harsh. A significant dip in the low-treble into the mid-treble darkens harmonics and detail in vocals and cymbals. A sharp peak follows, resulting in uneven-sounding cymbals that lack detail but sound very bright and piercing, depending on the frequency.
Their imaging performance is very good. The manufacturer usually has strong quality control and ergonomics based on previous testing, and the same applies to our unit. Their phase response means you get a stable stereo image, and group delay results translate to tight bass and accurate reproduction of your audio content. Our unit deviates somewhat with amplitude mismatch and frequency response, although it's difficult to notice with real-world content. The slight amplitude mismatch pushes the stereo image of high-mids slightly more to the right side, but you'd have to focus to notice it. With that said, imaging varies from unit to unit, and these results are valid only for our unit.
These headphones have a poor passive soundstage. This is expected and normal for closed-back headphones which don't interact meaningfully with your environment the way that open-back headphones do. As a result, the soundstage isn't immersive, and your audio sounds like it's coming from inside of your head, and not outside of you or in the room. That said, this soundstage also feels rather wide because of how the sound interacts with your outer ear.
The Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus have good weighted harmonic distortion performance. The mids exhibit a range of very low to higher harmonic distortion, but they come across as clean and pure. Higher harmonic distortion peaks are present in the bass and low-treble into mid-treble ranges, which aren't noticeable with normal content. However, you may notice it if you significantly turn up one of those frequencies in the EQ.
These are the settings used to test these headphones. Our results are only valid when used in this configuration.
The Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus have good full-range noise isolation. Their adaptive noise cancelling performance is very similar to the previous generation and compares favorably to the premium, Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless, as well. While they struggle to comprehensively reduce the lowest-pitched noise of deep underground rumbles at construction sites, their ANC filters bus and plane engine noise to make trips more tolerable. They're better at dealing with ambient street traffic din and nearby chit-chat. Meanwhile, shrieking brakes on a subway and dish clatter are tackled well by their passive isolation.
While these headphones performed better in our full range test, they didn't do as well in our common scenarios test, which features more irregular sounds. This can indicate that the ANC needs time to adapt to noise and does a better job when exposed to more consistent sound. With common scenarios they do a middling job of isolating you from background noise. They perform better with street and office noise than with airplane cabin din, which can still have some of the lows reach your ears.
They have a wind noise reduction mode, which mitigates the noisy effect of air hitting the external microphones. Here's a comparison of the wind reduction mode and max noise cancelling modes. This feature is useful on a blustery day, but it can possibly impact the overall noise reduction performance if you leave it on when you're not in windy conditions.
Their leakage performance is satisfactory. It's spread pretty consistently across the frequency spectrum, resulting in a somewhat full-bodied version of your audio entering the space. In particular, lead instruments, vocals, and higher-pitched percussion are audible to those around you in a moderately quiet space, if you max out the volume. However, this also depends on how loud you set your volume.
The Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus microphone sounds passable. These use beam-forming microphones integrated into the headphones, which aren't fully compatible with our testing rig. This is largely due to the fact they use software to capture and filter speech and noise. With that said, our results sound like what we subjectively experienced, which is a thin but intelligible version of your speech.
The mic's noise handling is satisfactory, and with constant background noise, captured speech remains intelligible and audible. However, you can still hear the noise in the background. In environments with sudden and loud noise, the mic can't perfectly filter out the sound, and it obscures your voice, making it harder to hear, but it doesn't completely overwhelm your speech either.
The Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus have fantastic battery performance. They're advertised to last 50 hours with ANC on, with 10 minutes of fast charging yielding about five hours of playback. In testing, they reached 56 hours with ANC on, although battery life depends on variables such as volume and listening modes, so your mileage can vary. They also have an auto-off timer to help preserve the battery life. You can use them passively via their analog cable if the battery drains.
The headphones' companion app, Sennheiser Smart Control, is excellent, but to get the most out of it you'll need to make a free account. You have access to sound personalization features like a customized sound profile based on your hearing, an equalizer, EQ presets, and codec selection. Sound Zones require permission to track your location to automatically change your settings, such as ANC and EQ, depending on where you are. So you can have specific settings for at-home use and seamlessly head outside with your pre-selected settings automatically changing when you leave. You can access nuanced control over your listening modes, such as wind mode in ANC and transparency mode. For phone calls there's a sidetone you can adjust as well. Take a look at the app here.
You can listen on the Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus either over the included USB-A to USB-C cable or using the analog TRS headphone cable. There's slight latency using either cable; it's fine if you're casually streaming video as you'll experience minimal lip sync error, but it could be more of an annoyance if you're working on something that's delay-sensitive. The analog cable connects to the headphones using a smaller 1/16" (2.5mm) port, and it terminates in a standard 1/8" (3.5mm) TRS to fit most headphone outputs.
The Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus have very good Bluetooth connectivity. You can connect to two devices using the multi-device pairing function. One upgrade over the previous Sennheiser ACCENTUM Wireless is that these support aptX Adaptive, which adjusts the quality based on your selected priorities and connection strength. Through the app, you can select aptX Adaptive (High Quality) for higher-resolution audio playback.
You can also choose aptX Adaptive (Low Latency), which prioritizes synchronizing audio with video content. You might still experience a little bit of lag over aptX Adaptive (Low Latency), but it's drastically better than with their other Bluetooth codecs. This depends on the device you're paired with, as not all devices are compatible with the aptX suite. However, the included AAC and SBC codecs work well for audio with most devices, but they don't adapt or have low latency. That said, some apps and devices compensate for latency, so your results may vary.
You can connect the headphones to a PC in three ways: using the USB cable or over Bluetooth for full audio and mic support, or via the analog cable for audio support only.
These headphones can connect to your PlayStation either using the analog cable for audio only or using the USB connection for audio and mic support.
The Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus are compatible with Xbox consoles via their analog connection, but you can only receive audio. If you want to talk with friends in-game, you'll need a separate outboard microphone.