STACK #233 March 2024

TECH REVIEW

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seals, but when Adaptive Hybrid ANC is enabled, the level of NC is constantly adjusted and optimised to suit your surroundings, adding further layers to your cone of silence. Adaptive Hybrid ANC gives you the best of both worlds in noise cancelling – Active and Adaptive – using mics on both the inside and outside of the earcup to more effectively cancel

Sennheiser has given its Accentum headphone range an upgrade, bringing premium features to affordable cans with the Accentum Plus. Words Scott Hocking IMMERSIVE SOUND AND NOISES OFF

external sound waves. Adaptive mode can be turned on in the app for auto adjustment, or you can manually swipe to set the desired levels of NC and transparency. The Accentum Plus’s ANC nudges premium grade for a pair of headphones at this price point, and the customisation for different sound The headphones’ control panel is located on the right earcup, and unlike the physical buttons of its predecessor, the Plus boasts touch and tap gestures for volume, play/pause and taking calls – conveniently displayed on a removable sticker. Touch controls can sometimes be tricky to navigate or too sensitive, but not in this case. These are both highly responsive and user friendly; you’ll know your way around them in no time (and can then peel off the aforementioned sticker). Power on/off is still a physical button; press and hold it for three seconds to fire up the cans, and five seconds to enable Bluetooth connection. How do they sound? Housing smaller drivers than their Momentum siblings, the Accentum Plus headphones won’t get as loud, but the soundscape is extremely immersive, clear and dynamic, favouring midrange and pushing vocals to the fore, while the low end has more punch with bass boost enabled. Simply tweak the EQ to find the sweet spot. Who are they for? zones is the icing on top. The magic touch

First impressions Straight out of the case, the Sennheiser Accentum Plus wireless headphones resemble a smaller version of the brand’s excellent Momentum range, scaled down for extra portability. When you first try them on for fit and comfort, you’d be forgiven for thinking the noise cancelling function was already enabled; such is the firm seal of the comfy padded earcups. This passive form of NC reduces external noise to a muffled minimum, but when combined with the Accentum Plus’s Adaptive Hybrid ANC, residual ambient sound is virtually cancelled, and the silence, as they say, is golden! Battery life for days Sennheiser promise up to 50 hours on a full charge with ANC on. We wore the headphones for a week of all-day listening without needing to recharge them – the battery performance is indeed outstanding and the Accentum Plus is a must-have if you’re looking for long-life cans. There is also convenient fast charging support when the level dips into the red – a mere 10-minute top-up will give you five hours of play time until you power back up to full. Smart and convenient control The Sennheiser Smart Control app is where you’ll find customisation for sound and ANC settings, and Active Transparency options

for wind noise reduction when taking calls. You can also customise sound – the gym, park, or café – for auto optimisation of ANC and EQ settings, which deactivate zones for your regular haunts

once you’ve left the selected zone. This highly convenient set-and-forget function eliminates fiddling with settings in the app for a particular environment. The EQ can also be personalised for preferred music genres, plus there’s a bass boost option to add more intensity to the lower end, and a podcast mode for enhanced speech clarity, which we also recommend for radio and audiobooks. Enabling On-head Detection mode will auto pause playback when you take the headphones off; play will resume once they are back on your ears. The best of both worlds in NC We’ve already praised the passive noise cancelling ability of the Accentum Plus’s earcup

If you’re looking for a compact pair of headphones that are ideal for travel and

everyday use, with top notch noise cancelling, an immersive soundscape, and big battery life, the Accentum Plus wireless headphones tick all those boxes.

Specs Bluetooth 5.2 Colours: Black or white Battery life: Up to 50 hours with ANC active

Charging: USB-C fast charging App: Sennheiser Smart Control

60 MARCH 2024

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