Sennheiser extends its mid-range Accentum series with the introduction of wireless open-earbuds promising freedom of use
Sennheiser Introduces Affordable Open-Design Earbuds: The Accentum Open
Sennheiser has expanded its mid-range Accentum line with the introduction of the Accentum Open, wireless earbuds designed for open-ear comfort and enhanced situational awareness. Priced at £70 / €90 / $130, the Accentum Open offers a competitive price point compared to other popular open-design earbuds on the market.
Key Benefits of Open-Design Earbuds
Open-design earbuds, such as the Sennheiser Accentum Open, Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, Sony LinkBuds Open, and Panasonic RB-F10, offer several distinct advantages over traditional or closed-design earbuds.
- Comfort and Breathability: Open-design earbuds do not seal off the ear canal, providing more breathability and reducing the risk of discomfort and infections during extended use.
- Situational Awareness and Safety: Open earbuds allow ambient sounds to pass through, ensuring users stay aware of their surroundings, which is crucial for outdoor activities.
- Ear Health: Open designs promote better ear hygiene by not blocking the ear canal, thus preventing earwax buildup and reducing the temptation to play music at harmful volume levels.
- Natural and Spacious Sound Experience: Open designs create a more natural, accurate, and spacious audio experience with better instrument separation and spatial awareness.
- Longer Battery Life: Open earbuds generally lack active noise-cancelling circuitry, leading to longer battery life compared to closed, noise-cancelling earbuds.
Differences Compared to Traditional/Closed-Design Earbuds
| Feature | Open-Design Earbuds | Traditional/Closed-Design Earbuds | |----------------------------|----------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------| | Ear Canal Seal | No seal; ear canal remains open | Sealed with silicone/foam tips to block external sound | | Ambient Sound Awareness | High; outside sounds are heard naturally | Low; typically isolate external noise, sometimes with ANC| | Comfort | More breathable, less ear pressure | Can cause pressure or discomfort with extended wear | | Ear Hygiene | Less moisture and bacteria buildup | Higher risk of earwax buildup and infections | | Sound Profile | More natural, spacious, open soundstage | Isolated sound, often bass-heavy and less natural | | Noise Cancelling | Typically no active noise cancellation | Often includes ANC features | | Battery Life | Generally longer due to simpler design | Shorter because of extra processing for ANC | | Safety for Outdoor Use | Safer due to situational awareness | Less safe unless transparency mode is activated |
Additional Features of the Sennheiser Accentum Open
- The Accentum Open earbuds are equipped with dual beamforming microphones for dependable hands-free call quality, filtering out background noise for clearer conversations.
- Each earpiece weighs around 4.4g, making them lightweight and non-intrusive.
- The Accentum Open offers up to 6.5 hours of playback on a single charge, with a total of 28 hours of playback when the charging case is in use.
- Fast-charging abilities allow for up to 1.5 hours of listening time with just 10 minutes of charging from a USB cable.
- The earbuds are available in either a black or cream finish.
- The Accentum Open supports Bluetooth Multipoint connectivity, allowing seamless switching between multiple devices like laptops and smartphones.
Improving Sennheiser's Mid-Range Standing
With the competitive price point and unique features of the Accentum Open, Sennheiser may improve its standing in the mid-range market, which has been less receptive to the Accentum Wireless and Accentum Plus Wireless thus far. The Accentum Open joins the trend of open-design earbuds, starting in 2024 with the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds and Sony LinkBuds Open, and Panasonic's RB-F10 is also joining this trend.
- Alongside the Sennheiser Accentum Open, brands like Bose, Sony, and Panasonic have debuted open-design earbuds.
- The Sennheiser Accentum Open could potentially lead to an increase in Sennheiser's popularity in the mid-range market, given its competitive pricing and unique features.
- The new Sennheiser Accentum Open earbuds offer a natural and spacious sound experience, similar to high-end audio gadgets.
- The Sennheiser Accentum Open, along with other open-design earbuds, delivers improved situational awareness and safety for outdoor activities.
- With up to 28 hours of playback using the charging case, the Sennheiser Accentum Open boasts a longer battery life than many popular high-end smartphones.
- The Sennheiser Accentum Open's dual beamforming microphones improve vocal clarity during hands-free calls, providing better communication for work and social events.
- A variety of factors make open-design earbuds an attractive choice for tech enthusiasts looking for a combination of style, comfort, and audio quality, including smartphones and other audio gadgets.
- The Sennheiser Accentum Open offers an alternative to traditional earbuds, providing a more breathable and comfortable fit for extended wear, making it ideal for streaming events or listening to music reviews.