The $199.95 Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless noise-cancelling earbuds should appeal if you enjoy a sound signature that combines palpable sub-bass with bright highs. Their active noise cancellation (ANC) performs well against deep low-frequency distractions but can falter somewhat against varied higher-frequency noise. A high-quality companion app lets you take charge of the audio and rounds out the premium experience. Overall, the $229 Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 earbuds remain our Editors' Choice winners since they offer comparable audio and ANC in a more durable, workout-friendly design, but the Sennheiser pair is well worth considering if you want to spend a little less.

Design: Understated Looks

Available in blue, white, or black, the Accentum True Wireless earbuds and case have a semi-matte finish and sport the Sennheiser logo. The in-ear fit is secure and comfortable, thanks to the four included pairs of silicone eartips. Internally, 7mm dynamic drivers deliver a frequency range of 5Hz to 21kHz.

The earbuds support Bluetooth 5.3, the AAC, AptX, LC3, and SBC codecs, and multipoint pairing with two devices. Google Fast Pair isn't an option. That's a fine range of Bluetooth codecs, though I would have liked higher-res options like those of the $149.99 Nothing Ear (LDAC and LHDC 5.0) or the $199.99 Sony LinkBuds S (LDAC).

The touch panels on the outside of each earpiece are easy to operate—audio prompts accompany a successful tap, with pitched beeps making it easy to discern the number of presses. Tap once on the left earbud to toggle the transparency mode or on the right to control playback. Press twice to navigate tracks (left for backward, right for forward). Tap three times on the left side to toggle ANC or on the right to summon your device's voice assistant. Long presses control the volume level (left for down, right for up). Tapping once on either earpiece also answers incoming calls or controls the mute function during them, while tapping twice ends a call or accepts a second incoming one. Finally, hold down the outer panels of each to pair a second device.

An IP54 rating means the earbuds can withstand a good level of dust exposure and splashes of water from any direction. Submerging them is out of the question, but you shouldn't worry about sweaty workouts or light rain. Although most noise-cancelling models have a similar rating, the aforementioned Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 buds are much better for running and other exercise thanks to their top-notch IP68 rating.

The rounded case is quite compact and has a flip-top lid. On the front, a status LED sits to the left of a USB-C port that connects to the included USB-A-to-USB-C charging cable. The case also supports wireless charging.

Sennheiser estimates that the earbuds can last roughly 8 hours per charge and that the case holds an extra 20 hours of battery life with ANC off. If you enable ANC, those numbers drop to 6 and 15 hours, respectively. Your results will vary depending on your typical listening volume level and codec choice. The company says the battery takes 1.5 hours to fully charge from empty and that 10 minutes of charging yields about an hour of playback. The Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 earphones can last up to 8 hours per charge, and their case adds up to 24 hours (both with ANC on), so they have a significant advantage here.

App Experience: Highly Customizable

The Sennheiser Smart Control app (available for Android and iOS) looks clean and is easy to navigate. It shows an image of the earbuds at the top of the main Devices screen, along with battery life readouts for the buds and the case.

Further down is a Connection Management tile for paired devices. The Equalizer tile includes presets (such as Dance, Hip Hop, Movie, and Rock) as well as five adjustable bands between 63Hz and 8kHz that you can use to create a custom sound signature. You can also enable Bass Boost or Podcast modes, though not at the same time. Meanwhile, the Soundcheck tile creates a custom listening profile—this requires you to create an account. Sound Zones is another option that requires an account, but you probably don't need the location-based automation it enables.

Scroll down to reach the Transparency Level and Active Noise Cancellation tiles. For the former, you can choose among low, mid, and high levels, as well as adjust the mode's behavior during calls. You can activate the ANC tile only if the Transparency Tile is off. Here, you have three choices: On, Anti Wind (which reduces any wind noise the ambient mics pick up), and Off.

You can deactivate the Touch Controls tile if you prefer, but it otherwise lets you assign any gesture to nearly any function. Just note that the app locks the call controls.

Head to the Settings menu to download firmware updates, adjust the auto-power-off behavior, toggle audio prompts, enable smart pause (audio stops when you remove an earbud), or turn on Battery Eco mode (preserves long-term battery life). This section also shows the current audio codec, as well as lets you toggle between standard and low-latency playback. The Discover section simply links to other Sennheiser products.

Noise Cancellation: Better Against the Lows

The Accentum True Wireless earbuds delivered above-average noise cancellation in testing. They substantially dialed back powerful low-frequency rumble, for instance, as well as noticeably cut back the lows and mids from a more challenging recording of a busy restaurant. That said, the highs that made it past the circuitry from the second recording almost sounded louder than before. The Wind Noise mode works well to eliminate any wind gusts that hit the ambient mics. Overall, they are mostly on par with the Elite 8 Active Gen 2 here, though the latter sometimes eliminated the lows. Apple's $249 AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) performed more consistently across these tests than either.

The Transparency mode is effective, and I like the option to adjust its level. The High mode noticeably amplifies the outside world, while the Low mode presents surroundings more naturally. All three modes somewhat accentuate higher frequencies.

Sound Quality: Sculpted But Balanced

I tried out the Bass Boost feature and EQ faders during testing, but I restored the default sound signature for my evaluations below.

On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife's "Silent Shout," the earbuds deliver full-bodied, low-frequency response. I don't hear distortion at top volumes, and the bass still sounds robust at moderate levels. Layering on the Bass Boost effect or pumping up the lower EQ bands leads to mixed results: The lows do seem to get more powerful at moderate volumes, but digital signal processing (DSP) kicks in at higher levels to keep everything in check. This happens on all types of tracks but is far more noticeable on those with deep lows.

The earbuds have no trouble reproducing the sub-bass at the 34-second mark of Kendrick Lamar’s "Loyalty." However, unlike some in-ears that try to dial up these sub-bass frequencies, the drivers don't let these notes overpower the mix. Boosting the EQ doesn't affect this progression but can beef up the drum loop and lower the overall track volume. The various vocals come across with excellent high-mid clarity and plenty of space to breathe.

The drums on Bill Callahan's "Drover," a track with far less deep bass, get some extra depth and body, while Callahan's baritone vocals have a pleasant blend of low-mid richness and crisp treble edge. The acoustic strums and higher-register percussive hits sound bright and clear. Overall, the presentation has plenty of definition without going overboard with the sculpting of the highs and lows.

On orchestral tracks, like the opening scene from John Adams's The Gospel According to the Other Mary, the lower-register instrumentation takes a step forward, but the higher-register brass, strings, and vocals retain a bright presence. This isn't exactly a sound signature that purists will enjoy, but it does favor balance and clarity over booming bass.

The voice mic array works decently well. I could understand every word from a test recording on my iPhone, though the signal sounded a bit weaker than that of most competing models. I didn't notice much in the way of tuning, either. For comparison, audio captures sounded less bright, crisp, and close than those from the AirPods Pro.

Verdict: A Sound Midrange Choice

The Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless earbuds deliver balanced, adjustable audio and above-average ANC in a comfortable design, and we like the full-featured app that lets you customize their sound signature and control layout. They're certainly worth buying if they fall within your budget, though top competitors offer a bit more for around the same price. The $229 Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 earbuds perform similarly across the board, last longer per charge, and sport a class-leading IP68 rating, so they earn our Editors' Choice award.