Sennheiser Accentum Vs Momentum 4 Comparison Review

Recently, Sennheiser added the Accentum to their selection of Bluetooth headphones. It comes at a lower price than their Momentum 4 model, which has been their flagship wireless headphone for a while. While the Accentum isn’t setting out to dethrone the Momentum 4 in their catalog, it does bring into question what the advantages are. Does the Momentum 4 offer a drastically different experience from the Accentum?

What You Get

Look & Feel

The Accentum and Momentum 4 both feature similar styles of build. They both come in the same black and white color, while exhibiting mostly the same construction. You get a bit smaller earcups with the Accentum, and the headband doesn’t have the same material. This makes the Accentum look a little cheaper, but the build quality is still pretty similar. Both headphones can be worn for long periods of time, containing the same quality of padding and isolation.

Design & Functionality

The Accentum and Momentum 4 have different drivers, with the Momentum fittingly having the bigger one. This doesn’t result in any distinct difference in loudness though, as both headphones feature very little headroom. If you download Sennheiser’s companion app, then these headphones will have most of the same features, including an in-app EQ, sound zones you can set up, and different levels of ANC. The Momentum 4 has better ANC technology than the Accentum, but both headphones get the job done in terms of blocking out environmental noise.

Bluetooth

Both headphones use the same version of Bluetooth, which offers high bandwidth and range. Connection quality is very stable on the Acentum and Momentum 4, and they offer the same CODECs expect for the Accentum giving you the addition of aptX HD.

Battery Life

It’s hard to beat the Momentum 4’s battery life, especially with a less pricey headphone. However, the Accentum still impresses with 50 hours of playtime. With 10 hours less than the Momentum 4, the amount of charge shouldn’t be too much of a trade off.

Soundstage

It’s hard to top the Momentum 4’s soundstage performance in regards to Bluetooth headphones. Only Sennheiser could try to match its quality for less, and the Accentum mostly accomplishes that. Both headphones are wide for wireless, but the Momentum 4 has a bit more scope when it comes to the stereo field. The left and right channels appear more distinct than on the Accentum, but the Accentum still provides positional needs. You’ll get better depth from the Momentum 4, and it helps the soundstage engulf more of your headspace.

Low End 

These are both very bassy headphones that can be adjusted through EQ. Out of the box, both headphones supply a thick tone that comes down hard. You can enjoy the bass of both headphones without any significant boost and still be satisfied. The Momentum 4 presents its low frequencies a lot more cleanly than the Accentum though, as the Accentum is only able to showcase a surface level of detail in its bass.

Mids

Both the Accentum and Momentum 4 don’t have the most articulate midrange response, but they have their quirks. The Momentum 4 has more musicality to it compared to the Accentum, being able to convey instruments with more room and shape, especially when using EQ. With the Accentum, the midrange recession isn’t too destructive to the sound signature, but it does limit the frequency response to what types of tracks respond best to it.

Highs

When it comes to high frequencies on Bluetooth headphones, you might not want a very prevalent tone. The Momentum 4 has more of a presence to it, displaying height and light sizzle. With the Accentum, the highs are less colorful, but a lot more digestible with their thinner tone and subdued brightness.

Summary

Choosing between the Accentum and Momentum 4 ultimately comes down to how much you want to spend. Parts of the Accentum’s sound can be seen as a bit of a downgrade compared to the Momentum 4, but the difference makes sense. Even with these downgrades, the Accentum is still great for the price, and it’s good that Sennheiser has something to offer to people that can’t quite afford their flagship model.

The Sennheiser Accentum and Momentum 4 are available at Audio46.