Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus Wireless / Apple AirPods Max (Lightning, 2020)

Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus Wireless: ACCENTUM Plus Wireless around-ear wireless headphones; black (700176) and white (700177). The cheaper ACCENTUM Wireless and the higher-end MOMENTUM 4 are separate models.

Apple AirPods Max (Lightning, 2020): AirPods Max 1, the first version with a Lightning charging port (2020); Silver, Space Grey, Sky Blue, Pink and Green. The 2024 USB‑C version and AirPods Max 2 are separate models.

SpecificationSennheiser ACCENTUM Plus WirelessApple AirPods Max (Lightning, 2020)
Release year20242020
TypeHeadband, around-the-ear (circum-aural) wireless headphones; fold flat

Sennheiser promises a light, ergonomic fit with a soft silicone inner headband and cushioned earcups; folded flat it measures about 16.5 × 19.5 × 4.8 cm.

Sennheiser
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Driver37 mm dynamic; 10 Hz–22 kHz; 106 dB SPL; THD below 0.3%

Sennheiser says the driver is mounted at an angle. Impedance is 560 ohms in active mode and 95 ohms in passive (wired, powered off) mode.

Sennheiser
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Noise cancellingHybrid adaptive ANC; Transparency mode; automatic anti-wind mode

Hybrid ANC measures noise with microphones both outside and inside the earcup; the adaptive version changes the cancellation strength automatically with ambient noise. Transparency mode lets outside sound in with a touch.

Sennheiser
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Bluetooth and codecsBluetooth 5.2, class 1; SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive; A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP

aptX Adaptive is a Qualcomm codec that adjusts bitrate to link quality on compatible devices.

Sennheiser
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Battery800 mAh lithium-ion; up to 50 hours with ANC on; full charge about 3.5 hours; 5 hours from 10 minutes

Sennheiser measured the 50 hours with an iPhone at medium volume; charging is via USB-C at 5 V, up to 700 mA.

Sennheiser
Up to 20 hours of listening with Active Noise Cancellation or Transparency on; up to 20 hours of movies with Spatial Audio on; 5 minutes of charge gives about 1.5 hours of listening

Apple’s figures come from pre-production tests with an iPhone 12 Pro Max in November 2020.

Apple
Controls and sensorsTouchpad on the right earcup; dedicated pairing button; Smart Pause when removed

Tap plays or pauses, sliding up and down sets volume, and swiping sideways skips tracks or answers calls.

Sennheiser
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MicrophonesTwo MEMS microphones with beamforming for noise reduction; 50 Hz–8 kHz SennheiserNine microphones in total: eight for noise cancellation; three for voice pickup (two shared with noise cancellation) Apple
AppSennheiser Smart Control (iOS and Android); 5-band equaliser, presets, Sound Personalization

Sound Personalization adjusts the sound to the user with a listening test developed with the Fraunhofer Institute.

Sennheiser
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In the boxHeadphones, USB-C charging cable, carry case, auxiliary (3.5 mm) audio cable, quick guide Sennheiser—
Weight227 g Sennheiser—
Audio technology—Apple-designed dynamic driver; Active Noise Cancellation; Transparency mode; Personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking; Adaptive EQ

A Personalised Spatial Audio profile is created with an iPhone that has a TrueDepth camera; the feature needs compatible content and apps.

Apple
Chip—Apple H1 headphone chip in each ear cup Apple
Sensors—Optical, position and case-detect sensors plus an accelerometer in each cup; gyroscope in the left cup

The position and optical sensors detect when the headphones are put on or taken off to pause and resume playback.

Apple
Controls—Digital Crown (volume, play/pause, calls, track skip, Siri) and noise control button

Turning the Digital Crown changes the volume; the noise control button switches between Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode.

Apple
Charging and case—Charging via Lightning; the battery enters an ultra-low-power state in the Smart Case

The box contains the headphones, the Smart Case and a Lightning to USB‑C cable. There is no separate power button; the Smart Case handles power saving.

Apple
Connectivity—Bluetooth 5.0 Apple
Size and weight—187.3 × 168.6 × 83.4 mm; 384.8 g with cushions; Smart Case 134.5 g Apple
Compatibility—Apple devices running the latest iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, macOS or tvOS

They work as Bluetooth headphones with Apple devices on older software and with non-Apple devices, but functionality is limited.

Apple