Sennheiser has taken the wraps off the £149 ACCENTUM Clip, a cute new pair of open-ear true wireless earbuds designed for people who want to enjoy quality sound, but don’t want to totally shut out the sound of the world around them.
Open-ear earbuds have been a ‘thang’ for a while now – Bose launched its Ultra Open ear earbuds a couple of years ago – but it’s fair to say manufacturers are still struggling to deliver audio quality that can equal that of trad in-ear designs, never mind surpass them. Sennheiser reckons it has cracked that nut, though, with the launch of the Clip (available from late July, in black or cream).
Rather than relying on electronic transparency modes, it uses an open acoustic design that allows ambient sound to remain naturally audible. That means users can stay aware of stuff that’s going on around them while listening to music, podcasts or taking calls.
Inside each earbud there’s a 12mm dynamic driver, tuned, we’re assured, to deliver punchy bass and clear detail without sacrificing comfort over longer listening sessions. Sennheiser also says the earbuds are Hi-Res Audio Wireless certified and support Sony’s LDAC codec for higher bitrate streaming on compatible devices, alongside the more universal SBC and AAC standards.
One distinctive feature is Dynamic EQ, which automatically adjusts tonal balance depending on listening volume. At lower levels, the system compensates to preserve clarity and fullness, while easing back at higher volumes to avoid distortion. A bit like an loudness control on a stereo amp, in other words.
Connectivity also gets a modern upgrade with Bluetooth 6.0 support and Google Fast Pair for quicker setup across supported Android devices.
As expected, there’s plenty of scope for customisation via the Sennheiser Smart Control Plus app. Users can tweak sound using a five-band equaliser, save presets and run guided Sound Check tools to tailor playback to their preferences.
Designed for all-day wear, the ACCENTUM Clip combines its lightweight clip-on fit with IP54-rated dust and splash resistance.
Battery life is rated at up to 36 hours including the charging case, but I’ll let you know exactly how well it actually fares when I test a sample in the near future…
