Apple AirPods 4 (Active Noise Cancellation) / Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus Wireless

Apple AirPods 4 (Active Noise Cancellation): AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation; USB-C case with speaker and wireless charging. The AirPods 4 without ANC and the AirPods Pro models are separate.

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.

SpecificationApple AirPods 4 (Active Noise Cancellation)Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus Wireless
Release year20242024
ChipApple H2 headphone chip Apple—
Noise controlActive Noise Cancellation, Transparency mode, Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness

Without ear tips the ear canal is not sealed like with silicone-tip earbuds, so ANC mainly reduces low-frequency rumble. Adaptive Audio blends ANC and Transparency based on surrounding sound.

Apple		—
AudioCustom high-excursion Apple driver; high dynamic range amplifier; Personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking; Adaptive EQ; vent system for pressure equalisation Apple—
Microphones and sensorsDual beamforming microphones and inward-facing microphone; Voice Isolation; optical in-ear sensor; motion- and speech-detecting accelerometers; force sensor

The force sensor lets you press the stem to control playback, calls and listening modes.

Apple		—
Battery lifeEarbuds: 4 hours with ANC on, 5 hours with noise control off; with case: 20 hours with ANC on, 30 hours off; 5 minutes in the case ≈ 1 hour of listening Apple—
Charging caseCharges via USB-C, an Apple Watch charger or a Qi-certified charger; speaker for Find My

No USB-C cable is included. The speaker helps locate a lost case by sound.

Apple		—
DurabilityIP54 dust, sweat and water resistance

Not intended for water sports; resistance can decrease over time.

Apple		—
ConnectivityBluetooth 5.3

Works as standard Bluetooth earbuds with non-Apple devices; features such as automatic switching, Spatial Audio and Adaptive Audio need current Apple software.

Apple		—
Size and weightEarbud 30.2 × 18.3 × 18.1 mm, 4.3 g; case 46.2 × 50.1 × 21.2 mm, 34.7 g Apple—
Type—Headband, 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
Driver—37 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
Noise cancelling—Hybrid 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
Bluetooth and codecs—Bluetooth 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
Battery—800 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
Controls and sensors—Touchpad 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
Microphones—Two MEMS microphones with beamforming for noise reduction; 50 Hz–8 kHz Sennheiser
App—Sennheiser 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
In the box—Headphones, USB-C charging cable, carry case, auxiliary (3.5 mm) audio cable, quick guide Sennheiser
Weight—227 g Sennheiser