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Updated April 11, 2024·
If you value portability and ease of use with Apple devices, plus don't mind lower noise isolation, the Apple Airpods (3rd generation) would suit you. They're also great for exercise, being sweatproof. However, for the best sound quality, especially for gaming or enjoying music with better noise isolation and active noise cancelling, the Sennheiser Accentum Plus is likely a better choice, although they are heavier and less portable. The Sennheisers also have a longer battery life and support high-quality audio codecs like AptX Adaptive, which could be an advantage if you're an audiophile. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple Airpods (3rd generation)
The Apple Airpods (3rd generation) has no clear advantages over the Sennheiser Accentum Plus.
Advantages of the Sennheiser Accentum Plus
Excellent for phone calls
Excellent for gaming
Very good for TV and video
Very good for exercise
Excellent for air travel
Excellent for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Gaming
5.4/10
9.1/10
The Sennheiser Accentum Plus is excellent for gaming, while the Apple Airpods (3rd generation) is poor.
Phone Calls
7.6/10
9.2/10
The Sennheiser Accentum Plus is excellent for phone calls, while the Apple Airpods (3rd generation) is good.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.6/10
9.3/10
The Sennheiser Accentum Plus is excellent for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Apple Airpods (3rd generation) is very good.
TV and Video
5.5/10
8.8/10
The Sennheiser Accentum Plus is very good for TV and video, while the Apple Airpods (3rd generation) is poor.
Noise Reduction
2.5/10
8.3/10
The Sennheiser Accentum Plus is very good for noise reduction, while the Apple Airpods (3rd generation) is poor.
Battery
6.0 Hours
50.0 Hours
The Apple Airpods (3rd generation) has 6 hours of battery life. The Sennheiser Accentum Plus has 50 hours of battery life.
Cost
$179
$230
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
The Apple Airpods (3rd generation) has a price of $179 and the Sennheiser Accentum Plus costs $230.
The Sennheiser Accentum Plus and Apple Airpods (3rd generation) are both good for music.
Build Quality
9.0/10
8.9/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple Airpods (3rd generation) to have excellent build quality, while the Sennheiser Accentum Plus has very good build quality.
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How the Apple Airpods (3rd generation) and the Sennheiser Accentum Plus compare to other earbuds and headphones
"The Apple AirPods improves upon the 2019 model with its more ergonomic, yet unsealed, fit, water-resistant build, MagSafe charging case, and advanced software features. You can enjoy a wholly immersive movie experience with the new AirPods' spatial audio with head tracking, and enjoy HD audio during FaceTime calls. Of course, most of these features are limited to Apple hardware."
Get a great deal on the Apple Airpods (3rd generation) or the Sennheiser Accentum Plus
About Apple
Apple Inc. is an American technology company, founded in 1976, known for its wide range of premium products, including smartphones, computers, and audio solutions. Apple offers the very popular personal audio line AirPods, highly regarded for their wireless, smart capabilities and their seamless integration with the iPhone, iPad and Mac devices. They provide a high-quality sound, comfort and lifestyle features perfect for all users invested in their ecosystem.
About Sennheiser
A family-owned company, Sennheiser is a German, high fidelity, audio equipment manufacturer founded in 1945. Their consumer audio division is now owned by the Swiss hearing aid and cochlear implant manufacturer Sonova. Sennheiser offers a wide variety of, very high quality, audio equipment solutions, from headphones to earbuds, full sets of monitoring speakers, amplifiers and microphones. They also make what is widely regarded as the best, and most expensive, headphones in existence, the HE-1 Orpheus, costing a whopping $59,000 dollars.
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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec earbuds & headphones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest earbuds or headphones information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Earbuds and Headphones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Luis Torres
Earbuds and Headphones Expert
Luis is a Mexico-based headphones expert. He’s been making headphone recommendations for five years and has close to 100 pairs in his personal collection.