Short answer: the Sennheiser ACCENTUM, though neither ranks well in its class. It ranks #181 of 216 over-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 2.9/5, at $99.95; the Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X ranks #192, rated 2.6/5, and costs $118.90, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh. Both are rated below 3.0/5 among the 216 over-ear headphones, and the HIFIMAN HE400se, ranked #18 at $109, is a better place to start if sound quality matters.
What the Sennheiser ACCENTUM does well: Active noise cancelling, a long 50 hour battery, aptX HD support and a wired option make it a practical everyday headphone at 0.5 lbs (222 g). The tradeoff: A 7 dB dip near 4.3 kHz and a presence band about 2.4 dB low push vocals back and soften detail.
What the Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X does well: The open-back design gives a spacious, airy presentation, and the 48 ohm impedance with 100 dB sensitivity works directly from a phone or laptop. Watch for: Treble from 6 to 10 kHz is about 9 dB below target and a 16 dB dip near 7.2 kHz removes cymbal and sibilance detail, so the sound is dark and veiled.
Buy the Sennheiser ACCENTUM. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X and costs less, so only choose the other one for a particular feature it does better.
Want more options? Browse the full Headphones rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Sennheiser ACCENTUM | Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $99.95 | $118.90 |
| Ranked | #181 of 216 in Over-Ear Headphones | #192 of 216 in Over-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | Over-ear | Over-ear |
| Harman Preference Score | 56 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) | 50 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.78 dB standard deviation | 3.75 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -1.51 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -1.10 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+5.0 dB at 30 Hz) | Falls 6 dB below target at 56 Hz (-10.3 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wireless and wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Dynamic | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 37mm dynamic | 1 x 53mm dynamic |
| Sensitivity | 106 dB SPL (1 kHz / 0 dBFS) | 100 dB/mW |
| Weight | 0.5 lbs (222 g) | 0.5 lbs (235 g) |
| Frequency Response | 10Hz - 22kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 5Hz - 25kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | - |
| Battery Life | 50 hours (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 | - |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD | - |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | - |
| IP Rating | None | - |
| Back | Closed | Open |
| Impedance | - | 48 ohms |
Related Headphone Comparisons
How Sennheiser ACCENTUM compares with other leading options:
- Sennheiser HD 280 Pro vs Sennheiser ACCENTUM
- Anker Soundcore Space One vs Sennheiser ACCENTUM
- Razer BlackShark V2 Pro vs Sennheiser ACCENTUM
- Shure SRH440A vs Sennheiser ACCENTUM
- Shure SRH440A vs Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X
Prices on this page were last checked October 11, 2026 at 4:59 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Headphones In Full
Sennheiser ACCENTUM: $99.95 Wireless B&H Photo Video eBay
Pros: Active noise cancelling, a long 50 hour battery, aptX HD support and a wired option make it a practical everyday headphone at 222 g. Sub-bass sits about 6 dB above target and reaches down to 20 Hz, a good fit for listeners who like a warm, bass rich sound. Its 2.78 dB standard deviation is smoother than many headphones at its price.
Cons: A 7 dB dip near 4.3 kHz and a presence band about 2.4 dB low push vocals back and soften detail. It has no IP rating for water or sweat. The Anker Soundcore Space One is rated higher and costs less.
Full Sennheiser ACCENTUM review and specifications →
| Released | Oct 2023 (3 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Active Noise Cancelling | Yes |
| Back | Closed |
| Battery Life | 50 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Connection | Wireless and wired |
| Deviation From Target | 2.78 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 37mm dynamic |
| Form Factor | Over-ear |
| Frequency Response | 10Hz - 22kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 56 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| IP Rating | None |
| Sensitivity | 106 dB SPL (1 kHz / 0 dBFS) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+5.0 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -1.51 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Weight | 0.5 lbs (222 g) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -5.6 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -4.5 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 571 Hz | -1.6 dB | 0.18 |
| Peak | 1,870 Hz | +5.7 dB | 2.57 |
| Peak | 4,181 Hz | +5.4 dB | 3.61 |
| Peak | 33 Hz | -2.0 dB | 1.01 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -5.9 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 3,003 Hz | -1.9 dB | 4.46 |
| Peak | 8,989 Hz | +3.3 dB | 0.91 |
| Peak | 5,774 Hz | -3.0 dB | 5.50 |
| Peak | 3,777 Hz | +0.4 dB | 2.96 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X: $118.90 Amazon eBay
Pros: The open-back design gives a spacious, airy presentation, and the 48 ohm impedance with 100 dB sensitivity works directly from a phone or laptop. At 235 g it is light for a full-size headphone. The lower midrange is within half a dB of target, so the body of voices and guitars sounds natural.
Cons: Treble from 6 to 10 kHz is about 9 dB below target and a 16 dB dip near 7.2 kHz removes cymbal and sibilance detail, so the sound is dark and veiled. Sub-bass is about 9 dB low under 60 Hz, so deep bass lacks rumble. Open backs leak sound and give no isolation. The Anker Soundcore Space One has a higher rating at a lower price.
Full Audio-Technica ATH-AD500X review and specifications →
| Released | 2012 (14 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Back | Open |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 3.75 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 53mm dynamic |
| Form Factor | Over-ear |
| Frequency Response | 5Hz - 25kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 50 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 48 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 100 dB/mW |
| Sub-bass Extension | Falls 6 dB below target at 56 Hz (-10.3 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -1.10 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Weight | 0.5 lbs (235 g) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -6.5 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +7.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 132 Hz | -4.4 dB | 0.44 |
| Peak | 8,349 Hz | +6.5 dB | 1.37 |
| Peak | 1,295 Hz | -3.9 dB | 1.00 |
| Peak | 2,506 Hz | +4.7 dB | 1.39 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -2.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 4,177 Hz | -3.9 dB | 5.95 |
| Peak | 3,282 Hz | +3.3 dB | 5.84 |
| Peak | 2,773 Hz | -1.6 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 4,931 Hz | +1.7 dB | 6.00 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons