It seems clip-on earbuds (or ear cuffs-type) are gaining popularity. There is a growing market for open ear buds where that the wearer remains aware of the ambient noise. While traditional in-ear buds comes with transparency mode, the effect is still not as natural as the real thing, but the more significant issue is the comfort as many people dislike the feeling of the silione ear tips stuffing in the ear canals.
Audio manufacturers have tried many forms of earphones to achieve the open ear effect, like the traditional airpods, bone-conduction headset, the ear hook design, but they are all more bulky than the in-canal earbuds. There are also various earbuds that fit inside the concha while keeping the canals open, like the Sony LinkBuds. Then in December 2023, Huawei launched the FreeClip which they termed “C-bridge design”. In no time, many China brands started rolling out their versions, and then many international brands like Bose and Sony also launched their “Clip” earbuds. Sennheiser finally releases its clip-on earbuds, the ACCENTUM Clip, in July 2026, and retails in Singapore at S$269.
I can understand why Sennheiser took so long to launch this. Sennheiser has so many consumer audio products in the pipeline and they have to do their research before assembling their engineering team to design and produce the signature Sennheiser sound quality. While this is the first time I am reviewing a clip-on earbuds, I have reviewed many open ear buds and they generally sound less musically impressive. Consumers have come to accept the compromise that open ear buds will never sound as good as in-ears. The Sennheiser Accentum Clip actually sounds quite good and sonically enjoyable.
In neutral EQ, the bass is generous to feed the low frequencies towards the ear though it does not deliver the sub-bass rumble, while the treble clarity remains slightly unobscured. Midrange is enjoyable with musical details and warmth. As you turn up the volume, the treble takes over the air waves and overpowers the bass. The upper mids are well-controlled to reduce stray reflections caused by the concha as the ear becomes a mini enclosure to the speaker. The Accentum Clip delivers an open spatial sound almost like an open-back headphones.
Can they mask ambient noise? Actually they do if you turn up the volume. Just look at the close-up shot above, the silver-mesh speaker grille is quite near to the ear canal. The music partially obscures external sound such that I could not hold a conversation unless I reduce or pause the music by tapping near the Sennheiser logo (not the rear battery compartment). Of course the earbuds cannot mask out loud noises but droning urban noise would barely distract the music when you max the volume.
Speaking of volume, the Accentum Clip volume is just nice when playing at the max, but I would wish I can go up 2 or 3 notches more. If your player has an internal preamp (like Poweramp), you can circumvent this. The volume limiting processor is noticeable in preventing frequency peak distortion, so I could sometimes hear that the bass did not extend its volume as willingly. But the LDAC codec offers improved resolution at the upper frequencies and eliminating artifacts; however minute it may sound, it is still audible to my ears.
I was wary of wearing them for jogging, but they stayed secure on my ears. One word of caution: do not bring your hands near your ears while working out as any slight brush might easily dislodge them from the sweaty ears.
Mic quality is fine in quiet places, but struggles at noisy places. This is not surprising. My favourite workaround is to take out one of the earbud to speak into it like a handheld mic while using the other earbud for listening conversations.
Like other Sennheiser wireless earbuds, you can use the smartphone app to manage the Accentum Clip, adjusting EQ, change the gesture control, select connection quality, auto power off, battery protection, auto-answer calls, and update firmware. The app also shows the remaining battery life of the earbuds and the charging case.
The Accentum Clip earbuds offer up to 9 hours battery per charge (at mid volume with AAC codec), and the case contributes to a total 36 hours. On the charging case, you can charge the earbuds in either slot, but you cannot swap the earbuds channel when listening. The earbuds are IP54 rated, so it can handle dust, sweat and resistant to splashes (not water immersive).
Verdict
Sennheiser has definitely done some work on the audio processor to achieve the Accentum Clip sounds musically balanced for an open buds. They are capable of handling genres that do not demand sub-bass impact. Its open design actually helps listener hear more musical elements as they do not have to fight with one another, and definitely won’t get the air pressure discomfort when volume hits too high. It is one of the biggest reasons why I prefer open-back headphones. The Accentum Clip is not sonically perfect, but it is a pleasant compromise for urban living.
I can see why more consumers are embracing clip-on earbuds. They are so much more comfortable to wear and they allow wearer to interact with the world without removing them from the ears. They also work well for my runs. If you find one that delivers great sound, like the Accentum Clip, then you will find no reason not to wear it all day and enjoy audio directly through the earbuds instead of from the smartphone.
The Sennheiser Accentum Clip retails in Singapore at S$269, available at the Sennheiser website.