Sennheiser’s new affordable open earbuds are less affordable in the US

Sennheiser has announced the first pair of open earbuds as part of its affordable Accentum range, but just how much of a bargain they are depends on where you live. US customers will have to pay more, presumably to offset increased import costs thanks to Trump’s recent tariffs.

The Accentum Open earbuds will cost $129.95 when they begin shipping to US buyers in early June, but cost less elsewhere. They’ll arrive in Canada at the same time for CAD$149.95 (about $109), and are available already in Europe for €89.90 (about $102) and the UK for £69.99 (about $93). Those European prices include sales tax, making the difference even more stark.

For comparison’s sake, when Sennheiser launched the $199.99 Accentum True Wireless this time last year, they were priced at CAD$279.95 (about $203, converted at today’s rates), €199.99 (about $227), and £169.99 (about $227). 

This is Sennheiser’s first pair of “open” true wireless earbuds, which don’t block the ear canal, allowing listeners to maintain awareness of their surroundings. They ape the original AirPods’ design, which audio manufacturers have returned to in recent years as an alternative to the total silence of active noise-cancelling models.

The Accentum Open feature 11mm drivers and dual beamforming microphones for calls. Sennheiser says the buds last for six and a half hours on a single charge, with a total of 28 hours including the charging case. The fast charging delivers an hour and a half of playback from 10 minutes plugged in, and multipoint connectivity lets you connect to two devices simultaneously.