Sony Inzone H9 Playstation 5 gaming headset review
The Sony Inzone H9 is a gaming headset in the design of the Playstation 5 and offers very good noise suppression (Noise Cancelling, ANC) as well as the option of using wireless and Bluetooth connections in parallel. However, compromises have to be made in terms of sound quality and equipment, which weigh heavily at a list price of 299$.
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| Sony Inzone H9 |
With the new "Inzone" product line, Sony walks, both aesthetically and technically, on a level between two very different parts of the group. The design language is openly based on the Playstation 5 and the Pulse 3D headset, which was launched in 2020 as an accessory for the game console. In contrast to these gaming headphones, the three new headsets with Inzone branding are also aimed at PC gamers who are enticed with premium features from Sony's headphone division - especially with the top model Inzone H9.
Scope of delivery
Plastic was not used in the packaging of the Sony Inzone H9. In addition to the headphones and the quick start guide, the box only contains the USB radio transmitter and a 1.5 meter long USB-C to USB-A charging cable. Great praise for the attempt at sustainability, but for me it is absolutely incomprehensible that neither a textile bag, case nor replacement ear pads can be found in the packaging. Sony itself supplies significantly cheaper headphones with cases, but not the high-end product of a new product line.
The oval-shaped ear pads themselves are made from a plastic material that Sony calls "soft-fit leather" and is also used on the popular WH-1000XM line of headphones. Unfortunately, as comfortable as this soft faux leather may be, it's just as prone to sweat and fingerprints.
The white and black color scheme of the Inzone H9 is of course based on the Playstation 5 and will certainly polarize there as well as here. Sony's current WH-1000XM5 (for testing) was the inspiration for the design of the bracket shape and ear cup suspension. As a glasses wearer, I'm used to the uncomfortable pressure on the temples of circumaural headphones, but not here: The rotating ear cups are slightly spread and sit securely and comfortably with minimal pressure. The temples are extendable and can also be worn comfortably on large heads.
Technology
The feature list of the Sony Inzone H9 impresses with high-tech functions and combines them in a headset with a clear focus on gaming. ANC and Transparency Mode are of course available elsewhere, but since these are based on the esteemed WH-1000XM, they are of a quality that Razer, Steel Series and others have struggled to match. The Inzone H9 suppresses construction site and traffic noise very competently, and it completely filters fans and fans out of my perception. The transparency mode is less noisy than that of my Apple AirPods Pro (for testing) and is sufficient to hear the doorbell or a knock on it.
One of the most outstanding features is probably the ability to be connected to different devices simultaneously via Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz wireless connection. Depending on the area of application, there are many possibilities here: For example, you could play on the Playstation 5 at the same time while Discord (or another app) is running on the phone for voice communication. Or to remain reachable during the gaming session on the PC and answer a call directly with the headset. In order for the radio connection to work, the supplied USB transceiver must be used, the range of which is specified as 10 meters, but also worked without any problems in my garden.
A wired use of the Inzone H9 is not intended, there is no 3.5mm jack and the USB-C jack is only for charging the headphones. I couldn't quite reach the specified runtime of 32 hours (without using ANC), after almost 25 hours of active use I had to give the headphones a new charge. On the one hand, this may be due to my tests with ANC, but on the other hand, my test device obviously had problems with the automatic switch-off. An LED ring indicates the search for WiFi or Bluetooth devices by flashing white and blue. Unfortunately, in my case this search took several hours instead of the set five minutes. There may have been a communication problem between the control software and the headphones, but the constant flashing was irritating and meant that I always switched off the device manually.
Service
Whether and how many buttons a headphone needs is actually a solved problem. "Less is more" has little to do with minimalism here, it's simply not practical to pile up key functions on a device that you can't see. For reasons unknown to me, Sony has given the Inzone H9 a total of five function keys in addition to the excellent volume wheel, some of which have multiple functions. A button switches between ANC, transparency mode and no post-processing, another controls the Bluetooth function, but can also be used to select pieces of music. The Game/Chat button allows the chat and game volume to be controlled independently - which is actually a great feature, but which can hardly be controlled blindly on the headphones. Finally, there's a power button that features playstation-inspired audible feedback. Each of the five buttons has a slightly different shape, but I was only able to memorize the position of the power button during the three-week test phase. Ironically, there is no dedicated button to mute the boom mic, but more on that later.
Digital control center
In addition to operating on a Playstation 5 and Windows PC, Sony's Inzone H9 also works on Apple computers. The wireless dongle appears as an audio device with one mono input and two stereo outputs. This is where the distinction between chat and game audio mentioned in the last paragraph comes into play. In this way, the volume of the communication app and game can be completely separated and you always have control over the important team communication. Like the other Inzone headphones, the H9 is recognized directly by the Discord app and is marked as "certified". Unfortunately, I still had to set the microphone pre-amplification to "maximum" and was still one of the quieter users in the chat. The sound quality of the microphone was acceptable, but significantly worse than cheaper in-ear headsets from Sennheiser and Apple.
Unfortunately, Sony also saved on the folding microphone arm. Since this does not have its own mute button, it has to be flipped up so that a relay mutes the input. However, since the construction of the arm is susceptible to structure-borne noise, it rumbles until it reaches the mute switch at the other end of the line. In games, there is a clear trend towards voice-activated noise gates, but manual control over muting is of the utmost importance, especially in larger groups, but also in e-learning and work-from-home situations.
Additional functions of the headset can be controlled in the "Sony Inzone Hub" Windows app. EQ curves, dynamic range and listening to your own microphone level are just as possible here as detailed leveling of game and chat volumes. Anyone who has sent ear photos to Sony using the “360 Spatial Sound Personalizer” smartphone app can load the generated HRTF profile here in order to enjoy improved stereo and 3D sound reproduction. The effect can also be felt with stereo sources and moves sounds "deeper" into the room, but only unfolds its full effect with music titles, films and games specially encoded for Sony's 360 Audio.
Sound
According to Sony, the 40 mm neodymium drivers were specially developed for the two models Inzone H7 and H9, with a focus on the reproduction of extremely low and high tones. In fact, the Inzone H9 have no problem with the reproduction of deep bass or the highest treble. Only the balance of the whole seems to me to be a bit of a musical experience. This is different with films, but of course computer games in particular. Here the Inzone H9 can come up with differentiated soundscapes, explosions are powerful and steps can be easily located. When listening to music, I had to lower the high frequencies a bit to prevent premature fatigue. Bass-heavy productions like the current album "Cheat Codes" by Danger Mouse & Black Thought have a lot of pressure, but the differentiation between bass and kick drum sometimes gets a bit swampy here. The bottom line is that the sound quality of the Inzone H9 didn't knock me out, Sony has delivered objectively better sound even for less money.
If you are looking for a high-tech gaming headset in the design of the Playstation 5 and are dependent on very good noise reduction, the Sony Inzone H9 is definitely worth a look. The absolute killer feature here is the ability to use wireless and Bluetooth connections in parallel, as well as driving separate output pairs for game and chat audio. However, compromises have to be made in terms of sound quality and equipment, which I can hardly justify in this price range. Sony has to make improvements here if the still young brand “Inzone” is to have a future.
- + high wearing comfort
- +separate driver components for game and chat
- +Radio and Bluetooth can be used simultaneously
- +360 Spatial Sound
- +good variety of functions in the Inzone Hub
- -Quality and operation of the microphone
- -Spartan scope of delivery
- -confusing controls on the headset
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