Sony INZONE H9 wireless gaming headset review

Sony INZONE H9: One-minute assessment

Sony, no doubt, has a repute as an distinctive producer of merchandise. It’s an organization that’s critically made a reputation for itself, constructing one of the crucial profitable console collection we’ve seen within the final twenty years.

Its DualSense controllers, PlayStation handhelds, and basic {hardware} ecosystem over time have been nothing wanting excellent, so, going into testing the $250 plus Inzone H9 wi-fi noise-canceling headset, a mix of each that PS5 design and ecosystem, mixed with Sony’s legendary audio and noise-canceling prowess, I had excessive hopes that it was going to be an absolute killer piece of package, simply making its means onto our best PC gaming headsets record and past.

After all, as I’ve talked about, this can be a firm that already has a powerful audio subsection of its model. Just seize a few of these engineers, give them a design IP and a little bit of price range, chuck a full-fledged microphone on the beating coronary heart of a unit just like the Sony WH1000XM5 or its predecessors and so they’d be off to the races.

So, is that the case? Is the Sony Inzone H9 wi-fi noise-cancelling gaming headset, a pair of WH1000XM5s disguised as a PS5 headset? Well, no, not fairly. They’re costly, fashionable, and well-designed – however the audio efficiency does not actually line up with the worth tag.

Sony INZONE H9: Price and availability

• How a lot does it value? $300 / £269 / AU$450 – however now accessible cheaper
• When is it accessible? Available now
• Where are you able to get it? Available worldwide

So let’s speak value: what are we taking a look at right here? Well, the Inzone H9 wi-fi clocks in at a reasonably steep $300 within the US, £269 within the UK, and AU$450 for our associates down below. However, you may choose it up cheaper from most main retailers – one of the best wager for stateside consumers is Amazon or Bestbuy, for the UK, Currys or Amazon are one of the best picks right here too. Likewise, you’ll additionally discover these floating round in Europe at Amazon.de, and Australia as effectively, though inventory there’s much more restricted.

The Inzone H9 Wireless is a pricey piece of package, and slapping that type of price ticket on a headset of this caliber makes it truthful recreation for comparability in opposition to a complete swathe of top-tier competitors from the likes of Logitech, Razer, Corsair, and extra.

In truth, its retail value within the US truly did sit at $300 till pretty lately, and even at its decreased value, that places it in spitting distance of the superb Logitech Pro X 2 Lightspeed headset, and even the likes of the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro. In different phrases, the competitors is fierce. Both these units of cans do miss out on one key function, specifically the ANC, however extra on that later.

Sony INZONE H9: Design

• Stylish aesthetic
• Very comfy to put on
• Multiple on-headset controls

One fast have a look at the Inzone H9 Wireless and also you’ll instantly fall below its spell. Particularly for those who’re already closely invested within the Sony PS5 ecosystem, and choose up a white model of this little magnificence. It’s obtained an extremely clear type to it, full with that sandblasted white plastic we’ve come to anticipate, paired with a excessive distinction black shiny plastic combined with matt touches, together with maybe not-so-subtle Sony branding on the ear-cups.  

The microphone particularly appears exceptionally clear, with its swivel mechanism, and the general ergonomic inclusions Sony has built-in into the Inzone H9 are nothing to be smirked at. The earcups are large circumaural affairs that simply coffer your complete ear, and it has an analogous really feel to a helicopter pilot’s cans. Perhaps not one thing you’d need to put on round city, but it surely does lend itself to a cultured total look, and a few top-tier consolation.

Speaking of, the headscarf is way improved over the extra inexpensive Inzone H5 wireless, and the earcups equally function a softer fake leather-based end (though it does really feel slightly “crisp” which is bizarre for a headset). The padding is much more plush than its cheaper siblings too. I wouldn’t go as far as to say it is reminiscence foam (and that’s not one thing Sony has in its advertising and marketing supplies both), but it surely’s comfy for long-term use, and that’s what’s vital right here.

Aside from the physicality of the factor, the Inzone H9 options solely two connection requirements, Bluetooth 5.0 and your commonplace Wireless 2.4 GHz dongle affair. Unlike the Inzone H5, the H9 doesn’t function an analog connection, though it does have USB-C connectivity.

There are various buttons built-in into the headset as effectively, together with energy, Bluetooth, recreation/chat quantity changes, a quantity wheel, and a noise-canceling button, permitting you to swap between completely different presets on the fly.

Sony INZONE H9: Performance

• Sound high quality is just middling
• Mic does not carry out effectively
• Good battery life

The one factor that may make or break a superb gaming headset is the standard of its audio. It doesn’t matter what further options it comes with, what noise-canceling it has, or what spatial audio AI sound management gimmickry is baked into its advertising and marketing language: if it will probably’t produce good audio, comparatively to the merchandise in its value bracket, it’s going to get hammered.

So then. Sony’s Inzone H9 wi-fi noise cancelling headset. Audio? Not nice. Nope, sadly, these are the very same drivers discovered within the far cheaper Inzone H5 wi-fi gaming headset, the identical 5 Hz to 20 okayHz frequency response, and to cap it off the identical confused EQ tuning has been utilized straight out of the gate. The bass, though potent, appears muted and muffled, there’s no punch to it, the mids appear to be missing their top-end, and total readability re-inforced by the treble, like its H5 cousin, is simply absent, which is a very unhappy factor to report given the excessive value of this headset.

I examined the Inzone H9 wi-fi for a couple of weeks, evaluating it to a number of cheaper and dearer headsets, and it simply fails to make an impression in distinction to the likes of choices from Audiotechnica, Corsair, and Razer. This is gloomy, as a result of Sony is an organization that already has such a prestigious audio pedigree behind it. Music is simply okay; it’s an okay headset. In-game it’s pleasing sufficient, positive, however once more: you don’t simply need “okay” once you’re spending this a lot money on a gaming headset.

Then we get to the microphone. Now that is completely different in comparison with the likes of the Inzone H5 – by which I imply it’s in some way extra muffled and fewer clear, and once more, when you think about merchandise like Corsair’s HS80 or HyperX’s Cloud Alpha, and the way potent they’re in that division, it’s simply not a superb feeling.

The noise-cancelling nonetheless is considerably of a saving grace. It’s there, it’s highly effective, and it’s good at reducing out hum and vibrations, fan noise out of your PC, or the drone of a washer-dryer, though it’s not able to reducing out all noise within the neighborhood. If somebody’s enjoying loud music within the subsequent room, or shouting your title, you are still going to listen to them. Similarly, there are only a few ANC gaming headsets on the market at this value level (in spite of everything, it’s loads simpler to manage the ambient sound of your gaming surroundings than it’s exterior your house). That stated, the actual killer piece of tech is (considerably paradoxically) the ambient sound mode. It’s usually fairly a pleasant contact, and performs effectively, giving the Inzone H9 wi-fi a powerful open-backed feeling to it.

Connectivity is okay. 2.4GHz wi-fi, Bluetooth, and USB-C are sufficient at the moment, and the USB dongle included has a change permitting you to swap between PS5 and PC mode relying on what you’re plugging it into. I discovered that the battery life was stable; Sony advertises as much as 32 hours of playback with ANC turned off, and whereas I do not assume it lasts fairly that lengthy in observe, it actually holds cost effectively sufficient to not want plugging each different day. There’s fast cost by way of USB-C too, providing you with an hour of recreation time after 10 minutes of charging.

Sony’s Inzone hub software program suite is fairly slick too, and impressively simple to make use of – which is nice, since you’ll need to regulate the wonky manufacturing unit EQ settings. You’ll nonetheless be handicapped by these audio drivers although, sadly.

The Sony Inzone H9 isn’t a foul headset, not at its coronary heart. In isolation, it’s a good expertise. If you choose one among these up, you’ll have an alright time with it. But actually, you’re going to be shopping for this headset if you’d like that “Sony” badge clout, and on your cans to match your PS5 DualSense controller, and in that regard, it’s extremely tough for me to suggest it. The audio simply isn’t as much as scratch in comparison with the competitors (and Sony’s personal cheaper Inzone cans), and that’s an actual downside.

Should I purchase the Sony INZONE H9?

Buy it if…

Don’t purchase it if…

Also take into account

Sony INZONE H9: Report card

• First reviewed April 2024

How we take a look at

I spent 4 weeks testing the Inzone H9 wi-fi noise-canceling gaming headset, together with its H5 cousin, whereas evaluating it to some competitor headsets on the similar value level. I used to be testing totally on PC but additionally used my PS5 to test the software program and to see if there have been any main adjustments to audio high quality. I’ve used it enjoying Dark Souls III, Elden Ring, Total War: Warhammer III, and World of Warcraft -really making the most of a large number of high-quality soundstages to get probably the most out of these audio drivers.

I additionally used the Inzone H9 wi-fi extensively whereas listening to music on Spotify Premium and whereas consuming limitless content material on YouTube Premium as effectively, listening and watching an enormous array of various movies from a number of genres. For microphone testing, I cranked it up in Windows 11’s in-built sound recorder program for my very own inner comparability checks and passively used it in Discord calls as effectively.

We pleasure ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing course of, providing up long-term consideration to the merchandise we assessment and ensuring our critiques are up to date and maintained – no matter when a tool was launched, for those who can nonetheless purchase it, it is on our radar.

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