Sony Inzone H9 ANC Wireless Gaming Headset Review
Tuesday, August 30, 2022Is the Inzone H9 merely a bland rehash of old parts and technology, or is it a true contender in the gaming field?
I bought this headset out of my own pocket, and I wasn’t asked by Sony to write this article. I don’t make money unless my readers support me. You can find out how to do so yourself at the bottom of this article. I don’t use affiliate links or take ad deals, and all these opinions are entirely my own.
The Sony Inzone H9 sells for $299 - That puts it up against other flagship gaming audio gear like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro, the Razer Barracuda Pro, the Astro A50, and the Audeze Penrose. A cheaper $229 Inzone H7 version is also available. It’s very close to this headset, but it has cheaper nylon pads and no ANC.
Sony has a long legacy of audio tech that they’re hoping will set their new headset apart from the pack. The Inzone H9 has active noise canceling built in, using a system inherited from the lauded 1000X headphone family. It’s not using the latest 8-microphone iteration of the tech from the 1000XM5, but rather an older yet still capable version. The pads here do come from the M5, but the industrial design looks like it’d be more at home on a gaming-themed spaceship than on the shelf next to Sony’s other ANC gear.
In the box, you get the headset itself, a dongle with bespoke PS5 and PC modes accessible through a switch, and a USB-C charging cable. Putting the switch in the right mode is important. On a PC, you can fully customize the headset’s audio and other features with the new Inzone Hub Software. You can also access their new spatial 3D audio system which sounds good, but isn’t the same Tempest tech they use on PlayStation 5. On a PS5 the Inzone H9 is recognized as an official Sony headset which gives it full access to proper mic support and game/chat balance functions through its built-in buttons.
If you’ve listened to other modern Sony headphones and enjoyed their sound, you’ll be right at home with the Inzone H9. It’s a big step up from the Inzone H3 I reviewed recently, with a warm, slightly boomy sound that’s easy to listen to for hours. The bass is over-emphasized from neutral, but with a soft, billowy punch that’s not overwhelming or unpleasant. The midrange is nice and textured. The highs are a little uneven and artificial in spots, with cymbals in music sometimes sounding like digital noise rather than proper acoustic instruments.
Still,
these have a warm pleasant sound that’s fun for immersive gaming and
that pairs well with the Tempest 3D system on PS5. I think the Arctis
Nova and the Barracuda Pro both sound more accurate and neutral, but the
warm-leaning sound on the Inzone H9 honestly has more mainstream appeal
out of the box. Sony has carried this sound signature to huge market
success, and the Inzone H9 plays it safe by going for pleasant listening
over raw audio reproduction.
While
the sound profile might start an argument between casual listeners and
obsessed audiophiles, it’s hard to make any complaints about the Inzone
H9’s comfort. The headset is made mostly of sturdy plastic, and its
weight is perfectly balanced. The headband pad is huge and plush, and
the ear pads are soft, supple, and luxurious. They sink into your head
like soft pillows, and the deep ear cups ensure that your ears won’t run
into anything inside. The clamp is just right, with no pinching even
around my thin glasses frames. This is one of the most comfortable
gaming headsets I’ve ever worn.
It’s
also hilariously huge. It’s a comically large thing. On my
larger-than-average head, I only have to open it out to four of its ten
clicks of adjustment, so this will probably fit best on medium or large
heads. It doesn’t cut a remotely subtle profile on your head, with huge
rounded ear cups that stick way out and a permanently attached
microphone. It looks like it was designed for esports tournament arenas
or dark home offices, not the local coffee shop. The style is all smooth
and rounded, but then that svelte look is undercut by just how beefy it
is.
The
high end gaming peripheral market as a whole seems to be trending away
from RGB lighting right now, and the Inzone H9 is no exception. Though
it does have LED light rings on each ear cup, they’re only briefly used
to convey the power and connection state of the headset and stay off 90
percent of the time. This was probably a good choice for battery life.
You’ll get around 32 hours without ANC and around 20 with the noise
canceling turned on.
Although
the headset doesn’t support any wired connections, it does have a
secondary Bluetooth mode. Unlike the Razer Barracuda Pro, you can use
the Inzone H9’s Bluetooth and dongle connections simultaneously, which
is nice. The Bluetooth mode only supports AAC and SBC, not AptX or
Sony’s own LDAC codec, which is kind of weird. Still, it sounds
comparable to the standard wireless connection and it’s perfect for
mixing in a call while gaming or catching up on podcasts, or whatever
you’d like to do.
Normally
a mode like this would make the headset better for use out and about,
but the permanently attached mic may give you pause. You’ll be all the
more frustrated about the awkward size when you hear how nice the ANC
is. It’s not quite at the level of current top tier stuff, nor at the
level of the Razer Barracuda Pro, but it’s still really good. They
apparently tuned the ANC algorithm specifically for noises in a home
gaming environment, like your PC’s fans, outside traffic noise, and
stuff like that. Since that’s the way I mostly play, I can say that it
works really well…though having the AI auto adjustment from the 1000X
series would have been great for those times when I’m not in an ideal
home space.
This
is a pretty good headset overall then, with excellent sound and
comfort, solid ANC, and a big design that’s still clearly a stylish Sony
product. What’s missing? The microphone! It’s a bit of a letdown
compared to the rest of the headset, and it’s outperformed by cheaper
models like the Corsair HS80. The mic here is decent, but unremarkable
and permanently stuck to the headset, with a sound plagued by some
digital noise and a bland overall response.
The
Sony Inzone H9 is a totally capable first attempt at a flagship gaming
headset. It’s got a sound signature that’s not the most detailed or
accurate, but perfectly in line with Sony’s hyper-popular collection of
bass-focused audio gear. It has sublime comfort but an industrial design
that feels about thirty percent larger than it should be. It screams
“spaceship pilot” in a way headsets haven’t for quite some time. The
microphone could have been better, and the ANC works great in its
designed home environment but doesn’t have the wow factor of other
bespoke ANC headphones.
If
you’re already entrenched in the Sony ecosystem or a fan of their audio
signature on other products, this is a good safe choice with full
native PS5 support and a surprisingly okay PC app. However, audio
diehards would be better served by the other flagships out there, or the
classic standalone headphone/microphone/DAC do-it-yourself plan.
I’d
take this over the Barracuda Pro any day of the week for its
non-conflicting ANC and boom mic, but I’d urge you to look at the Arctis
Nova Pro Wireless instead if you must have one of the latest and
greatest flagships. Although the Nova has had some technical teething
issues particularly on Xbox, and it isn’t quite as comfy, it’s a more
well-rounded and better performing package overall.
Final Score: 7.5 out of 10. A sleeker model with a detachable and better-sounding mic would get a 9 at the minimum.