Verdict
The Sony Inzone H9 is a honest play headset , albeit quite an expensive one . Its audio is pretty good , although not as sharp as the mid - range Inzone H7 . The addition of ANC does a good job at blocking out most noise , even if it does n’t do it as potently as similarly price phone . They do look sleek , which is a plus , and the assault and battery life provides day ’ Charles Frederick Worth of survival .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Sony ’s steel new Inzone product line of headset is arguably one of the most exciting releases of peripherals in 2022 , and the Sony Inzone H9 is the steel ’s new top - of - the - transmission line theoretical account .
price at £ 269/$299 , they are n’t trashy , but feature a sleek design , first-class audio and the index ofANCthat usually adorns headphones more than a gambling headset .
Is all of it enough to power the Inzone H9 to the top of ourbest gaming headsetlist ? Here are my view .
Design and features
The design is n’t all too different to that of the Inzone H7 headset I ’ve convey a look at previously . The H9 looks specially silky with an aesthetic inspired by thePS5with suave moldable earcups that notably feature dinky cutouts for the ANC - enable microphones . The earcups themselves do n’t palpate hollow and offer a durable physical body .
comparison to Sony ’s flagshipWH-1000XM5are inevitable , especially given the similarity in price between the two devices , and there is a little spot of a crossing over between the duet given the clicky headband modification yellow-bellied terrapin and headband design that they both look to sport .
There is a notable remainder between this more premium Inzone headset and the middle child H7 in regards to the cloth used on the earcups . Instead of sticking with the uber - comfortable framework finish , the H9 uses smooth leather or else , which feel comfortable around my head and ears , not least on the earcups .
There ’s a unspoiled level of padding to pop the question support and a soften feel , but I actually find the fabric ones are that little bit more comfortable . The leather earcups also offer a good level of passive noise isolation , and it ’s up there with some of the best I ’ve mat up on a gaming headset .
With a free weight of 330 g , the Inzone H9 did n’t finger too lowering on my head word and , unlikeTurtle Beach ’s Stealth 700 Gen 2 Max , did n’t feel restrictive or offer a cockeyed level of clamping force around my cranium .
The multimedia control offer thoughtful placement on both earcups , as oppose to load up it all on one side . On the right side , there are buttons for the game / confab mixer , Bluetooth and power , while on the left hand you ’ll find a tactile - feel loudness dial , as well as a button to alternate between ANC and Ambient mode . All of the button feel tactile and it ’s nice to sense something so unproblematic and effectual in contrast to the array of identical knob and dials appear all over the contest .
The Sony Inzone H9 work with both PS5 and PC and can connect via both Bluetooth or the bunch 2.4GHz receiver . you’re able to even connect them up to a phone if you so wish , or any other Bluetooth - enable gimmick . Connectivity was square over both means , although Bluetooth does extend a whit better audio quality for the price of gamy reaction time . The lack of any mean value of pumped connectivity is a bit of a shame though , peculiarly given the high markup for these buttocks .
32 hours of barrage life is about on par for bounty gaming headsets these days , and in testing , the Inzone H9 managed between 30 and 32 minute before I necessitate to reach for a USB - one C overseas telegram to level it back up again . It ’s not as good endurance as the H7 ’s 40 60 minutes , but still more than serviceable , particularly give the added drain of active noise cancellation .
Audio and mic quality
On the front of audio with the H9 , the mixture is more mid- and top - end heavy , and sometimes the low final stage can find a shade drowned out , as evidenced by a listen to Rush ’s bun The Bones . With that being say , the low ending is certainly present and the H9 can actually offer low remnant absolute frequency than most other headset , go as low as 5KHz . While this is n’t something that humanity can inevitably get a line , it ’s a nice to have so the H9 can show off their bottom terminate a minuscule more . Nonetheless , they make for an enjoyable listen .
There ’s also a good sense of placement and a passably decent soundstage with the Sony Inzone H9 , although in some tracks , there was some imbrication between instrument and vocals . vocal music themselves , such as on James Taylor ’s Line ‘ Em Up , were delivered understandably with safe precision , which also made for a adept assistance in a few runs of Sniper Elite V , where pinpointing enemy for a smooth squelch is vital .
ANC is a nice to have , and does a decent caper of blocking noise out , although is n’t on equation with similarly priced phone with the dedicated social function , such as my own personalBose Noise Cancelling 700 , which did a much better job of dulling the stochasticity of my fan down , for instance .
For blank out out most dissonance , the Sony did a ok caper and with music turned even up to just half volume , the sounds of keyboard and the fan , as well as citizenry talking in the garden , were mostly forget out . The ambient mode , which can be activated via a little button on the left earcup , sounds comparatively clear and instinctive , albeit a little flat at times .
Much like with the Inzone H7 , the eminent end H9 apply Sony ’s Inzone Hub , which turn out to suffer the same debatable ill of refuse to mold on my Windows 11 home PC . After much faffing , it work in Windows 10 , and I was greeted with a comparatively clean UI that offers the luck to fiddle with the headset till my heart was content .
There are selection for monkey with the EQ , as well as turn the ANC on and off and changing the strength of the ambient mode , as well as enable 360 Spatial Audio on PC , which itself did also help oneself to improve placement and dousing during listening . There is also a handy function that allows you to set up an auto power off feature after a full point of inactivity if you happen to up control stick and leave your desk while the H9 is still on .
The mike on offer sound similar to the H7 , offering sensible pellucidity , although it lack a slight bit of body compare to some other boom mics I ’ve screen in headset lately . Much like the headset itself though , the Inzone H9 ’s cleverly designed somersaulting - to - mute mic does a good job of blocking out at least a proportionality of the ambient racket it ’s presented with .
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Should you buy it?
ANC is normally reserved for headphones rather of gaming headset , but if you desire to have the index of noise cancellation , the Inzone H9 is a well performer .
the right battery life :
While 32 hours is good in terms of other gaming headsets , it ’s not the ripe battery liveliness I ’ve see to it . For that you ’ll want to look elsewhere .
Final Thoughts
Having screen the Sony Inzone H7 previously , I had high Hope for the Inzone H9 , and most of my prospect were met . But the tangible interrogative sentence is whether they ’re worth the extra £ 69 compare to the H7 .
This really boils down to whether or not you want ANC in a play headset . in person address , it is of major aid to block out racket than passive isolation would n’t normally , although it is similarly priced to high - end wireless headphones that also offer the same function , and do it best .
With that being said though , the Inzone H9 feels fantabulous and seem especially silken , while audio is passably balanced , although a little empty in the low close at times . The 32 hours of battery , while not as much as the H7 ’s 40 hours , is still up there with some of the better gaming headset money can corrupt today , and will give you enough succus for a calendar week or so of gambling .
Trusted Score
How we test
We use every headset we try out for at least a week . During that time , we ’ll check up on it for repose of use and put it through its paces by using it in a potpourri of games , as well as play music for get the full experience .
We also determine each headset ’s computer software ( if applicable ) to see how easy it is to tailor-make and fix up .
FAQs
Yes , although you ’ll need to use the bundled USB receiver .
No , the Inzone H9 does not offer compatibility with the Xbox .
