Earlier this year Sony Electronics revealed their new family of gaming hardware aimed at PC and Playstation 5 gamers.
These new gaming accessories have been designed with professional gamers in mind and look to dramatically enrich the gaming experience.
Inzone's flagship peripherals come in the form of two gaming monitors and three headsets.
Sony is among the market leaders within the audio tech space, so there was a lot of excitement when they announced INZONE’s H series.
Inzone’s H series comes in three different models, the H3, H7, and H9 and they all have differences that fall in line with their pricing.
For this review, we will take a look at the higher-tier model, the H9 which is priced at
The Sony Inzone H9 looks like it was designed solely to match the Playstation 5’s aesthetics with its slick white and black colour scheme.
The H9 features large white oval ear cups made from hard plastic, while the ear pads are designed from soft leather.
The ear cup’s matte white finish ensures the H9 will be less likely to quickly suffer scratches or scuffs compared to a glossy finish. Meanwhile, the top of the ear cups is home to LED lights that use a breathing pattern to show the status of the H9.
They are much bigger than your average headset but still felt comfortable over long periods of usage.
The ear pads, similar to what Sony used in the XM5 headset, were always convenient and fitted snugly without placing any pressure on my ears during my time with them.
They also provided ample sound isolation, boosting the effectiveness of the ANC. However, the H9 ear pads aren’t interchangeable like on Sony’s other headset, which is a little frustrating given the price.
The ear cups are connected by a soft headband that provides the right amount of clamping force keeping the H9 secure on my head at all times.
The ear cup’s swivel connectors grant them flexibility with the ability to be angled for the right fit. The H9’s come with a boom mic that can be adjusted closer and further from the user’s mouth.
It will go into a muted state when flipped away from your mouth and vice versa. The main issue with the mic is that it’s not detachable, making the headset slightly less desirable to be used in an outside setting.
Some gamers might argue that a mute button is needed, however, the boom mic firmly stays in its muted position once placed there.
Each of the ear cups is home to different control buttons that are neatly situated at the bottom.
On the right ear cups, you will find the power, Bluetooth, and a special button that lets players switch between game and chat mode.
On the left is a USB port, an ambient noise button, and a protruding wheel to control the volume.
The control buttons are easy to access, with the power button being pushed way to the back so players won’t accidentally press it.
The H9 headset is premium-looking gaming peripheral with a unique design that matches the Playstation 5.
It's slightly bulkier than the average headset, but it’s very light and comfortable to wear, even over long periods of time.
Setting up the H9 headset is very simple and can be connected via two different methods. The first is through a 2.4GHZ USB dongle which will allow players to connect to their PC and Playstation 5.
While the Bluetooth 5 connection enables the H9 to connect with other devices such as mobile phones.
The beauty of the H9 is that it can be connected to multiple devices simultaneously. Meaning that players can listen to their music or take calls on their phone while playing and chatting.
I found that the wireless connection worked a charm with next to no delay or interference. Whilst when using Bluetooth with my tablet or mobile phone I found there was a slight delay.
It’s not a deal breaker as the H9 will most likely be used in gaming, where it really shines. The H9 is very much like other gaming headsets, putting bass at the forefront of its soundstage.
However, the H9 manages not to drown everything out as the base sound still has a nice sound balance between the low, mid and high frequencies. The H9 manages to produce clear audio with clarity and distinction between all the different elements.
Music tracks also sounded adequate with the bass not being too overpowering allowing for clear-sounding audio.
One of the main selling points is active noise cancellation, which is becoming more of an integral feature in gaming headsets. The H9’s ANC works really well at reducing all the background noises, such as humming, PC fans, outdoor noises, and more.
It won’t reduce everything like loud bangs or talking, but it gives a consistent level of quietness which I enjoyed during gaming sessions.
Sony has also included the Inzone Hub software that allows players to customise their sound profiles and enable Spatial Audio.
The Hub is very easy to use, granting players some control over their listening experience, however, there aren’t any gaming dedicated EQ presets which seems like a bit of an oversight.
The software only works on PC and not Playstation 5, but what’s even more frustrating is that the EQ changes won’t carry across either.
The Playstation 5 may have its dedicated 3D audio but there really should be a way to use the Inzone Hub across all devices.
The H9 really shines in how well it works with the Playstation 5’s 3D audio. Everything just sounded so crystal clear, whether it was listening to Jin’s sword slicing through enemies in Ghost of Tsushima or hearing the BTs footsteps while they stalk me in Death Stranding, I was very impressed with the quality.
The H9 has a huge battery life with Sony stating that it will last for thirty hours. The headset lasted for the majority of my gaming session which amounted to about thirty hours and a bit less with ANC turned off.
This is great, making the H9 a fantastic companion for extended periods of time.
Verdict 4 / 5
Sony’s Inzone H9 is a great gaming headset that isn’t solely focused on the Playstation. The stellar build quality, amazing audio, and admirable ANC combine to make a really premium product.
However, the H9 isn’t without its issues that some may find a little frustrating given the expensive price tag.
The Inzone H9 (£269.00), Inzone H7 (£199.00) and Inzone H3 (£89.00) can be ordered on Sony.co.uk
