The Sony Inzone series has been quite the headline since it leaked all those months ago. These are gaming-focused items and go so far as to have designs very reminiscent of the PS5, but they don’t carry the PlayStation branding. Perhaps this is because the parent company wants these peripherals to be independent of its own gaming sub-brand so it can get a bigger slice of the PC gaming pie as well.
Whatever the real reason, the fact remains that Sony now has its own line of gaming products, independent of its own PlayStation subsidiary. Which leads us to the Sony Inzone H3 gaming headset, the entry-level of the bunch. The company has provided us with one for review, which brings us to this article you are currently reading.
What is it?
As mentioned, the Sony Inzone H3 is the entry-level model of three gaming headset series. Also as mentioned, despite the apparent dissociation with PlayStation, the colors on the headset, and perhaps the aesthetics, tell a very different story. The whole line matches the PS5’s black and white color scheme, the only thing missing from the get-go – particularly the H3 and H7 models – are the blue lights.
Apart from the colours, the headset is generally very round. The ear cups have a sort of stadium-like egg-shaped shape, the arms are a curved tube with the headband itself a sort of curved half-pipe shape. In the left cup you’ll find the volume wheel, also housed in its own semicircular structure. Also on the left cup is the built-in boom microphone, which may be the structure on the headset with the most nooks and crannies. Unlike the higher-end headsets in the range, the Sony Inzone H3 only works via the included 3.5mm audio cable, which is also located on the left cup. Though the company does provide a USB adapter if that’s what you prefer.
On the inside of each earcup is memory foam wrapped in fabric. It’s by no means uncomfortable, but being dusty means bad news in hot weather. The headband is made of synthetic leather as standard, which is usually the best choice, even with other headphones that use fabric for the ear cups.
Is it good?
Overall, the Sony Inzone H3 is quite light, so it’s quite comfortable to wear for extended periods of time. The sniff will kick in after a few hours, but the sweat buildup will probably force you to take it off first. This can be alleviated somewhat with the adjustable headphone arm, which I have a new appreciation for after testing the Sony Pulse 3D gaming headset.
The rotatable microphone boom is also handy, because it mutes itself when you push it up and only works when you pull it to your mouth. Mic monitoring is also present, which is always a feature I miss when it’s inexplicably missing from some headsets.
The mic also does noise canceling itself to some extent, as the mic monitoring doesn’t pick up the usual wind from my table fan. This means there’s no need for a makeshift pop filter, which isn’t common for me when it comes to headsets with boom mics.
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The sound quality. Talk to me.
These days it will probably be a challenge to sell gaming headsets if they don’t have some form of spatial audio support. And for the Sony Inzone H3, this is the only thing that does it very well. With Horizon Forbidden West on PS5, this really helps me immerse myself in the environment. Whether it’s tree leaves rustling in the wind or the current of a nearby river, you can easily tell where every sound is coming from.
On PC, playing The Division 2 with this gaming headset means you can hear exactly where gunfire is coming from. This is especially useful for identifying rushers, especially if the game amplifies their footsteps.
While the spatial audio of the Sony Inzone H3 is sublime, unfortunately the same cannot be said about the audio quality when listening to music. For its price, the H3 produces decent sounds, allowing you to hear both highs and lows relatively clearly. While that’s a flattering description for treble, I have to say that’s not enough for bass; with bass-heavy tracks, you might want to feel it to some degree, rather than just hear it.
The bad stuff. Say.
The output quality of the microphone is a bit of a mixed bag. Since it has a dedicated boom mic, my voice to my friends goes louder than say, a headset that uses beamforming mics. This also means more consistency and your voice won’t be cut off randomly because the beamforming mic mistakes your voice for ambient noise. But then again, the actual sound quality – or more specifically clarity – takes a hit.
Because the earcup is memory foam wrapped in fabric, sound insulation is not optimal. So while your office neighbor won’t necessarily hear you blowing out your eardrums with your favorite tunes, you will definitely hear the occasional chatter or laughter. In a home setting, that means no one can hear your game, but you’ll definitely hear it if someone in the same room has Netflix on without headphones.
Should I buy it?
If you can afford to shell out for a pair of headphones dedicated to music, and another dedicated headset, the Sony Inzone H3 is definitely a contender. If not, you’re making a lot of sacrifices.
At RM439, it’s only slightly more affordable than the Sony Pulse 3D wireless headset, though it loses the inherent PS5 integration. Other than that, and the fact that the H3 is wired only, the two are just extra choices in a sea of options. By comparing just the two, the Sony Inzone H3 performs better as a gaming headset, but not quite as well for general music consumption.
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