Sony has already provided PS5 players with quite a few cans of the Pulse 3D headset, but the INZONE range aims to improve the audio experience even further. With three to choose from, the Sony INZONE H9 is the cream of the crop, offering all the bells and whistles while looking and feeling great.
But what makes the H9 so special? What kind of features does it come with? And does the entry-level price of £269 take away some of the shine? We’ve been testing the INZONE H9 for the past few weeks, so let’s continue with our practical impressions.
What is the Sony INZONE H9?
The Sony INZONE H9 are noise canceling headphones that work well with your PS5. Like the Sony INZONE M9 we also tested, it comes with a sleek black and white design and a host of top-notch features. Those features, of course, include bluetooth connectivity via a USB stick, noise cancellation and ambient noise, 360 spatial audio and overall a top-notch and comfortable build quality.
As mentioned, the H9s will set you back £269 here in the UK – $299.99 in the US – and while, yes, that’s certainly quite a bit higher than the other Sony headset, the Pulse 3D, it’s pretty much in line with most other noise canceling headphones. While the INZONE range comes with the cheaper H3 and H7, they lose some of those tempting features like wireless connectivity and the build quality diminishes.
On paper, the H9 is certainly a step up from most other gaming headsets, and with its tie-in design and 360 spatial audio it should be the perfect addition to your PS5 setup.
What’s in the box?
When you open the box, the H9 requires almost no setup. You immediately see the headset itself and the USB that lights up as soon as you connect it to your PS5. In the box you will also find a USB-C cable for charging. That’s it literally. It’s straight to the point, and you can bump into your audio game within a minute of opening the box.
Build quality and hardware features
As soon as you put your H9s on, you’ll feel the snug embrace of quality headphones. The leather cushioning on both the earcups and headband is soft and comfortable, and goes a long way in blocking out outside noise – long before any noise cancellation is activated.
Along the sides you have access to a volume slider, a balancer between both game chat and party chat, a bluetooth connectivity button, a toggle between both noise cancellation and ambient sound, and of course the power button. The buttons have never been so easy to distinguish and never felt exactly in the right place compared to the Pulse 3D, which has much more easily accessible controls. However, the H9s make up for this with a physical rotating boom mic, which lets you pull the mic down to speak and then push it up to mute. This is perfect for all gamers who are caught off guard while singing in a lobby full of a captive audience.
The adjustable and rotatable arms provide an extremely comfortable gaming experience, and even after hours of gaming you will still feel just as comfortable with the H9s on your head. This shows the H9’s impressive battery life, which Sony claims is 32 hours without noise cancellation. During our review period, we never felt any apprehension about the battery and were able to casually charge the headset whenever we had the chance. Wearing the H9s for long periods revealed a looseness compared to other headsets. Even at its narrowest, sudden movements or sneezing would often cause the H9s to slip off our heads. In comparison: this has never happened to us with the Pulse 3D.
One additional feature that will definitely elevate the H9s over other headsets for some is the ability to connect to the PC wirelessly. Many other headsets like the Pulse or the Razer Kaira can only connect wirelessly to the PS5, but here a simple switch on the USB works just as well. There’s an INZONE app to customize your audio experience, which is highly recommended as the default settings on PC weren’t quite the same as on PS5. When it worked it was nice to have a comfortable pair of wireless headphones for PC, but we did experience some digital interference and occasional disconnections – both things that weren’t present on the PS5.
The audio experience
Coming from the Pulse 3D headset, we were blown away by the immediately noticeable upgrade to sound quality. The noise cancellation for one is completely captivating, and any loud game ensures that hardly any noise from the outside world gets in. However, if that’s not quite your thing, the Ambient Sound Mode allows you to pick up sounds from outside while still getting that high quality sound.
However, the sound itself is truly sublime. Deep bass shooters like Modern Warfare 2 were incredibly immersive because you could practically feel every shot and explosion. The 360 spatial audio meant we were rescued quite often purely because we could hear enemies before we could see them, allowing the audio to actively improve our performance, not just our immersion.
However, if big explosions aren’t quite your thing, the noise reduction meant games like The Last Of Us Part 1 took advantage of the smaller audio details. Nearby grasshoppers, creaking floorboards, clipping horses felt alive and very real thanks to the H9.
Should you buy the Sony INZONE H9?
The Sony INZONE H9 is an impressively immersive headset that will undoubtedly enhance your gaming experience, no matter the game. It works just as well on the quiet levels as it does on the bombastic, all while offering a solid and comfortable build quality that will allow you to play for hours on end while barely noticing it on your head. The ability to connect to a PC is also a welcome addition, giving the H9 more bang for the buck. However, it quickly proves that this is a headset tailor-made for the PS5.
If you are in the market for a more expensive headset, we can hardly recommend the H9 enough. Unlike the M9 monitor which struggled to justify its higher price tag, the H9 is a matter of getting what you pay for, and in this example it’s worth every penny.
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What do you think of Sony’s INZONE H9 headset? Do you like a quality pair of cans while you play? Tune in the rest of the world in the comments section below.
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