You don’t must do far more to promote me on a pro-level gaming headset than Sony did with its newest Inzone H9 II. Take the Sony WH-1000XM6 ANC headphones—at present the crème de la crème in each sound high quality and energetic noise cancellation—and stick a mic on them, wash your arms, and name it a day. It was by no means going to be that straightforward. The Sony Inzone H9 II is solely the best-sounding gaming headset you may get proper now. However for $350, you anticipate perfection, and also you received’t discover that with the H9 II. You’ll get an incredible audio expertise packed in between some odd software program decisions and a battery life that doesn’t sound almost as attractive.
Sony Inzone H9 II
That is the gaming headset you get if you care concerning the sound most of all, even when you must plug it in additional typically than most.
Professionals
High-tier sound high quality
Principally clear mic audio high quality
Comfy match
Nice for PC or PS5
Cons
Battery life might be higher
Restricted EQ choices
No full ‘transparency’ mode
Sony launched a slew of latest PC gamer merchandise underneath its Inzone model, together with a brand new $300 Inzone KBD-H75 keyboard with magnetic Corridor impact switches and a $150 Inzone gamer mouse. And but, the second-gen headset is what catches the attention first. The very first thing to know concerning the Inzone H9 II is it comprises the identical 30mm drivers because the Sony WH-1000XM6. Already, I can see you drooling. These are “soft-edge” carbon fiber dome drivers that create a balanced audio profile with crisp sounds throughout motion pictures and different passive content material. So what does it do for recreation audio if you’re not jamming out to the soundtrack? To place it mildly, the audio high quality is impeccable. The low bass hits of rockets and crackle of automated gunfire are instantly distinct from recreation to recreation. Utilizing it for a title like Warhammer 40K: House Marine 2 is the proper match with its boisterous bass of each boltgun fired. The headset consists of 360 spatial sound to get the sense of being surrounded by sound.
The Inzone H9 II can also be a really mild headset. At 260g, or 0.57 kilos, it didn’t weigh me down as a lot as different full-spec headsets of its type. The detachable earcups felt additional plush surrounding my ears, although the headscarf sports activities an odd design that makes it odd to put on. All sides requires customers to pinch a hinge to regulate its top. It requires just a little extra fiddling than different gadgets, however as soon as it’s on, the gaming headphones disappear into the background whereas the audio takes over. Right here’s one other useful bonus of the Inzone H9 II: the pads swivel in each instructions, that means it’s very straightforward to fold up into the included felt-lined gentle pouch that comes within the field.
The Sony Inzone H9 II is a snug and lightweight gaming headset, although adjusting the straps takes extra effort than it ought to. © Raymond Wong / Gizmodo
The unique $300 H9 from 2022 was missing in a number of methods in comparison with different peripherals. Although Sony laid out the H9 II’s specs as in the event that they had been by some means the cream of the crop, the headset nonetheless appears out of step for a $350 machine. It will get a complete of 30 hours of promised battery life. That seems like greater than sufficient for 2 or three marathon gaming classes, however I simply acquired carried out reviewing the $250 Razer BlackShark V3 Professional with a promised 70 hours of complete battery life with quick charging. HP’s $300 HyperX Cloud Alpha 2 claims to get 250 hours of battery life earlier than needing a recharge. At all times-on energetic noise cancelling would essentially require extra energy from the headset, however the Inzone H9 II continues to be on the decrease finish of headset battery life, particularly for its worth.
See Sony Inzone H9 II at Amazon
If I personally needed to sacrifice something for good sound and a snug match, it will be extra-long battery life. Sony will get egg releasing a headset so costly however with lower than half the anticipated battery life. The Razer Kraken V4 Professional prices $400, but it surely additionally comes with haptic motors in-built and an OLED management hub that acts as the two.4GHz dongle. The Inzone H9 II nonetheless beats Razer’s headset when it comes to uncooked audio high quality, however there are different elements that Sony continues to be behind on when competing with headsets at decrease costs.
The primary Sony Inzone H9 headset arrived in 2022 together with the corporate’s then-new PC gaming model. It was clear three years in the past Sony didn’t have a lot of an thought what PC players had been in search of. Sony’s Inzone PC software program has improved by leaps and bounds, however the huge collection of competing headset makers is leaving it within the mud. Inzone Hub solely permits for 3—sure, three—EQ profiles, all of that are a distinct number of first-person shooter. The FPS-1 EQ calls out footsteps barely higher, although I’d set it and overlook it on both FPS-2 or customary if I needed to listen to the complete drive of gunshots or explosions. The FPS-3 mode muffles the sounds of battle, although I didn’t really feel as if it gave me almost as a lot of an edge for the sake of mangling my enjoyment of sound results in numerous video games.
© Raymond Wong / Gizmodo
© Raymond Wong / Gizmodo
I took the headset into many matches of Counter-Strike 2 (I’m horrible at CS2) and Halo Infinite (the place I’m solely marginally higher). If this was purported to rank as an esports headset, it will fall just a little brief regardless of the assorted EQ profiles. Sony constructed the Inzone H9 II together with the professional gaming workforce FNATIC, with a give attention to Valorant and Apex Legends. The EQ profiles had been designed to make gamers carry out higher in every recreation, however there’s no language within the app to inform customers which one they need to use. Sony stored reiterating this can be a headset tuned for first-person shooters, but it surely’s not like the typical gamer trying to play Baldur’s Gate III with buddies doesn’t need an incredible expertise as effectively. There aren’t any different EQ choices for an RTS or RPG gamer. Even when the headset’s flat audio profile affords a stellar audio expertise, I’m wondering if Sony couldn’t have spent a few of its spare time fine-tuning some extra game-specific choices.
The Inzone H9 II is an odd beast to manage. The headset consists of a big mute mic button proper on the high together with a big quantity wheel. All of that’s effectively and good, but it surely’s nonetheless laborious to know what settings you’re utilizing whereas carrying the machine. Not like different headsets that can point out settings with full voice cues, the H9 II affords audio chimes if you activate simultaneous Bluetooth or change from ANC to ambient modes. No less than the mic features a vibrant purple mild to let you already know if your folks can hear you chewing within the background.
See Sony Inzone H9 II at Amazon
One of many large points with the unique Inzone H9 from three years in the past was its mic high quality. This time round, Sony significantly upgraded the hell out of its mic high quality. I recorded myself in comparison with a number of different main headsets, together with a few of the newest Alienware Professional Wi-fi and Razer headsets, and the Inzone H9 II stood out simply as one of many higher for general voice high quality. The brand new removable mic helps a wider band of sound, that means it may choose up on extra minute variations in voice. Regardless of building happening outdoors the workplace window three ft away, the mic didn’t choose up any rumbling jackhammers or automobile horns.
The Sony Inzone H9 II 2.4GHz dongle has a ‘PC’ and ‘Different’ setting for utilizing it with PS5. © Raymond Wong / Gizmodo
One of many WH-1000XM6’s finest standout options is its glorious energetic noise cancellation that blocks out a lot ambient noise I’d worry taking a stroll with them close to a busy freeway. That headset makes use of various unique processors and AI help to restrict outdoors noise. The Inzone H9 II makes use of Sony’s noise sensors it has caught with for its NC 1000X sequence, although the corporate didn’t go so far as to say it’s the identical as its newest headset. This isn’t the machine meant to outlive being surrounded by a refrain line of jackhammers. As a substitute, the Inzone H9 II’s sensors had been greater than sufficient to assist me ignore the jet engine followers of a number of PCs and gaming laptops, together with an annoyingly squeaky workplace HVAC system making mammoth mouse sounds above my head. My editor was making an attempt to speak to me a foot away as I used to be gaming, and with the quantity on medium settings, I couldn’t hear a peep from him. The machine additionally has an ambient mode that may let some outdoors noise minimize by, however there’s no full ‘transparency’ setting that different headsets have, which can have provided higher battery life. It is a headset meant to get you totally engaged with the content material you’re enjoying, to the detriment of your boss or accomplice determined to get your consideration.
The BlackShark V3 Professional is a gaming headset so devoted to the “professional” players it feels prefer it missed me personally. Each EQ choice, aka the equalization settings, is geared towards honing in on enemy footsteps or gunshots. If you happen to don’t care an excessive amount of about smashing face in multiplayer, the Inzone H9 II is extra perfect.
© Raymond Wong / Gizmodo
© Raymond Wong / Gizmodo
The headset additionally helps PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Swap 2. It is a Sony product, in spite of everything, which implies you’ll be able to anticipate it would characteristic glorious 3D audio on PS5 after you full the prolonged setup course of. The headset proved an incredible choice should you swap between PC and Sony’s mainline console for all of your gaming wants. And but, it might be a lot extra seamless. PlayStation Pulse merchandise and Sony’s upcoming battle stick controller use the PlayStation Hyperlink customary for low-latency 2.4GHz connection to the console. PlayStation’s console gaming arm lately mentioned this could enable for a couple of machine linked on the identical time by a single dongle. Why can’t Sony merely make PlayStation Hyperlink customary throughout its complete gaming {hardware} suite? It’s as if the one hand of the Japanese tech large isn’t speaking to the opposite.
All my many quibbles can’t override the wonderful consolation and the overwhelmingly balanced sound high quality. It’s a significantly better headset than the primary Sony Inzone H9 and now it has a mic you’ll truly need to use. However it’s nonetheless rattling costly, even should you consider the Inzone H9 II like a WH-1000XM6 with a built-in mic. With its small however noticeable software program and {hardware} foibles, the Inzone H9 II might not seem like the a part of a pure esports headset. However for after I need to ignore the world and bask within the unique bubble with simply me and my recreation, I do know I’d attain for the Inzone H9 II earlier than any of the numerous headsets I’ve used.
See Sony Inzone H9 II at Amazon
