As all of you probably know, the announcement of extraordinary Sony Inzone devices took place in the summer: two PS5-style gaming monitors and three gaming headsets – H3, H7, and H9. Why do I call devices weird? It’s just that they seem to be at the junction of the PC world and the PS world. It is recommended to use monitors with both the console and the computer. The headset dongle can switch operating modes – yes, switching between PC and PS is implied. All this is due to the appearance of Sony exclusives on the PC, and it was also necessary to make a mouse and keyboard in the PS5 design, a table, and a computer chair.
I am very much in favor of new headsets and an advanced gamepad (wait and see), but I didn’t understand the monitors. They seem to be ok in performance, but there are dozens of competitors – they do not have such an excellent PS5-style design, but they are cheaper.
In any case, one of the Inzone monitors is already with us and is waiting for unpacking, but we decided to deal with the headphones early – I used the Inzone H9 for a couple of weeks, and I want to share my joy with you as soon as possible, a great thing. We flew.
Design
I have this confidence: everything that has similarities with the PS5 is very worried about Sony managers. They go through a hundred levels of quality control and look after it like a goose that lays golden eggs. It’s just that I’ve tried the most expensive headsets from other manufacturers, and the Sony Pulse 3D for PS5 still looks like an adorable and well-made accessory. Even compared to Bang & Olufsen, it is four times more expensive.
Sony Pulse 3D headset review
Well, the Inzone H9 for $ 299 is generally a request answer to all these guys – I don’t think there are more comfortable headphones in terms of ergonomics, sound quality, and convenience. Let’s start with ergonomics and appearance.
In terms of style, this is a natural ally of the PS5: white plastic, black plastic, minimalistic shape, everything is so pleasant and a little spacey. The backlight on the cups also reminds us of the world of PS.
The microphone leg bends, and the volume control jog is very well done – a tear of nostalgia came out straight. It was the same with Sony phones once. It is very similar.
The headband is massive, and the ear pads and the ears are buried in them. Mega comfortable! The controls are scattered across the cups. I think it will not be challenging to figure it out. Naturally, they did not forget about adjusting the sound in the chat and the game. For this, they built a separate rocker.
With the noise canceling system turned off, the headphones work for about 32 hours. This is the declared figure. In real life, everything also depends on the volume and the work of various functions. I play only with the noise reduction turned on – it feels like the headphones live for more than a day. For charging, a USB-C connector is used, and a long cable is included.
Out of curiosity: they didn’t save her the Bluetooth 5.0 profile, but the first class – let me remind you, the class affects the range. In a three-room apartment, the connection with the headphones is stable almost everywhere. Only artifacts appear on the balcony.
And they didn’t save on codecs yet: SBC and AAC are supported. They will be good, even like ordinary headphones for the iPhone H9. Naturally, the headset can and should be connected to smartphones.
The kit includes a Bluetooth dongle with a PC / PS5 mode switch. To work with the console, you need to insert the dongle into the connector on the front panel of the PS5, turn on the headset, and then the gnomes themselves will transfer the sound to your ears. With a PC, the logic is the same, but you can still install the Inzone Hub program and configure everything – I would do this to update the software.
In general, such omnivorousness is highly out of place: I have a gaming laptop and a PS5, and some headphones are enough for both. Among the options for the PC are turning off the backlight on the cups, adjusting the dynamic range and noise reduction patterns, and changing the transparency mode. Cool!
But I liked something else.
Noise suppression
Noise cancellation is excellent. It’s not too strong, not too weak, just enough to leave you alone with the game – everything else disappears. I often use headphones in the evenings. Firstly, to not disturb anyone with shooting and noise; secondly, to calmly chat with the guys if we play in the same team (this, alas, rarely happens now). And with ANC, you feel alone at home – for some games, this is even too much. Let’s say an updated Dead Space comes out – I’m afraid to play with the noise reduction turned on. It’s terrifying.
But with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2019, noise reduction allows you to focus ideally – nothing is left but the game. The H9 is also doing very well with the positioning of objects paired with ANC. This gives a fantastic effect – you understand that the dude is stomping somewhere to the left.
The transparency mode is normal, nothing supernatural – if you need to talk to someone without looking up from the game, turn it on, and it turns out great.
Sound
Everything is fine: there are healthy 40mm drivers, many sounds, every rustle, and every breath of breeze can be felt. As I said, everything is fine with positioning. They are recommended for shooters! I also played the modernized The Last of Us – a buzz, the clickers behind the wall scare with their cries, the weapon slams piercingly, and the voices are perfect. It is noticeable that the H9 is ideal for the Sony universe – I want to believe that accessories are being tested with suitable games.
I did find one drawback – the material on the cups very quickly collects dust, hair, pieces of skin, and everything in the world. And it’s tough to clean!
The voice quality is excellent, and everything was fine with the Sony Pulse 3D, but the microphone on the leg is located right at the mouth – you speak in the usual way, and you can hear everyone. I already said that you could adjust the volume of the game and chat separately; however, you have to remember the location of the buttons on the cups. In general, nothing complicated.
Verdict
As you know, Sony has pretended that Russia does not exist: new items are not delivered, the PSN store is secured, and prepaid cards for our country are no longer issued. Inquisitive citizens of the Russian Federation have long been accustomed to everything – Turkish and American accounts are made, games are downloaded, disks are brought in, and accessories can also be bought on Ali and in other stores. Therefore, Sony Inzone H9 does not seem to be sold in Russia, but it looks like they are easy to buy.
The price is about 26,000 rubles, and I think this is the best deal for the console. These headphones fit the design. They have excellent sound and noise reduction, excellent battery life, and are very pleased with the PC capabilities. You can live in two worlds with the H9 without any problems. This is an example of a product created with the mind. Yes, it was possible to make the microphone leg removable, but forgive me – each such refinement affects the price of the thing.
They may object to me: here are the gaming “bangs,” but here is Logitech, but this, but this – yes, guys, all this is excellent. Only Sony did a good thing for little money with all the modern features. I think that shortly, a worthy competitor for the H9 will not appear unless Sony decides to do something even more extraordinary.
