Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Twitch
    Game on Aus
    • News
      Revive, a new Australian Government arts policy

      Australian Government To Revive Interactive Games Fund

      January 30, 2023

      The Government announced the return of the Australian Interactive Games Fund as part of a new national cultural policy, Revive.

      James Bond spy running from fire

      Golden Eye comes to Game Pass in February 2023

      January 26, 2023

      Exciting times ahead, as Microsoft announced the next wave of titles coming to Xbox Game Pass for Console, Cloud and…

      Developer_Direct presented by Xbox & Bethesda

      Developer_Direct presented by Xbox & Bethesda

      January 26, 2023

      Today, Xbox and Bethesda presented the first ever Developer_Direct, which provided an inside look at some of the biggest games…

      The Kid Laroi x Fornite - Wild Dreams

      The Kid Laroi’s Wild Dreams – New Interactive Fortnite Experience starting 28 Jan

      January 24, 2023

      [This media release has been provided by Double Jump and is presented by the GOA team for your information] Australian…

      2K Game announce WWE2K23 Cover Athlete

      2K Game announce WWE2K23 Cover Athlete

      January 23, 2023

      [This media release has been provided by 2K Games and is presented by the GOA team for your information] The…

      View All
    • Reviews
      front view of white elgato microphone

      The Elgato Wave 3

      January 28, 2023

      THE Elgato Wave 3 is an excellent microphone for streaming and podcasting. The built-in audio interface makes it easy to…

      Dead Space review – Return to the dark

      Dead Space review – Return to the dark

      January 27, 2023

      DEAD SPACE has long been a highly regarded franchise in the horror community. Ever since its original release back in…

      Fire Emblem Engage – Review

      Fire Emblem Engage – Review

      January 24, 2023

      THE Fire Emblem series remains more popular than ever and several of the games, including the latest one, Fire Emblem Engage,…

      One Piece Odyssey – Review

      One Piece Odyssey – Review

      January 18, 2023

      CONFESSION time: I’ve never watched any of the One Piece anime shows – or any anime, to be honest -…

      Samurai Maiden Review – You talk too much

      Samurai Maiden Review – You talk too much

      December 21, 2022

      SAMURAI Maiden has finally released after some time in early access on Steam on PlayStation 4, 5, Nintendo Switch and…

      View All
    • Podcasts
      Nuts & Bolts Hero Card Ep 71

      Nuts & Bolts Ep 71: 2023 Starts With A BANG!

      January 28, 2023

      Natty and Jim have their work cut out for them catching up on all the esports news! From ESL launching…

      The Weekly Show Ep 268 Hero Card

      The Weekly Show Ep 268: Out With The Old, In With The New…Year

      December 16, 2022

      Doomcutie joins Stormie and Jim as they talk through mods, leaks and so much more! Plus our Bloody Good Game Of The Week thanks to Aussie Broadband.

      Nuts & Bolts Ep 70 Hero Card

      Nuts & Bolts Ep 70: Farewell 2022

      December 10, 2022

      In their last show for 2022 Jim gets fired up about an incident in Argentinian Valorant, Natty laments the end…

      The Weekly Show Ep 267 Hero Card

      The Weekly Show Ep 267: Consulting The Crystal Ball For The Game Awards

      December 9, 2022

      Doomcutie joins Stormie and Jim as they talk through mods, leaks and so much more! Plus our Bloody Good Game Of The Week thanks to Aussie Broadband.

      Nuts & Bolts Ep 69 Hero Card

      Nuts & Bolts Ep 69: Noice

      December 3, 2022

      Jim flies solo as he recaps the ANZPL Grand Final. He talks League of Legends player movements, an OWL team…

      View All
    • Categories
      • BY PLATFORM
        • Playstation
        • Xbox
        • Nintendo
        • PC
        • Mobile
        • VR
        • Retro
      • BY GENRE
        • Action
        • Action-Adventure
        • Battle Royale
        • Fighting
        • FPS
        • Horror Games
        • RPG
        • Simulation
        • Sports
        • MMORPG
        • MOBA
        • Platformer
        • Strategy
        • Survival
        • Indie
      • GOA ESSENTIALS
        • Esports
        • Conventions
        • Tabletop
        • Hardware
        • Funny
        • Streaming
        • Win
        • Podcast
        • Video
    • More
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
    Game on Aus
    Home » Sony InZone H9 Wireless Noise Cancelling Gaming Headset reviewed
    Sony InZone H9 Wireless Noise Cancelling Gaming Headset reviewed
    GAMING REVIEWS

    Sony InZone H9 Wireless Noise Cancelling Gaming Headset reviewed

    Royce WilsonBy Royce WilsonSeptember 18, 2022
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    EVEN though Sony are best known in gaming circles for the PlayStation family of consoles, their latest offering is designed first and foremost to be a PC peripheral.

    The Sony InZone H9 is the flagship model of Sony’s InZone range of headsets, including the H3, H7 and the H9 which are designed for PC gamers first and with PlayStation compatibility as a bonus feature rather than the main attraction – at least from a marketing perspective.

    The H9 is a wireless, noise cancelling model with 40mm Neodymium drivers and an overall weight of 330g, and I was quite impressed with it when I had some hands-on time with it a couple of months ago at the launch event.

    Sony InZone H9 Wireless Noise Cancelling Gaming Headset reviewed
    Sony InZone H9 headset

    There’s a lift-to-mute mic on the left hand side, along with the general volume control and the button to switch between noise cancelling and ambient noise modes. The power, Bluetooth and chat/game audio mix controls are on the other earcup. There are LED light accents around the rings connecting the earcups to the headband, too. Not really sure who they’re for, though, since as the wearer you can’t see them.

    Primary connection is via a USB-A wireless dongle that plugs into a PC or PlayStation; there’s a switch on the dongle to select between the two. It’s plug-and-play; just plug it in and turn the headset on. It also has Bluetooth connection too – more on that later

    At first feel, the unit feels pretty average – all plastic (except the leather earcup pads and fabric speaker covers, obviously), no metal, and not particularly hefty.

    The somewhat lacklustre handling feel of the unit is rescued by its solid audio performance, however.

    Sony InZone H9 Wireless Noise Cancelling Gaming Headset reviewed
    The Sony InZone H9 technical specifications

    Sony have said the unit has the same drivers as its WH-1000MX3 wireless headset and the sound quality is certainly quite good, with plenty of bass (no doubt helped by the vents on the top of the earcups).

    What’s particularly unusual about the H9 is that it also has Active Noise Cancelling, which I haven’t encountered in a dedicated gaming headset before (although it is commonplace in higher-end multipurpose headsets).

    In practical terms, this means it blocks out ambient noise – for example, a PC fan, a neighbour’s lawnmower, a pet running up and down the hallway for some reason, or just general household noise.

    Sony InZone H9 Wireless Noise Cancelling Gaming Headset reviewed
    The noise cancelling feature isn’t perfect, but does a good job of blocking out a lot of ambient noise so you can focus on your game.

    It makes a noticeable amount of difference to the experience too, allowing for a more focussed audio environment, although it’s not perfect and seems to work better on lower frequency sounds (such as humming fans) rather than higher-pitched noises.

    The H9 features 360 degree spatial audio, which certainly works very well, and can be enhanced a bit further with the somewhat gimmicky idea of using a separate app to take photos of your ears so it can customise the soundscape further (I didn’t notice a significant improvement and the headset worked fine without it, though).

    On PC, the audio can be customised via Sony InZone software, covering everything from EQ to which mode the ANC starts in, and things like that. This lets you get the audio just how you like it, but it only works on PC – the settings don’t transfer over to other devices from what I could tell.

    It worked well audio-wise with everything I tried, including Saints Row and the assorted YouTube videos, streaming audio, and so on that I regularly use on my PC too.

    Sony InZone H9 Wireless Noise Cancelling Gaming Headset reviewed
    The Sony InZone H9 works really well as a PlayStation 5 headset, offering good audio and integrated compatibility with the console system.

    Despite Sony pitching these as PC gaming headset, they are fully PlayStation 5 compatible (obviously) and this is where they shine.

    The surround sound experience via PlayStation 5 really is amazing. It’s not quite the Pulse 3D audio effect, but it’s very close and provides a very similar practical experience.

    They are probably the best-sounding PlayStation wireless headset I’ve used, and have inserted themselves into the default PS5 headset location on my entertainment unit as a result. I tested it with The Last Of Us Part I and Ghost of Tsushima and was impressed by the quality of the audio, including how I could specifically identify where enemies were moving or sounds coming from – moreso even than other headsets with 7.1 or virtual surround capabilites that I’ve used before.

    In addition to the PC or PS5 connection, the H9 also supports Bluetooth connectivity; including simultaneous connection with a mobile phone. This is surprisingly helpful for ensuring you still receive notifications, calls and so on – you can even stream audio from your phone too.

    The unit worked well as a straight Bluetooth headset too with an iPad Pro and iPhone 13, although if you’re looking for a primary headset for a mobile device I strongly suggest you invest in a set of Sony WH-1000MX5s instead.

    Sony InZone H9 Wireless Noise Cancelling Gaming Headset reviewed
    The Sony InZone headsets are very much designed for gaming.

    The H9 is extremely comfortable to wear, but with one caveat: My ears got pretty sweaty while wearing it, to the point where I had to take them off after a couple of hours so the side of my head could ‘breathe’.

    The battery charges via USB-C connection and  lasts for about 32 hours without the ANC going, and there’s an option for a 10 minute rapid charge which can provide an hour of gaming if needed. It also supports charge-and-play too, if you need that.

    Aesthetically they fit well with the PlayStation 5 and the Lunar White colour gaming systems from Alienware, so if you’re keen on your peripherals matching your system that’s something which might be of interest.

    The main sticking point for me at the moment is the price – with an RRP of AUD$449 – and the sweaty ears thing. I live in Queensland and the summers here get over 40°C so I foresee a suboptimal experience there.

    As a PC headset, these are pretty good but nothing particularly special and are rather expensive for what they are (especially when you consider the many other high-quality headsets from other brands which are available – but if you’re looking for a decent PlayStation 5 headset with ANC, these have a lot to offer and are a more appealing proposition for that use case.

     

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleNuts & Bolts Ep 58: It’s Tough At The Top
    Next Article Disney Magic At Sea cruises coming to Australia from 2023

    Related Posts

    front view of white elgato microphone
    GAMING REVIEWS January 28, 2023

    The Elgato Wave 3

    THE Elgato Wave 3 is an excellent microphone for streaming and podcasting. The built-in audio interface makes it easy to…

    Dead Space review – Return to the dark
    ACTION-ADVENTURE January 27, 2023

    Dead Space review – Return to the dark

    DEAD SPACE has long been a highly regarded franchise in the horror community. Ever since its original release back in…

    Subscribe

    Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

    Ads

    Categories
    • ACTION
    • ACTION-ADVENTURE
    • APPLE
    • BATTLE ROYALE
    • CLOUD GAMING
    • CONVENTIONS
    • ESPORTS
    • Events
    • FEATURE
    • FIGHTING
    • FPS
    • FUNNY
    • GAMING HARDWARE
    • GAMING NEWS
    • GAMING REVIEWS
    • GIFT GUIDE
    • GOA
    • GOA PODCAST
    • HORROR GAMES
    • INDIE GAMING
    • Industry
    • MMORPG
    • MOBA
    • MOBILE
    • NINTENDO
    • Open-World
    • OPINION
    • PC
    • PLATFORMER
    • PLAYSTATION
    • Press Release
    • PREVIEW
    • RACING
    • RETRO
    • RPG
    • SIMULATION
    • SPORTS
    • STRATEGY
    • STREAMING
    • SUBSCRIPTION GAMES SERVICE UPDATES
    • SURVIVAL
    • TABLETOP GAMING
    • TECH
    • VIDEO
    • VR
    • XBOX
    Related Article
    Revive, a new Australian Government arts policy
    GAMING NEWS

    Australian Government To Revive Interactive Games Fund

    January 30, 2023Darren 'Str8JaktJim' MacneallBy Darren 'Str8JaktJim' Macneall

    The Government announced the return of the Australian Interactive Games Fund as part of a new national cultural policy, Revive.

    front view of white elgato microphone
    GAMING REVIEWS

    The Elgato Wave 3

    January 28, 2023DoomcutieBy Doomcutie

    THE Elgato Wave 3 is an excellent microphone for streaming and podcasting. The built-in audio interface makes it easy to connect to your computer…

    Game on Australia’s Most Anticipated Video Game titles of 2023
    FEATURE

    Game on Australia’s Most Anticipated Video Game titles of 2023

    January 28, 2023Mikeey BarrowBy Mikeey Barrow

    WELL, a new year is upon us and with that, the future’s looking bright for another year of new release titles to come out.…

    Game on Australia Logo

    Game On Aus is an Australian games publication working across written, video and podcast, and supported by an ever-growing community of content creators and fans!

    Copyright GameOnAus 2023. Privacy Policy. Website by Digital Hitmen

    CONTENT
    • News
    • Gaming Reviews
    • Podcast
    • Tech
    • Indie
    ABOUT GOA
    • About Us
    • Contact

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.