I Did Not Expect These Sony Headphones To Set Such A High Bar For Immersive Audio

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Sony's InZone H9 II headset is disposable now for $349.
• Their 360-degree spatial sound allows for immersive audio (especially for FPS games) while nan detachable mic turns them into a awesome brace of mundane headphones.
• The achromatic matte texture is simply a fingerprint magnet.

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Sony precocious released its latest brace of premium gaming headphones, nan InZone H9 II, a follow-up to its erstwhile high-end gaming headset, nan InZone H9 pinch improved spatial sound, a detachable mic, and a redesigned headband that's substantially much premium. 

We reviewed nan H9 backmost successful 2022, truthful it's decidedly clip for an upgrade to Sony's high-end gaming line. Sony engineers worked pinch e-sports statement Fnatic to create nan H9 II, resulting successful a fistful of quality-of-life features that gamers will appreciate. This includes fastener placement, fit, and my individual favourite characteristic -- nan detachable mic. 

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The H9 II takes a precise attack to audio, pinch 360 spatial sound that communicates subtle effects for illustration footsteps down you and directional movement, for immoderate beautiful awesome immersion. 

The 30mm drivers present are nan aforesaid arsenic Sony's WH-1000XM6 headphones, truthful you're getting rich | audio arsenic a baseline, pinch immoderate EQ presets designed specifically for effects you'll brushwood successful FPSs, for illustration footsteps, gunshots, and directional sound effects. 

Notably, however, they're smaller than nan 40mm drivers successful nan H9, supporting Sony's extremity present successful allowing for clearer, much elaborate sound. We're talking rustling leaves, gentle breezes, and of course, gunfire pinch precise locationality.

Environment plays a large domiciled successful really good you tin perceive each of these things, of course. You can't precisely perceive nan footsteps of nan subordinate stalking down you pinch barking dogs successful nan background. Luckily, nan headphones' sound canceling useful very well, reinforced by nan gentle, but complete, seal offered by nan earpads. 

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET

Noise cancellation tin beryllium toggled pinch nan fastener connected nan near betwixt ambient, ANC on, aliases off. While on, it succeeds astatine blocking retired your situation to melodramatic effect. 

There's different ways to play, though, arsenic immoderate gamer tin attest to. Personally, I switch betwixt gaming pinch ANC on, to swapping to ambient mode and keeping nan game's audio to my outer speakers. That way, I tin relegate sound comms to nan headset. 

Luckily, you don't request to do a full batch of tinkering to get bully capacity retired of these headphones. Their lightweight fresh and balanced sound floor plan makes for coagulated capacity consecutive retired of nan box, pinch further EQ adjustments acting arsenic a bonus. 

Also: I wore nan champion headphones from Sony, Bose, Apple, and Sonos: Here's really nan AirPods Max wins

I tried nan H9 II successful a assortment of games, and recovered nan headphones' spatial sound to beryllium very nice. Sound effects that are acold disconnected are good telegraphed, pinch subtle directional effects that, arsenic designed, are moreover much noticeable successful quiet environments pinch little audio clutter.

In position of comfort, lightweight is nan cardinal connection here, arsenic nan full headset weighs astir 273 grams (0.6 pounds) pinch a comfortable fresh that's some sealed disconnected but comfortable capable to deterioration for extended sessions. 

The adjustable headband connected nan H9 II is made pinch a braided cloth worldly that's exceedingly ray yet sturdy. The engineering present is simply a monolithic betterment complete nan erstwhile model's heavy and clunky padded headband. 

The headset connects via a USB-C dongle that utilizes a 2.4GHz relationship and LE Audio and Bluetooth for multi-point connectivity, while each of nan astir communal settings are accessible via beingness buttons connected nan headphones. This includes nan mic mute, ANC connected aliases off, game/chat mode, and nan Bluetooth pairing button.

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The shut up fastener is particularly handy, arsenic it's a toggle move that's extended erstwhile muted, and flush pinch nan headphones erstwhile open. Located connected nan apical of nan near ear, it gives you one-handed entree to quickly shut up aliases speak. If you're ever unsure, there's a reddish LED astatine nan extremity that lights up erstwhile you're muted.

The powerfulness fastener is connected nan beforehand of nan correct broadside -- a harder to scope spot designed to debar nan accidental tap, but nan ANC/Bluetooth buttons are easy mixed up. Looking astatine nan headset for labels whitethorn aliases whitethorn not beryllium of help, arsenic nan people supra nan buttons (on nan headset pinch nan achromatic colorway) is truthful mini and truthful dark, I had to put my iPhone's flashlight connected it to see. 

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET

This leads maine to my different title astir nan headset: nan achromatic matte texture is an absolute fingerprint magnet. I've been utilizing these headphones for a week, and they look for illustration I've had them for acold longer than that. Granted, wiping them down pinch a cloth solves this problem, but I decidedly would person opted for a different colour aliases finish. 

The H9 II is besides rather bully arsenic an all-around brace of headphones distant from nan console. With nan detachable mic, they go regular headphones pinch sound value you'd expect from a mid- to upper-tier brace of headphones. In fact, they're louder than my mundane transportation brace of JBLs and really consciousness awesome astatine nan gym (yes, I went moving pinch them, and they felt great). 

Also: I wore nan champion headphones from Sony, Bose, Apple, and Sonos: Here's really nan AirPods Max wins

The headset's support for multi-point connectivity is simply a bully positive that allows for relationship pinch aggregate devices astatine nan aforesaid time. This intends erstwhile you're heavy successful nan game, you tin still perceive incoming calls aliases texts done nan headset, preventing important missed calls because you were excessively engaged exploding spaceships. 

Taking calls pinch nan headset is besides a amazingly bully personification experience. The sound value is good, and callers said my sound came done large and clear. 

So, let's talk artillery life. Sony advertises an mean of 30 hours of artillery life, which is really little than nan 32 mean connected nan H9 but still bully for a gaming headset. During my testing, I recovered that you'll get rather a spot little than this if you usage nan ANC.

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That being said, nan headset charges fast. Sony says that 5 minutes of complaint clip will springiness you up to 3 hours of use, which equates to astir 30% artillery successful little than 10 minutes. Once you're astir 20% juice, nan headphones will notify you pinch a "Battery low" notification. 

Luckily, nan USB-C to USB-A cord that comes pinch nan headphones is other long, truthful if you do request to plug successful during a gaming session, it's hardly an issue. 

ZDNET's buying advice

The Sony InZone H9 II are a awesome brace of gaming headphones, and I'd urge them to anyone who appreciates refined, precise audio effects conscionable arsenic overmuch arsenic booming explosions and gunfire. The 360-degree spatial sound is very immersive, particularly for FPS games, and nan directional effects really do travel alive. 

However, nan headphones' lightweight shape and propensity to beryllium a fingerprint magnet don't do overmuch to exude a "premium" aesthetic. Luckily, nan achromatic colorway eliminates this problem, but then, achromatic tech is its ain situation successful longevity. These are gaming headphones, aft all, but for nan unit value of $349, these specifications matter. 

All successful all, nan audio wins out, particularly since you tin detach nan mic and person a banger brace of headphones for mundane use.