The Sony INZONE H9 II is a substantially different gaming headset from its predecessor, the Sony INZONE H9 Wireless. Having undergone a complete redesign, this newer entry features a suspension headband for improved comfort, a lighter build overall, and still includes active noise cancellation (ANC). While the brand borrows the 30 mm carbon composite dynamic drivers and ear cup design found on the Sony WH-1000XM6, whether the INZONE H9 II matches its sibling's exceptional ANC will largely determine if it's worth the extra spend over similar competitors.
Our Verdict
The Sony INZONE H9 II isn't ideal for sports and fitness. While you can use it wirelessly with its dongle or via Bluetooth, the headset isn't particularly stable and has no IP rating. If you exercise in the elements, sweat a lot, or tend to bounce or move suddenly, the chances are high that the Sony will get damaged at some point. That said, if you ultimately choose to take that risk, this headset is relatively lightweight and quite comfortable.
Comfortable and lightweight design.
Not particularly stable.
The Sony INZONE H9 II is good for travel. It has a 30-hour battery life while ANC is active, along with a lightweight and comfortable fit. However, its ANC system is somewhat lacking in the mid-range and low bass. In practice, you'll notice more engine rumble and chatty passengers on flights. While the Sony comes with a soft carrying case, it doesn't provide any structural protection to prevent the headset from being damaged. On the plus side, you can also use the headset wired (with or without power), so it should work with most modern in-flight entertainment systems.
Comfortable and lightweight design.
Functions passively or while charging.
ANC doesn't handle low-frequency and mid-range noise very well.
The Sony INZONE H9 II is good for office work. The headset supports multi-device pairing, provided you use the wireless dongle and a Bluetooth connection, and also allows for simultaneous audio. Plus, the Sony is comfortable and lightweight, making it great for full workdays. Thanks to its mic system's ability to capture your voice clearly, regardless of background noise level, the Sony is ideal for Microsoft Teams, Zoom, or Google Meet calls. However, the Sony's ANC system isn't as great at attenuating noise, so while your coworkers may not hear your screaming kids in the next room, you certainly will.
Exceptional noise rejection on the microphone.
Comfortable and lightweight design.
ANC doesn't handle low-frequency and mid-range noise very well.
The Sony INZONE H9 II is good for wireless gaming. The headset's 30-hour battery life (with ANC on) gives you plenty of game time. Its exceptional microphone noise handling also ensures your teammates won't be distracted even if you game in a busy living room. That said, the Sony's ANC can only reduce the noise you experience from chattering relatives and wheezing HVAC systems, rather than isolate you completely. Ergonomically, the Sony is lightweight and comfortable, ideal for even the longest gaming sessions. And its intuitive and easy-to-use controls allow you to control volume with a dedicated dial, switch ANC modes, and even adjust game/chat mix from a simultaneous wireless dongle and Bluetooth connection. Unfortunately, the headset isn't compatible with Xbox consoles when used with its wireless dongle.
Exceptional noise rejection on the microphone.
Comfortable and lightweight design.
No Xbox console support using wireless dongle.
The Sony INZONE H9 II is good for wired gaming. The headset works when wired passively, actively, and while charging, giving you a fallback for when your battery runs out (or you want to play on Xbox). As you'd expect from wired connections, the headset has negligible latency, so you won't need to worry about audio-visual desync for even the snappiest cues (like gunshots). The Sony's lightweight design and low clamping force also make it a joy to wear for long periods of time. Plus, its microphone works even when wired.
Exceptional noise rejection on the microphone.
Comfortable and lightweight design.
Analog cable prone to tangling.
The Sony INZONE H9 II has very good audio reproduction accuracy. In objective metrics like harmonic distortion and stereo mismatch, the headset exhibits no major issues, ensuring clean and accurate reproduction of sound objects in the stereo image. However, low-bass group delay issues are indicative of phase shifts that ultimately affect the frequency response in the same region. While this isn't captured by the peaks and dips scoring, the headset has a noteworthy lack of low bass relative to its massive mid- and high-bass emphasis. That said, this combination of sonic characteristics can be more of a feature than a bug, depending on how much you prioritize hearing footsteps and your tolerance for muddiness in sound reproduction. While the headset also interacts with your pinna, the Sony's PRTF doesn't really resemble our natural-sounding speaker benchmark.
The Sony INZONE H9 II has decent noise isolation performance. While it's equipped with ANC, noise attenuation likely wasn't a priority in the headset's development. It'll cut down the whir of your gaming PC and your room's ambient din, but you may still make out your housemates having a chat in the next room.
The Sony INZONE H9 II outperforms relative to the overall mic score. Its boom mic has better recording quality than the score indicates, rendering vocals as crisp, comprehensible, and natural, though higher-pitched voices may lack some brightness. In uncontrolled or noisy environments, the mic easily separates your voice from noise, reproducing speech with exceptional fidelity, even with loud, sustained noise in the background.
The Sony INZONE H9 II has okay frequency response consistency. Our frequency response measurements more or less match what most people should expect to hear. However, if you wear glasses or have long, thick hair that can interrupt the earpads' seal, you should expect some reduction in low-bass delivery.
Performance Usages
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Sony INZONE H9 II comes in two colors: 'Black' and 'White.' Our unit is 'White,' and you can see its label.
If you encounter additional variants or colors, please let us know in the comments below, and we'll update the review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Sony INZONE H9 II occupy an interesting space in the gaming audio ecosystem: the 2025 entry stands out from most other headsets due to its inclusion of ANC, but it's priced less aggressively compared to competing entries like the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro and the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless. Despite this, the Sony doesn't outperform either competitor across a wide gamut of metrics: it can't match the whopping 69.7-hour battery life of the Razer, nor the PlayStation and Xbox wireless compatibility of the SteelSeries. That said, it has one of the best mic systems we've tested, and edges out both alternatives in noise isolation performance and comfort. It's worth mentioning that this headset's sound signature departs from most conventional options, with huge emphasis placed on the mid-bass frequencies. But if you were a fan of the Sony's first iteration, the Sony INZONE H9 Wireless, you'll probably like how this entry sounds.
Looking for a gaming headset at various price brackets? Check out our recommendations for the best budget and cheap gaming headsets and the best gaming headsets. Don't need a mic and just want good sound? Have a look at our recommendations for the best audiophile headphones.
The Audeze Maxwell and the Sony INZONE H9 II are both wireless gaming headsets. The Sony uniquely features ANC in this comparison, providing a significant boost to noise attenuation for the wearer. However, this comes at a cost, as the Audeze has a much longer 77.4-hour battery life compared to the Sony's 30. And while the Audeze supports the LDAC codec for Hi-Res Bluetooth audio, the Sony trades blows with support for Bluetooth LE's LC3 codec, which offers improvements in audio latency alongside similar benefits to audio fidelity. It's also worth noting that the much heavier Audeze is almost twice as heavy as the INZONE, and not nearly as comfortable, though this may be a tradeoff you're willing to make for the Audeze Maxwell's audiophile-level sound (according to much of the community).
The Razer BlackShark V3 Pro and the Sony INZONE H9 II are similar wireless gaming headsets with significant feature overlap. The typically more expensive Sony only supports PC and PlayStation via its wireless dongle, while the Razer comes in three platform variants for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox (we tested the PC version). Both headphones feature active noise cancellation, though the Sony is slightly more effective at attenuating noise. However, the Razer has over double the battery life with 69.7 hours compared to the Sony's 30. On the other hand, the Sony has a boom mic that manages to separate your voice from even loud, sustained background noise much more proficiently than the Razer. The deciding factor for most will be device compatibility and whether the extra spend is worth it for the better mic noise handling.
The Sony INZONE H9 II and the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless are both wireless gaming headsets with ANC. The Sony is a bit more expensive and has better noise isolation overall, but the SteelSeries supports both PlayStation and Xbox consoles without requiring a different platform variant. That said, the Sony's boom mic performs better overall and shines in isolating your voice from background noise. Both devices also support simultaneous audio with one dongle/dock-connected device and one Bluetooth device. Due to the relatively small price gap, you're deciding primarily between better mic and ANC performance on the Sony or console compatibility on the SteelSeries.
The Sony INZONE H9 II is the successor to the Sony INZONE H9 Wireless. The H9 II has a physical redesign alongside improvements and additions under the hood, including LC3 codec support with Bluetooth LE. The sequel is lighter overall and more comfortable, opting for a more adaptable suspension headband design. The controls on each ear cup have also been marginally improved with a more distinguishable power button shape. Meanwhile, the newer microphone is also better sounding with and without background noise. Both headphones also have a similar sound signature with a heavy mid-bass to low-mid emphasis. If you're a fan of this sound, you'll have to decide whether improvements of the H9 II are worth the extra spend compared to the original H9.
Test Results
The Sony INZONE H9 II has a warm sound profile. That said, it isn't quite like most other warm sound signatures, with a very imbalanced distribution of emphasis within the low-end. While the headset's default sound will amp up most footsteps and the impact of explosions, you may find they lack an underlying, powerful rumble to sound convincing.
We took supplemental measurements via its multiple supported connections, and via its wireless dongle with ANC on and off, various EQ presets, and Spatial Sound on and off.
This headset has okay frequency response consistency. It performs better than the similarly designed Sony WH-1000XM6, likely thanks to its deeper ear cups and more accommodating headband design. That said, if you wear glasses or have long hair pinched by the pads, you can expect less sub-bass delivery, which may exacerbate perceived pre-existing flaws with the already de-emphasized sub-bass (relative to the rest of the range).
The bass target compliance is okay. Unlike other gaming headsets that emphasize the bass uniformly, like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite, or with a downward tilt, like the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro, the Sony have an immensely bloated mid and high bass, which can cause explosions to muddy or mask dialogue. That said, you may prefer this bass response for highlighting the sound of footsteps, depending on the game.
The headset's mid-range target compliance is great. There's some carryover emphasis from the bass region in the low-mids, further muddying dialogue in cutscenes.
This headset's treble compliance is superb. A small cut in the low-treble can reduce the harshness of voices, but when contrasted with emphasis in the mid-treble, it may cause metallic sound effects to sound piercing.
The peaks and dips performance is decent. For the most part, the headset's frequency response adheres to its bass-boosted sound signature. While there isn't a sudden jump in frequency response in the bass range, the relatively flat line on our graph conceals a noteworthy scoop in the sub-bass, followed by a massively bloated mid and high bass. Meanwhile, narrow bands of emphasis in the treble can cause the reproduction of sibilants to be particularly piercing and vocals or instruments to sound hissy.
The Sony INZONE H9 II have amazingly well-matched L/R drivers. Phase and frequency response mismatch is kept at a minimum, and the overall weighted amplitude mismatch is practically non-existent. Trained listeners may perceive the slight phase shift around 900Hz with testing sweeps, but it won't be noticeable in real content.
The headset has decent group delay with potential issues primarily localized in the lower end. These fluctuations in the sub-bass are indicative of phase shifts in neighboring frequencies that affect the frequency response in the same bands. The reduced power in the sub-bass, coupled with group delay issues, may result in the perception of weakness to trained listeners, particularly in tracks like Here With Me by PEEKABOO.
This headset has a disappointing PRTF that doesn't resemble the PRTF of our benchmark 30° speaker setup. As a result, audio reproduced by the headset may not sound very natural.
This headset has exceptionally low harmonic distortion. Most people won't be able to distinguish any timbral coloration, even at high levels.
When wired (and powered off), this headset doesn't need an amp to drive it at high levels.
The Sony INZONE H9 II supports virtual surround sound on both desktop (Spatial Sound) and via the app (360 Reality Audio).
Like other Sony headphones, 360 Reality Audio analyzes your ear shape via a listening test and applies to supported services like Amazon Music Unlimited.
The desktop implementation of Spatial Sound uses the dedicated 360 Spatial Sound Personalizer app and requires photos of your ears rather than a listening test. While it applies DSP to all content once activated, we didn't find the effect particularly convincing. That said, some may find it enhances immersion while gaming.
These are the settings used to test this headset. Our results are only valid when the headset is used in this configuration.
The Sony INZONE H9 II represents a major stylistic departure from its predecessor, the Sony INZONE H9 Wireless. The newer entry features aviation-headset styled ear cups connected to a lightweight, adjustable suspension headband system. Rather than the twin-span outer frame found on the Dan Clark Audio AEON 2 Noire, this headset features a single fabric-wrapped support rail that feeds into plastic yokes connected to each ear cup. The suspended headband slides along an articulated rail system and has a rough fabric texture. While the earpads are quite similar in shape to those of the Sony WH-1000XM6, the wrapping is primarily cloth rather than leatherette. Meanwhile, the detachable boom mic connects to the left ear cup.
Between the 'White' and 'Black' color variants, only the ear cup color changes to reflect the contrasting colorways. Most of the headset's components have a matte black finish, with 'INZONE' branding and L/R labels on the plastic yokes.
The Sony INZONE H9 II is quite comfortable. The new suspension headband allows it to distribute weight and conform to your head shape more effectively than typical static headbands. However, if you find yourself adjusting the headphones with too much force, you might shift the headset's headband adjustment. Thanks to their lighter weight and low clamping force, the headset doesn't cause a lot of fatigue if you wear glasses.
Their earpads are quite similar in shape to those of the Sony WH-1000XM6, though they have substantially more cushioning and have a deeper design, reducing the likelihood of your ears brushing against the ANC microphones next to the drivers. That said, the WH-1000XM6's earpads have more responsive foam that better conforms to your head and a fully leatherette finish, compared to the partial cloth design of the INZONE H9 II's.
The Sony INZONE H9 II has an excellent control scheme that is easy to use once you learn the commands. Most functions have a dedicated control: a dedicated volume dial with a tactile dot representing the increase direction, a unique mute button with an indicator light on the boom mic, a noise cancelling/ambient button, and game/chat mix adjustment buttons. However, playback, track cycling, and Bluetooth controls all live on the Bluetooth button. Each button has a different shape and/or texture, too, making them easy to discern from one another.
The headset also provides excellent feedback. You have unique chimes for game/chat mix (game or chat only and at half and half), voice prompts for power, battery, and pairing status (which can be disabled), min/max volume chimes (same chime for both), and a Bluetooth indicator light.
These headphones are lightweight, but they can't collapse or fold for increased portability. That said, the ear cups rotate flat to conserve some space when the headset rests around your neck.
The headset comes with a cloth carrying pouch. While water resistant, it won't provide any impact protection to your headset should you drop it.
The Sony INZONE H9 II has a decent build quality. Given Sony's track record with the WH-1000XM5 and ULT WEAR hinges, we have reservations about the INZONE's overall long-term durability. We found the other structural components, like the suspension headband adjustment and yokes, to have an average plastic construction that was somewhat concerning due to how lightweight they are. That said, the ear cups and earpads seem sturdy and durable enough. The included USB-C and analog cables are decently thick, though we found the analog cable was more prone to tangling.
The Sony INZONE H9 II has passable stability. Their relatively low clamping force and suspended headband design don't contribute much to their stability. While they likely won't fall off if you turn your head to answer a question from a housemate, there's a high chance they'll fall off your head if you jump up in excitement after a clutch ace in CS2.
- Sony INZONE H9 II headset
- 90° 3.5 mm TRRS to 3.5 mm TRRRS cable (2 m/6.56 ft)
- USB A to USB-C charging cable (2 m/6.56 ft)
- Detachable boom mic
- 2.4GHz USB-C dongle
- Carrying pouch
- Documentation
- Stickers
Though the Sony INZONE H9 II uses the same drivers as the Sony WH-1000XM6, its ANC system, unfortunately, doesn't perform nearly as well. The gaming headset's passive isolation is notably worse, likely due to the substitution of faux-leather earpads for hybrid cloth ones. Meanwhile, the INZONE's active noise cancelling doesn't improve attenuation much, particularly in the mid-range, where human voices lie. That said, they don't underperform when compared to competing ANC gaming headsets, like the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro.
This headset has decent noise isolation performance in our synthetic recreations of common scenarios. While it can't match purpose-made noise cancelling headphones in performance, the Sony INZONE H9 II still does a decent job attenuating whirring fans in your gaming rig and bassy construction noise in a neighboring building. That said, you'll likely notice bullpen chatter if you work in a busy, open-concept office.
The headset is affected by the physical interaction of wind with its ANC system, which causes you to hear popping noises while the feature is active.
The headset leaks some audio. If you listen at higher volumes, someone sitting nearby may notice your audio above the noise floor of the average household.
This headset has a detachable boom microphone, but no integrated backup mic like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite.
The microphone outperforms our measured score and most other gaming headsets. It renders our test voice excellently, though higher-pitched voices may lack a bit of brightness.
We also tested the microphone when connected via Bluetooth (frequency response graph and a voice recording). Information in the low- and high-frequencies is truncated on the Bluetooth connection, likely to conserve limited bandwidth. This shouldn't affect most voices' reproduction compared to the dongle connection, though.
The microphone system also does an exceptional job separating speech from background noise. Despite the arrival of a loud subway car (0:20–0:35), you can barely make out a hiss in our recordings. This headset has one of the best-performing mic systems we've ever tested.
This headset has outstanding overall battery performance. It lasts 30 hours with ANC enabled and constant audio playback. This outperforms the brand's advertised 30 hours with ANC off, but it's worth keeping in mind that battery life varies with usage (like volume and mic load). Sony also advertises up to three hours of playtime with a five-minute quick charge, though we didn't test this.
You can configure the Sony INZONE H9 II using either Sony Sound Connect, Sony's generalist Android and iOS app, or the headset's dedicated Windows app for audio devices, or Sony INZONE Hub, which offers more customization, but only works on Windows.
Notably, the desktop app allows you to tweak the headset's sound with a 10-band graphic EQ, control dynamic range (to balance content volume), and adjust game/chat balance. You also have access to typical functionality, like mic gain and sidetone controls, noise canceling configuration, and device settings like automatic power off.
This headset has practically no analog latency when connected passively. That said, it's not near zero when powered on, suggesting some amount of processing takes place. Nevertheless, most people won't notice a delay in most applications. While the headset has a USB-C port, it's only functional for charging.
This headset has great Bluetooth connectivity. It supports Bluetooth LE's LC3 codec in addition to the standard SBC and AAC codecs via Bluetooth Classic. If you're planning on gaming on a mobile device, we'd recommend using the headset's LC3 codec (if your device supports it), which has low enough latency for most casual gaming applications.
The Sony INZONE H9 II also supports multi-device connectivity and simultaneous audio when using its dongle and Bluetooth connection.
During testing, we ran into connectivity issues, potentially due to the wide number of devices we swapped between, but we don't expect general users to run into any issues. If you do, let us know in the comments.
This headset has good latency when connected using its dedicated 2.4GHz dongle. For most people, the latency introduced by the headset's wireless connection won't affect audio and visual synchronization.
This headset has full mic and audio functionality when connected to your PC via dongle or analog.
This headset has full audio and mic capability when connected via their dedicated wireless dongle or analog. We found that the PlayStation's integrated controls didn't play nice with our headset, but it's not a huge issue since most functionality is present on physical controls.
While this headset won't work with Xbox consoles using the wireless dongle, you can connect it via analog to get full audio and mic capability.