Sony Inzone H7

“Inzone” may not have the same prestige as “Bravia”, “Walkman”, or “Playstation” as a newly launched Sony product line. Nevertheless, the entertainment technology giant Sony is serious about its new brand. In addition to headsets, 4k screens for PC and console gamers are also part of the line-up.

In between the wired entry-level headset Inzone H3 and the top-of-the-line Inzone H9, Sony has added a third headset for Playstation owners and PC gamers in the form of the Inzone H7. The Inzone H7 is not only visually similar to the top model, the H9, but it also shares many of its features: The possibility of simultaneous connection via WiFi and Bluetooth is on board, as is the differentiation between voice chat and game audio at driver level. And it all comes with an impressive 40 hours of battery life.

Package

The Sony Inzone H7 gaming headset comes in a plastic-free box with a nifty inner fold, but it does not come with any accessories. Just like the top model H9, there is neither a sturdy case nor a carrying pouch. Merely the WiFi dongle and a USB-C to USB-A cable for charging (and really only for charging) are included. The headset itself is designed to match the Playstation 5 – in black and slightly muted white. A matt, high-quality plastic that is easy to clean and resistant to fingerprints is used.

The voluminous ear cups with 40mm drivers are connected by a twelve-step adjustable bracket padded with faux leather, and these can be angled 90 degrees for flat storage. The microphone boom is activated by folding it down; the Inzone H7 does not have a dedicated button to mute the microphone.

One main difference to the Inzone H9 is the padding material of the ear cups: While the top-of-the-range model uses cool faux leather, the Inzone H7 makes do with soft nylon fabric. The possibility of acoustic differences between ear cushions is debatable in this price category, but I have a hunch that the nylon fabric of the H7 might be more durable and thus more long-lasting than the material used on the top model.

At 320 grams, the Inzone H7 is no lightweight among headsets, but it has a comfortably loose yet secure fit on the head. Unlike the case with many over-ear headphones, the pressure exerted on the ears is hardly worth mentioning.

Operation

With the Inzone H9, I complained about an excess of buttons that made intuitive operation difficult. With the Inzone H7, I didn’t have this problem because the additional button for Automatic Noise Cancelling and Transparency Mode has been omitted. This means that the left ear cup has a continuous volume control, while the right side has the on/off switch, Bluetooth/WiFi switch and game/chat switch in the same configuration as the Inzone H9. White and blue LEDs indicate whether the headphones are connected via Bluetooth or WiFi, but the majority of the settings take place in the Sony Inzone Hub and the Playstation 5’s system settings.

Inzone Hub software

The Inzone H7’s programmable functions can be controlled via the Inzone Hub. In addition to a graphic equaliser, these include support for 360 Spatial Sound – Sony’s answer to Dolby Atmos – as well as level settings for listening to your own microphone and the balance between chat and game audio. A practical point: Separate profiles can be set up for different programmes, for example, to automatically load different EQ and volume settings when a game is opened. In addition to the dongle-based connection via 2.4 GHz WiFi, the headset can be paired in parallel via Bluetooth so that you don’t miss your phone ringing even while gaming at full volume. This is a really practical feature that after a short time you won’t want to be without.

Discord users will be happy because the Sony Inzone H7 headset is certified for use with the platform – unfortunately, it is not clear exactly what advantages this brings with it, but there were no problems when using it with Discord. Annoying switching of audio drivers almost becomes a thing of the past with the Inzone H7: While the Discord app uses the chat driver, the game driver is used for system and game sound, and volumes can be controlled completely independently of each other. This separation could be particularly exciting for streamers, as game audio can be sent to the stream without voice chat and mixed with the on-air microphone.

Sound

Unfortunately, this brings us to the big weakness of the Inzone H7 (and its more expensive brother, the H9): The quality of the boom microphone is disappointing. No one expects perfect studio quality from a gaming headset, but it is not a good sign when the pre-amplification of the boom microphone has to be set to the maximum position in order to be understood in a chat. Especially given the Inzone H7’s price range, more should be possible; companies like Beyerdynamic have set better standards for sound quality.

Our criticism is less harsh when it comes to the sound quality of the headphones. Objectively, the Inzone H7 sound “round” without painfully overemphasised highs or rumbling bass. Instead, there is a focus on rich, slightly boosted but largely honest basses, which are particularly effective with atmo-beds and drones. But this wireless Sony headset also reproduces impulsive sounds such as explosions, gunshots, footsteps and, of course, voices in an excellently localisable way. It becomes problematic when complex pieces of music or even parts of a music mix are in play. Here it becomes clear that the Inzone H7 is a specialist for game audio. At around 5,000 hertz, there is a dip in the frequency spectrum, which is especially noticeable in drum recordings. When using 360 Spatial Sound, these minor criticisms fade further into the background, as weaknesses of the headphones can sometimes be concealed.