Sony Inzone H5 wireless headphones review: A minimalist, premium gaming headset

When I used the Sony Inzone H5 headphones for the first time, I was pleasantly surprised by the sound range and the comfortable fit. The lightweight build, paired with the foam cushions, made sure the headset never felt overbearing. Meanwhile, the headphones' 40mm drivers provided a very balanced spatial audio experience where I never really felt the need to tune in the equalizer in the Inzone hub app. But before diving into details about the headphones, let’s take a step back and discuss what market the Inzone H5 is catering to.

Pre-delivery

When it comes to gaming, Sony is a prominent electronic brand that has made a mark in the industry with the PlayStation consoles. Aside from the mainline series of consoles, the company has pushed its products (from the Bravia 4k TV to the Pulse 3D headset) to work with the console with a vision of building an ecosystem around it.

However, the Inzone brand is more than just another PS5 accessory, as for the first time, Sony has taken notice of a market dominated by the likes of Logitech, Razer, and Corsair, the PC gaming market. While the initial lineup consists of headphones and monitors, all compatible with both the PC and PS5 platforms, I wouldn’t be surprised if Inzone releases more accessories like controllers, keyboards, and mice later on.

The Inzone headphones lineup (Image via Sony)

The Inzone headphones lineup consists of the wired H3, the wireless H5, the H7 with a bigger battery and Bluetooth connectivity, and the flagship H9, which adds noise cancellation to the mix. The specs of the Sony Inzone H5 wireless gaming headsets are as follows:

Size and Weight
WEIGHT	Approx. 260g
Headphone
HEADPHONE TYPE	Closed, dynamic
DRIVER UNIT	40mm
IMPEDANCE (OHM)	21ohm (1kHz)
FREQUENCY RESPONSE	5Hz-20,000Hz (IEC)
SENSITIVITIES (DB/MW)	89dB / mW
VOLUME CONTROL	Yes
WEARING STYLE	Circum Aural
360 SPATIAL SOUND FOR GAMING	Yes 1
Microphone
MICROPHONE MUTE	Flip up
Battery
BATTERY CHARGE TIME	Approx. 3.5 hours
QUICK CHARGE	10 minutes for 3-hour play
BATTERY LIFE	Max. 28 hours
Wireless
2.4GHZ	Yes
Wired
CORD TYPE	Single-sided (detachable)
CORD LENGTH	Approx. 1.5m
PLUG	Gold-plated L-shaped 4-pole mini plug

Packing and unboxing

The Sony Inzone H5 Wireless headset arrived at my place neatly packed in its Inzone paper box. Inside is a hard black cardboard box housing the main headset in a precision-molded foam housing lined with soft-touch materials to prevent any damage or scratches. While the H5 is in the middle of the Inzone’s lineup, there is no doubt that it is a premium product, and the packaging reflects this.

Along with the headset, the box also contains a chamber for the dongle and a rectangular tray as big as half of the box, featuring two cables and some stickers. The H5 headset is a wireless headset, and it connects to the PS5 or PC via a USB Type-A 2.4Ghz dongle with a small slider to switch between the PS5 or PC mode.

Inzone H5 wireless headset in box layout (Image via Sportskeeda)

Design and connectivity

Moving onto the headset's design, it's a very minimalistic build with two over-the-ear cups and a band connecting them. The ear cups feature a soft, comfortable material that fits comfortably over my ears, whereas the band features memory foam material. I have felt that modern gaming headsets are overengineered, and as such, the clean, minimalist approach paired with a comfortable, snug fit was certainly a win in my book.

The left earcup houses the built-in microphone, which is serviceable, albeit a bit underwhelming compared to the rest of the package. The left earcup also features a volume scroll wheel, along with a USB Type C port for charging and a 3.5mm port for using it wired. The right earcup features a power button and two-button setup to quickly switch between the Game and the Chat profiles.

Sound profile and software

Right from the get-go, when I connected the Inzone H5 headset, my PC picked up two different sound output devices, H5 Game and H5 Chat. From the name itself, it's quite clear what purpose Sony expects the two modes to serve for its user, as a quick and convenient way to switch between two different audio outputs (like a game and a chat).

The Inzone Hub application is also a great addition that lets you tune in equalizer settings and create different profiles, as well as turn on spatial audio or surround sound. While some may consider the Inzone Hub app underbaked compared to Corsair or Logitech’s software suite, I would call it function over flair.

Sound quality

During the extended period of day-to-day use, I had a great experience across different games. From the small in-game sounds to massive orchestral pieces, the Inzone H5 holds its own against other premium offerings and lives up to Sony's audio legacy. I also used headphonetest.net to test the headphones’ bass and treble, which reached as low as 15Hz and as high as 20,000Hz.

Conclusion

Going into the review, no matter how much I preferred to take an unbiased approach, I had quite a few preconceived notions and expectations. Sony is a market leader not only in the consumer audio hardware industry but also in the gaming industry.

From the initial unboxing, I was excited by the headset. With its minimalist look, it presented itself as a product that took itself seriously. This philosophy is also reflected in its Inzone Hub app, which has all the necessary features and a very clean, easy-to-use UI. The headphones are quite comfortable to wear even for extended hours, and I sometimes forgot I had them on due to their lightweight build.

I am quite impressed by the Sony Inzone H5 wireless headset and certainly admire the brand for bringing its expertise to the first-generation product of this line, but I am a bit uncertain where it fits in the market, considering the price bracket.