Sony’s newest InZone gaming headset gives nice open-back audio

Sony’s PC-focused InZone model is protecting a whole lot of floor, now including open-back headsets to its rising catalog of gaming equipment. The $199.99 H6 Air borrows the comfy, easy-to-adjust design of the flagship $350 H9 II wi-fi headset, makes it wired, and pokes a bunch of holes within the ear cups, leading to an open-back design that sounds extra pure and matches extra comfortably than most different headsets.

Like different open-back headphones, the H6 Air isn’t constructed to cut back outdoors noise. Instead, sounds coming from the headset’s drivers are combined with outdoors sounds. Open-back headsets or headphones are a nasty alternative if you happen to’re simply distracted by sounds occurring close to you, however they provide some advantages which may make them price attempting nonetheless.

They’re mild and cozy. My ears keep cooler than they in any other case would in a closed-back headset, and the H6 Air’s construct weighs round 200 grams. Also, letting the drivers breathe allows a special listening expertise than closed-back drivers can supply. Audio sounds much less processed, and music soundstages are extra expansive, letting me recognize particulars I hadn’t seen earlier than in some music mixes. Games aren’t any much less immersive, aside from when there’s a whole lot of noise occurring outdoors. I’ve been enjoying a whole lot of Marathon just lately, and the H6 Air’s open-back design doesn’t hinder my means to listen to footsteps or different helpful auditory cues.

Sony opted to make use of the identical drivers present in its MDR-MV1 open-back reference headphones, which had been made to be used by editors in studios. Given their pedigree for reference-level accuracy, I had some doubts about their efficiency for listening to music and enjoying video games. My considerations have been put to relaxation after having used the H6 Air for about two weeks. The drivers sound spectacular, with loads of bass presence that doesn’t compromise the mids or highs.

The sound is sweet by default, however you possibly can toggle audio settings within the InZone Hub desktop app. Doing so requires utilizing the included 3.5mm-to-USB-C adapter (oddly, utilizing this accent with beta software program launched some audio blips as I loaded apps and scrolled round my browser, which weren’t current when the headset’s 3.5mm jack was plugged immediately into my PC). The software program gives a number of equalizer settings, the choice to allow spatial sound, plus the flexibility to regulate sidetone and mic quantity for the removable increase mic.

The mic doesn’t make my voice sound notably good (and it’s not an omnidirectional mic), nevertheless it’s serviceable for chatting with buddies and taking part in video calls.

Open-back gaming headset fashions aren’t in plentiful provide; there have at all times been fewer choices accessible at any given second in comparison with closed-back choices. That has pushed some players to decide as an alternative for pricier open-back audiophile-grade headphones from the likes of Sennheiser and Audeze (Asus’ new-ish $299 Kithara blurs the road between open-back gaming headset and audiophile headphones because of its HIFIMAN drivers). Yes, $200 is on the expensive aspect for a wired headset, particularly contemplating what number of options are in one thing like SteelSeries’ wired Arctis Nova Pro. But the nice sound and cozy, open design of Sony’s newest headset make it price contemplating if it’s inside your funds.

Photography by Cameron Faulkner / The Verge