Sony Inzone H5 gaming headset review
Sit these on your ears and you’ll be impressed by the quality of the Inzone H5 but glance at the price tag and you might stroke your chin to weigh in your options.
The Sony Inzone H9 we reviewed in December are probably the best gaming headphones in the market. Of course, it’s perfect only if you cough up the premium. Does the ₹15,990 Inzone H5 sound like a bargain in comparison?
Sony Inzone H5 gaming headset review: Performance
We won’t mull over the design because Sony is going for a uniform design language with the first generation of all the Inzone headphones. The sound, however, varies between the models. There’s a Sony Inzone H3, H5, H7 and H9. And of course, the Sony Inzone Buds. The H3 is the entry-level gaming headset while the H5 here are a more mature take on budget gaming. The H7 and H9 have Sony’s premium Neodymium drivers. However, the H7 hasn’t been officially launched in India because of how close it compares to the Sony Inzone H9.
That said, the Sony Inzone H5 faces stiff competition from its eternal rival brand JBL with its Quantum series of gaming headsets, and it gets even tougher for Inzone against PC gaming brands like Corsair and Steelseries in this price range. However, what makes the Inzone H5 truly stand out from the competition is the crispy sound that is well articulated. The H5 never sound too bloated or sharp which is very impressive for gaming headphones. It may not have the definition as the H9 but they do sound mighty impressive between the lowest booms and the sharpest highs.
From the peppy and energetic music in Tekken 8 and the harmonious melodies of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the H5 impress with clarity, definition and clean delivery. It’s a wee bit lacking in sound stage and separation. The soundstage is good enough for most games but the imaging is not as impressive as the more expensive Corsair HS80 RGB Wireless and Inzone H9.
Sony Inzone H5 gaming headset review: Features and mic
The Sony Inzone H5 mic quality is decent for the price. It’s not a full-bodied sound like the Corsair HS80 RGB Wireless which is our current gold standard for microphone quality. Albeit, it’s clean and suppresses external noise well.
The flip-up to mute has always been a personal preference in any gaming headset and the Sony Inzone H5 works it on the PS5 system as well. Even the volume wheel works well with the PlayStation 5’s UI. There’s no EQ on the PS5 so you’ll need a PC with the Inzone Hub app to tweak the audio settings. There’s also a dedicated Game and Chat button which is fantastic in my opinion.
The Inzone Hub app is one of the best apps for gaming headphones. It’s so much better than Corsair and HyperX’s implementation.
Sony Inzone H5 gaming headset review: Build and comfort
While the design ethos remains the same across all Inzone headsets, the construction varies. Weighing 260g this Inzone H5 has a lightweight plastic body with a matte finish. Trust me, you’d want to touch it. The soft cloth wrapped around the earcups is breathable and comfortable. The headband gets a leatherette finish and has similar cushioning to Sony’s award-winning WH-1000X series headphones. The most impressive thing about the Sony Inzone H5 is the space inside the earcups and the clamping force. It’s just perfect! Unlike SteelSeries and JBL Quantum headphones, the drivers don’t touch your ears inside the earcups and the cushion completely seals around your ears comfortably. We had no issues wearing this and playing Helldivers 2 for four hours straight!
Sony Inzone H5 gaming headset review: Verdict
The Inzone gaming headsets are among the strongest lineup of gaming headsets in India. Downright nailing the audio quality and long-term comfort. Oh, and 28-hour battery life is no joke! It’s lightweight and has a big battery life to keep cables away. There’s no Bluetooth here but the USB Type-A dongle without any A to Type-C converter in the box.
The bigger question is, is the Sony Inzone H5 worth the ₹15,999 asking price? One gander around the internet and you’ll find the Sony Inzone H7 going for as little as ₹13,990 on the Vijay Sales website. So superior drivers with more features than the H5, and you pay less? Yup, the pricing of the Inzone series headsets is a little wayward. Regardless, the Inzone H5 sound great for a sub-₹13K headset, anything more and you might want to consider waiting for price drops around Sony’s own Inzone H7 and H9.
