Sony INZONE H7 review: expert sound, but expensive

Sony INZONE H7: Two-minute review

Sony is known and loved for blessing the gaming world with the PlayStation, and when it comes to gaming, that console is what it is known for. With its new-as-of-last-year INZONE range, however, the company is branching into the gaming peripheral market. 

The Sony INZONE H7 gaming headset feature Sony’s 360 Spatial Sound technology, which produces a surround sound-like effect in headphones; appropriately, given the technology suits FPS games, Sony, with its INZONE range, has become the official headset partner of Riot Games’ Valorant Champions Tour.  

The device’s specs seem impressive and is arguably among the best wireless gaming headsets I’ve tested, but it’s still slightly on the expensive side: is it worth its current price and the reputation of its maker? More importantly, how does it measure up against the best gaming headsets on the market?

With its white and black colour scheme and rounded corners, the Sony INZONE H7 is clearly intended to complement the PS5. Its clean, rounded design is notably different to the busy, sharp-edged look of the stereotypical gaming headset. It makes me think of I, Robot; aesthetically, I find it a bit of a miss.

But it’s well-engineered. The large rounded earcups are sturdy and comfortable to wear, especially with their soft nylon padding. The headband is plastic and cushioned on the underside; being bendy, and with the black Sony-emblazoned yokes being adjustable, the H7 should fit most heads.

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The headset is large but still relatively lightweight; the ear pads do sit snugly around the ear. They don’t leave much space for the cups to breathe, but I experienced no discomfort or sweatiness after seven hours of continuous use.

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As for the controls, there’s a volume dial, a USB port for charging, two buttons, “Game” and “Chat” buttons (the purpose of which I’ll get to), a Bluetooth pairing button, and an on/off button. All of these are conveniently placed on the earcups; you can easily find them with your hand without looking.

Unfortunately, the white angular boom mic isn’t detachable, but its design is smart; you turn it on by pulling it down, and up by pushing it up, and it clicks to let you know it’s changed state.

The Sony INZONE H7 can connect via the included USB transceiver or Bluetooth. Usefully, it can do this with two devices at once so you can voice chat on your phone and hear your game at the same time. A nice touch: you can hit the headset’s “Game” and “Chat” buttons to increase and decrease the volumes of the streams relative to each other.

You can also mix these streams in Sony’s INZONE Hub software, which features an equalizer and also indicators for your mic and Bluetooth status as well as battery life, among other things. Most interestingly, it lets you set up profiles, settings that take effect automatically as you start certain apps.

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The H7 features Sony’s 360 Spatial Sound for audio precision in-game, so you know exactly what direction your opponent is shooting from. The mic focuses on your voice, though it doesn’t have noise-cancelling. 

The sound is truly the MVP of the Sony INZONE H7, as it should be, considering Sony’s history. Songs I’ve listened to for years sounded like remasters. I heard details I’d never noticed before.

With the 360 spatial audio, Sony intends to make you feel like you’re inside your game and part of the environment, and you certainly do. Playing Valheim, I could hear everything, the movement of trees, the mobs, and water. Valorant was an experience; I was able to detect where enemies were shooting from – a millisecond before I died, of course – through no fault of Sony’s.

Being able to connect through a wireless dongle and Bluetooth simultaneously is practical and makes life easier. I connected to my phone whilst being connected wirelessly to PC, and was able to answer phone calls without having to interrupt gameplay. 

I tested the mic in Discord (the mic is “Discord-certified”, two words that look pretty funny put together), and in Facebook Messenger: my friends and family pronounced the mic clear and not too noisy – even though the H7 features no noise cancelling, unlike its pricier sibling, the Sony INZONE H9.

The battery life on the Sony INZONE H7 is impressive. Sony claims it lasts 40 hours without charge, so I put it to the test. It was still going after 46 hours. Plus, ten minutes of charging gives enough juice to start using it again. I found that it took around two hours to fully charge, but you can charge while playing.

It’s important to note, that although the headset sat snuggly enough on my head if you have an afro or curly hair, you should adjust the headband so it doesn’t slip off.

Sony INZONE H7: Price & availability

• How much does it cost? $229 / £169 / AU$269
• When is it available? Now
• Where can you get it? In the US, UK, and Australia

Put plainly, the Sony INZONE H7 is a little expensive for a device that sits in the mid-range of the gaming headset market. Aesthetics-wise, it’s underwhelming, and it doesn’t have noise-cancelling. It is made of plastic (though is hardly tacky) with some softer cushiony areas, so it really should be more in the region of $120-140. 

However, it does deliver great sound, and it’s thoughtfully designed and sturdy. Even if it doesn't look the most stylish, it does match the PS5. Still, a lot of what impressed us most with the H7, like the separate Game and Chat streams and being able to mix their volumes, is available in the H7’s budget brother, the Sony INZONE H3. The H9, the range’s top-end product, doesn’t seem all that essential, although it does, unlike the H7, feature noise-cancellation.

• Price: 3 / 5

Sony INZONE H7: Specs

Should you buy the Sony INZONE H7?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Sony INZONE H7: Also consider

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7
A little less expensive than the INZONE H7 in the US, the Arctis Nova 7 is a very similar headset, offering similar features and a bit more, like a 3.5mm jack and noise cancellation.

Read our full SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 review

Corsair HS80 RGB
The Corsair HS80 RGB is a cheaper alternative to the INZONE H7, offering excellent sound, a more desirable, portable design, and RGB lighting; it’s just generally a great peripheral, good enough to make our list of the best PC gaming headsets.

Read our full Corsair HS80 RGB wireless review 

How I tested the Sony INZONE H7

• I spent seven days testing the Sony INZONE H7
• I tested it with HD movies, and music, focusing on a variety of genres

I used audiocheck.net’s Ultimate Headphone test to give me an idea about the headphones’ frequency response, dynamic range, and spectral flatness. I thoroughly tested different games that would best demonstrate the H7’s 360 Spatial Sound. Most of the time I checked out the dual-device feature by simultaneously chatting on Discord and Messenger, and moved about to test the headset’s range. 

The Sony INZONE H7 can be best used for all genres of gaming, on PC, and most consoles. 3D adventure games and FPSes will best show off their 360 Spatial Sound. It is great for listening to music too, so get your favourite tunes out and get to dancing – or just listening, of course, no one’s calling you boring. It’s also fantastic for voice calls including group ones.

I have over 25 years of gaming experience and several years of testing gaming peripherals under my belt. I don’t just review gaming peripherals in a detached “I have a job to do” type of way: I’m their manufacturer’s target audience; I thoroughly, honestly and fairly review and test all units. I pretty much live and breathe games and computers, and have opinions about what is good and important, and can identify deficiencies.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed June 2023