They come into their own in a competitive first-person shooter (FPS) environment and pair well with games like Valorant, And Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. Here, the lack of bass prevents the sound effects of explosions and gunshots from overwhelming your senses, allowing you to focus on the impressive directional reproduction. The direction of important audio signals like footsteps is crystal clear and remarkably easy to see, potentially giving you an advantage over those who don’t have dedicated audio equipment.
Noise isolation is excellent, thanks in large part to the headphones’ excellent seal in your ears. A variety of ear tips are included to make finding the perfect fit easy, and the included USB-C audio box stores EQ profile settings for hassle-free setup every time – ideal for when you’re competing in tournaments and need to access the same settings on a new device.
Sony Inzone E9: price and availability
- $149.99 / £129 / AU$209
- Available directly from Sony
- Also at various retailers including Amazon
The Sony Inzone E9 in-ear gaming headphones cost $149.99 / £129 / AU$209. This is a significant investment for a wired gaming headphone, with the best wireless options like the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds not costing much more at $159.99 / £159.99 / AU$359.
In addition to traditional gaming options, the Sony Inzone E9 in-ear gaming headphones also compete with expensive in-ear monitor (IEM) headphones that are preferred by some FPS gamers. Here they are priced very similarly to relatively affordable models from other major brands, such as the Sennheiser IE 200 at $149.99/£129.99. However, the Sony Inzone E9 in-ear gaming headphones are specifically designed for gaming, which sets them apart from most others on the market and justifies the price.
The Sony Inzone E9 in-ear gaming headphones are available in the US and UK directly from Sony. They are also available from a variety of retailers, such as Best Buy in the US or Amazon in the UK. In Australia they are stocked at JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman.
Sony Inzone E9: design and features
- IEM style design
- The included USB-C audio enclosure saves settings
- Fantastic tote bag
The Sony Inzone E9 in-ear gaming headphones will have a familiar design if you’ve ever used IEM headphones.
They are lightweight and feature rounded earbuds connected to a stiff section of cable that attaches to the top of your ears. Two colors are available: black and white. Both are rather plain, but the abundance of the Inzone logo printed on the earbuds gives them character.
Sony has definitely made some smart decisions when it comes to practicality, particularly when it comes to the length of the headphone cable. At 1.8m tall, I found it to be more than enough to comfortably reach my ears directly via my gaming PC’s 3.5mm headphone jack without the need for a cable extension. If you play on a console, you can easily connect it to your controller.
I also like the clear left/right markings on each earbud, the latter of which is a bright red so they’re easy to spot at first glance.
The scope of delivery includes numerous alternative earplugs, with a total of eight pairs to choose from. These include standard silicone rubber earplugs and foamier, noise-isolating earplugs, both available in four sizes (from extra small to extra large). These are the popular tips from Sony’s EP-EX10A and EP-NI1010 series – so you can easily find replacements if you need them later.
You also get a USB-C audio box for use with PCs. This allows you to save settings from the compatible Inzone Hub software, such as desired equalizer presets or custom profiles. It also allows you to use a dedicated spatial sound mode, which gives a good sound impression in a 3D space, but at the expense of overall fidelity.
Between uses, you can store everything in the included carry bag, which features a surprisingly unique design. It is divided into two compartments (one for the headphones and the other for the audio box), connected by an elastic rubber band.
There are small magnetic buttons at the bottom of the band that can be attached to keep everything in place. It might be a little hard to imagine, but it works great and is much more practical than the cheap cases that come with most headphones these days.
You also get a small cable holder with Inzone logo, which is a nice bonus.
Sony Inzone E9 review: Performance
- Clear sound
- Very suitable for FPS games
- Disappointing compared to other genres
The Sony Inzone E9 in-ear gaming headphones already have a fairly flat sound profile when delivered, although that is probably intentional. There isn’t much bass, which makes it sound unexciting. Play through some Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake EaterAnd Shadows of Assassin’s CreedOn PS5, key story moments felt a bit muted, and the accompanying music lacked the punch needed to really bring out the emotions.
You can solve this problem somewhat by changing the EQ settings in the compatible Inzone Hub software, but there’s not much you can do to increase the bass on hardware that isn’t designed for it. For action-oriented games, the results have never been as effective as with the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds, and far less effective than even cheap wired over-ear sets like the Corsair HS50.
This lack of bass makes a lot more sense when you’re getting into a competitive shooter Counter Strike 2. Flashbangs and grenades are no longer overpowering and no longer threaten to deafen you when playing at higher volumes. Shots are more discreet, helping you stay focused during firefights.
The audio is also crystal clear and has impressive directionality, making it easy to track enemy movements based on key sounds like footsteps. This is very impressive, especially when you consider how the effect lasts even in more hectic situations. Jump into an explosive Nuketown match Black Ops 7I could hear exactly where nearby enemies were moving, even in the face of the constant grenade explosions and casualty streaks.
The level of detail is excellent, which is particularly true for demanding extraction shooters such as: B. is crucial Escape from Tarkov,Where the subtle snap of a twig can often mean the difference between life and death. If you are currently one of the many people who dedicate every moment of their day to this Arc RaidersBased on this fact alone, I could imagine that the Sony Inzone E9 in-ear gaming headphones are worth their price.
Although they don’t offer active noise cancellation (ANC), the Sony Inzone E9 in-ear gaming headphones do a commendable job of canceling out background noise thanks to the solid seal of their fit. No, it’s not as effective as the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds’ ANC, but it’s good enough to drown out household noises and conversations when the volume is set to an appropriate level.
Although it is very rare in the IEM market, I am also a little disappointed that the Sony Inzone E9 gaming in-ear headphones do not have a small built-in microphone. That’s not a problem by any means, but it did mean that I had to use my Final VR2000 gaming headphones if I wanted to chat with a friend while playing an Xbox Series X game.
