We’ve already written about austere full-size headphones Sony WH-CH720Nand now it’s the turn of TWS to launch Sony Inzone Buds. These fully wireless headphones are designed for gamers, so they work not only with smartphones but also with PCs and PlayStation 5. And the main thing here is ultra-low signal latency, powerful sound, and more than adequate ergonomics. We’ve been testing them for several weeks and are now ready to draw conclusions and share our experience.
Content
Sony Inzone Buds come in a compact white and purple box.
Inside we can see the headphones with a case and USB dongle, a set of replaceable ear cushions, a short USB-C cable for charging, and a package of documents and instructions.
The Sony Inzone Buds case has an irregularly shaped matte plastic body, and it’s also large. At least compared to the cases of other TWS headphones. This is probably because the headphones are still more designed for use at home with a PC or PlayStation 5, but you can connect them to laptops or smartphones, so the case is still too big. But at the same time, you can hide it in a pocket of jeans or shorts.
On the top, on the lid, we see the Sony inscription, on the front there is a notch for easy opening of the lid, and below is an LED indicator. On the back, at the bottom, we see a USB-C port for charging and a reset button. At the bottom there is a list with basic technical information.
The headphones themselves are in-ear, also made of matte plastic with a glossy area in the middle. They have an unusual shape with a short but massive leg. Each headphone has a touch panel, Sony inscription, several microphones, L or R marks, and a pair of charging contacts. They are also IPX4 waterproof. This means that they will not be damaged by rain, sweat, and other small amounts of moisture. The protection does not apply to the case.
The USB receiver here is a bit larger than usual. It is flat and rectangular, and the case material is matte plastic. The dongle has a button on the body to switch between using the headphones with a PC or with smartphones on the PS5. Don’t forget about it when you change devices.
We reviewed Sony Inzone Buds in black color. But they are also available in white with black inserts. Personally, I like the white color better because it makes them look space-futuristic. But they’re not bad in black either, it’s just that this color makes them more grounded, so to speak.
Sony Inzone Buds are equipped with 8.4 mm drivers and Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)+ «transparent» mode. Other features include 360 Spatial Sound personalized sound and low signal latency of up to 30 ms. The latter will be very popular with gamers.
The in-channel design of Sony Inzone Buds already creates adequate passive noise reduction here, and when ANC is additionally enabled, the external environment is perfectly cut off and almost inaudible. Of course, this does not apply to sharp and overly loud sounds because headphones are supposed to let them through. It can be a car or tram horn, etc. that you don’t notice when you’re crossing the street, for example.
There’s also a great «transparent» mode, which, together with good ergonomics, creates the effect that there’s nothing in your ears, you can hear everything around you so well when this mode is active. It’s only slightly worse than AirPods, but the design is different because there are plugs that transmit sound better there, too.
Sony Inzone Buds connect to devices via Bluetooth LE and a USB receiver. That is, you won’t be able to pair, for example, with an iPhone via Bluetooth because they don’t support this connection format, but Android smartphones do, and everything goes well with them.
TWS headphones do not work with some portable consoles. For example, with Steam Deck. But they work with those on Windows (MSI Claw or ASUS ROG Ally). If you want to play with Sony headphones on PS5, you’ll need to use a USB dongle. Not that it’s a problem, but I’m just telling you how it is.
Sony Inzone Buds don’t have an app for smartphones or consoles, the software is only available for PCs. It is called INZONE Hub and works with other different models of headphones. For example, with Sony Inzone H7 and Inzone H9. However, in my case, for some reason, it did not see the headphones, although I did everything right and switched them to PC mode on the dongle. Updating the application, uninstalling and reinstalling it did not help.
I don’t know why because everything worked fine with the same Sony Inzone H7 and Inzone H9. That’s why I’ve provided a photo from the Internet below as an example of how it should be.
The INZONE Hub features include sound detail settings, an equalizer, and presets, separate settings for the noise reduction system and 360 Spatial Sound, etc.
I should note that on PS5, you can still change the game volume and the volume of the interlocutor separately without any software. Because usually they don’t sound the same, and when you turn the game down, for example, you can’t hear your teammate as well, and they were already quiet. And here you can customize everything separately, and it’s cool.
Sony Inzone Buds has touch panels on the outer glossy parts of the case. Depending on the number of taps on different headphones (one, two, or three), as well as through a long press, they allow you to control track switching, answering calls, and more. I should note that the touch panels are quite sensitive, so even with rare adjustments of the headphones, phantom taps are possible. Be prepared.
The delay here is only 30 ms, so I didn’t feel it at all. And I played through a smartphone, PC, and game console. For several weeks of use, there was not even a hint of even a minimal delay. In fact, it is there, the aforementioned 30 ms, but you won’t notice it.
Sony Inzone Buds sound powerful and versatile. I would highlight the soft but assertive bass, but it does not clog other frequencies at all. The mids and highs are clear and rich. Especially the first ones. The headphones are loud, but this applies only to consoles and PCs. But on a smartphone, when connected via a USB receiver, they are for some reason much quieter, and at maximum volume I always wanted to add more, but you can’t.
Just in case, I checked this on several smartphones that I had for review. All of them have the same situation. The volume is generally sufficient, especially for watching videos, podcasts, and even music. But if you want to turn on your favorite track at full volume, this is where the problem comes in because the volume is not enough.
Sony Inzone Buds are great in games. They have a powerful attack, detailed sound, and great positioning. That is, you will hear the enemy’s movements from the right side in Call of Duty or Fortnite perfectly.
The microphone is just fine. It probably has some kind of basic noise reduction because the voice through it is literally a little robotic and muffled. But it’s more than enough for conversations with teammates.
Sony Inzone Buds officially last up to 12 hours on a single charge, and the case gives you the same amount of time. This is without ANC and via dongle. If you use Bluetooth LE, then 24 hours without noise cancellation and up to 18 with it.
In fact, this is true because the headphones do not need to be charged for a long time. I played on a single charge plus the case for a week for 3-5 hours, and they started to report low battery literally on the last day of the week. That is, I managed to get even more than 24 hours, but this is without active noise cancellation.
I liked the design of the Sony Inzone Buds. They look cool in black, but they look much better in white. They are definitely not compact, at least the case, but they are more designed for home use, but all this may be a disadvantage for someone.
Nevertheless, the headphones turned out to be ergonomic and passed the «and» chewing tests without any problems. They hardly ever fell out or even moved in my ears. And this is when playing sports, walking, etc. Of course, your situation may be different, but my ears are quite specific, so if something fits in them, it will probably fit perfectly in others.
The matte body of the headphones and case quickly gets dirty and collects dust, but it’s easy to clean it off just as quickly.
I enjoyed playing Sony Inzone Buds on PS5. I play a lot on the console with full-size headphones with a big microphone sticking out in front of my mouth because I play with my son, and we need to communicate. And here I put on TWS, stuck the dongle into the console, and nothing interferes with your head, nothing sticks out in front of your mouth. My son didn’t even feel any changes in the quality of my voice.
Yes, of course, the frequency range, sound power, etc. of full-size ones are much better, but it’s not such a direct difference, but this model has definitely increased my comfort during games, at least for me.
In general, the sound quality is good, and the main thing is that you can play games, listen to music, and watch videos with the headphones. However, as I wrote above, in smartphones, when connected via USB dongle, the volume is much lower for some reason, so you won’t be able to listen to a loudly cool song.
I’d also like to highlight the noise reduction, which really separates the user from the environment and the adequate «transparent» mode.
I didn’t like the fact that there is no smartphone app for the headphones. That is, there is no way to adjust the sound here at all, although you know that you can do it on a PC and it is annoying. However, in my case, I couldn’t do it on a computer either. Perhaps it’s a gimmick in my laptop, although I’ve seen other Sony headphones «».
Sony Inzone Buds are sold at a price of 7999 hryvnias. In my opinion, this is an adequate price tag in the segment of purely gaming fully wireless headphones, but it will definitely be expensive for some.
Among the competitors are similar models for gamers, TWS, and in-ear. Of course, you could compare it with other purely music «TV» headphones, or, conversely, with full-size gaming models. In my opinion, it would be most fair to compare it with other headphones for gamers in the same segment and of the same design.
First of all, pay attention toSony Pulse Explore. This is if you like Sony, their style, etc. There are also fresh Asus ROG Cetra True Wireless SpeedNova and Asus ROG Cetra True Wireless). And then there are Logitech Fits.
