Sony Inzone H6 Air Review

Design and Features

• Very light and sleek looks
• Lighter clamping force
• Simple, but effective, wired connectivity

In some respects, it seems that Sony has copied its own homework, with it borrowing some design cues from the more premium, wireless Sony Inzone H9 II. It means we’ve got more of a modern and minimalistic finish, with a streamlined and rounded look that I’m a big fan of.

The immediate thing you notice with the Inzone H6 Air is how light it is, both when it’s picked up and then naturally plonked on your head. It tips the scales at 199g (or 211g with the boom microphone attached), meaning that these Sony cans are some of the lightest I’ve tested in some time, resulting in non-fatiguing wear even over extended use. 

Build quality is also strong, with a blend of metal on the earcup outers themselves, plus solid plastics and fabric on the headband. As much as this is a lightweight headset, that doesn’t go hand in hand with it feeling like a cheap one.

I’d describe the clamping force here as on the lighter side, as this headset rests on your head more so than gripping your cranium with every might, and it results in comfortable wear when paired with the deep, plush earcups. These also fold down, so the headset is flat for easy stowage.

The headband adjustment method Sony has opted for is also the same as the Inzone H9 II, requiring you to pinch a hinge and adjust each side independently; it isn’t the most precise means, but it does work.

On-board controls are quite minimal, with only a volume wheel on the underside of the left earcup and a tactile mute button on the top of the earcup. Otherwise, that’s it, with only spaces for the 3.5mm cable, and a jacking point for the removable boom microphone.#

The Inzone H6 Air connects either via 3.5mm with its bundled cable, and can also work with devices over USB-C when paired with its ‘audio box’, in a similar vein to the Sony Inzone E9 IEMs. This gives it a wide range of compatible devices, and I’ve had no issues using it with my Windows gaming PC, MacBook Pro or my Honor Magic V3.

The small box that opens up the USB-C connection is also the brain for this operation, as it gives you the option to customise things about this headset with Sony’s Inzone Hub software. It provides you with options for things such as fiddling with the EQ settings and genre-specific types of presets, enabling spatial audio and similar means. The software is basic, but it’s fine for the kind of applications this headset is designed for.

The packaging here is mostly cardboard, with things such as the boom microphone and the 3.5mm to USB-C audio box wrapped in tissue paper. As far as I can tell, Sony hasn’t used any plastics in the packaging of the Inzone H6 Air.

Audio and Microphone

• Surprisingly potent low-end
• Lovely width and precision
• Capable microphone

Of course, the most important thing with any gaming headset is the way it sounds, and that’s where I had especially high hopes for the Inzone H6 Air. As it did with the Inzone H9 II, Sony has borrowed drivers from some of its other headphones for this gaming headset. 

It’s using the same drivers as found on the MDR-MV1 studio monitoring headphones with this headset, although it has apparently tuned them a little differently to suit the needs of gamers more than audio engineers.

This combines with the traditional benefits of open-back cans over their closed-back counterparts, with them inviting a wider soundstage with potentially more immersion. It’s quite ideal for competitive FPS titles as much as it is for a more immersive and precise music listening experience, so I can see why Sony has done it.

Generally, I’m impressed with the way the Inzone H6 Air sounds and found them to be just as adept when used as normal headphones as when used as a gaming headset. Found them to provide a surprisingly engaging and fun listen, especially with drivers adapted from a set of studio monitoring cans that would normally suggest a more reference-style approach.

A lot of this is down to the amount of low-end you get from these cans, providing a lot of meat on the bone for tracks such as YYZ from Rush and The Strokes’ Juicebox, providing a welcome thump and atmosphere where needed. It isn’t to the point that it colours the sound signature of these cans, but there’s a tight feel and strong extension, not least for an open back headset where bass can be lacking due to the form factor.

The mid-range is also rich in detail and depth, with a more forward presentation to vocals and acoustic guitar elements on tracks such as Jack Johnson’s Tape Deck and Mac McAnally’s All The Way Around. This also works to the Inzone H6 Air’s advantage for the prominence and crispness of elements such as footsteps in Counter-Strike 2. Likewise, I also found the treble with this headset to be crisp, but not so sparkly it felt jarring in Steely Dan’s Do It Again.

The real advantage of an open-back headset became clear when delving into rounds of Counter-Strike 2, with this Sony choice providing a wonderfully wide and immersive soundstage, with excellent stereo imaging and precision for elements such as far-off gunfire, nearby footsteps and grenade explosions.

I also found the Inzone H6 Air’s cardioid boom microphone to offer clean pickup and strong body for a headset mic, plus decent noise rejection from my keyboard and ambient music playing in the background. Its positive handling isn’t the best against other devices, though, with a noticeable thud every time.

Should you buy it?