Club Benefits
Have you heard of "deinfluencing"? It's a popular social media trend where content creators advise their followers against buying overhyped or unnecessary products in a bid to combat excessive consumerism. My job, as a reviews writer, oftentimes feels like that.
I don't believe overconsumption is a good thing for us or the planet, and it's okay to not want the latest tech that everyone keeps talking about. See? Deinfluencing.
Today, I'm here to deinfluence you and tell you that you don't need two separate pairs of headphones for music and gaming. Historically, gaming headsets haven't been particularly great for audiophile listening because of how they're tuned, but I feel like that's changing — and leading the charge is the Sony Inzone H6 Air. It's one of the best gaming headsets as well as one of the best audiophile headphones I've ever tested, period.
I could go on all day about why the H6 Airs are wonderful gaming cans, but I want to talk about the audio quality instead, and tell you that this is the only set of cans you need. That's because the H6 Airs, unlike many other gaming-first headsets, have an ace up their sleeves: they use studio-grade drivers.
If you're an audiophile and a gamer, there is no better headset.
Open-backs > Everything else
The term "open-backs" is generally associated with regular, music-first headphones. Though Sony has a few open-back headphones under its belt, the Inzone H6 Air is the giant's first-ever open-back gaming headset (and it's nothing short of a triumph). Open-backs are usually more comfortable than closed-back headphones, such as the Fractal Design Scape gaming headset, or the Bose QuietComfort Ultra cans.
It's not that closed-back headphones are uncomfortable per se, all I'm saying is that open-backs are much airier and lighter than closed-backs. If you want a listening experience that's free of fatigue, open-backs are the way to go.
Rear air pressure buildup is extremely common on sealed cans because there's nowhere for the air to go (hence, the holes). The H6 Airs, like many open-backs, allow air to pass through the earcups (the holes, remember?), which reduces fatigue and eliminates sweat buildup, enabling you to wear the headphones for hours on end.
Also adding to their wearability is the fact that they weigh just 7.01oz — they're ridiculously lightweight. The suspended headband helps reduce pressure you’d otherwise feel on the top of their head. Finally, the H6 Air use light nylon ear cushions that nestle your ears like two clouds loosely hugging them.
I've tested the, extensively — for gaming and listening to music — and the longest I've gone wearing them has been nine hours straight. Whether you plan on gaming with them or listening to several albums back-to-back, the H6 Air has you covered.
Studio-grade drivers for audiophile sound
It's a good thing that Sony went wired with the H6 Air: Wired headphones are generally better than their wireless counterparts because there's no loss of information and compression occurring over Bluetooth. They transmit uncompressed audio data, leading to high-fidelity sound. Combine that with studio-grade drivers and you've got a winning formula — Sony does, at least.
The H6 Airs are fitted with 40mm Open-Back Dynamic which you'll also find in the Sony MDR-MV1 studio monitoring headphones. Naturally, as they're gaming cans, these drivers in the H6 Air have been re-tuned for gaming with enhanced bass. But they're still phenomenal for music.
You can read all about the gaming performance in the full review, so I'll discuss music quality instead. Hit play on the playlist below to listening along to my testing songs while you read my analysis.
The first thing I noticed while listening to ‘First Light’ by Lana Del Rey was the expansiveness of the H6 Air. It felt like I was standing in the middle of a crowded room at a gig, and my body was engulfed in the orchestral production.
The H6 Air feature spatial audio, and the headphones created a fantastic 3D effect in the 007 theme. Lana's "Will you? Will you?" whispers felt like they were positioned at different depths, and like they were swirling around my head instead of through detached left and right channels.
At the time of writing the review, I was obsessed with ‘Black Water’ by Poets of the Fall, and the song sounded the most beautiful it ever has through these headphones. The opening acoustic guitar carried startling clarity, with the zip of fingers sliding from note to note without sounding too harsh or distorted. The headphones never once got overwhelmed — whether that was when all the other instruments kicked in, or Marko Saaresto hit the highest note.
Despite being open-back, tight basslines are the H6 Air's specialty too. Airy high frequencies and accurate bass in 'No Chances' by Twenty One Pilots made me love the track even more. The bassline through the H6 Air reverberates in a way that you can feel it in your chest, and the subtle drop in notes felt apparent.
Lastly, 'Money' by Pink Floyd was another great testing track for the H6 Air, with the clinks of coins balancing well against the blues-based, driving riff played in an unusual 7/4 time signature.
One headset for two purposes
The Sony Inzone H6 Air have quickly become some of my favorite headphones, for gaming and listening to music. They're spacious and expansive, and they're extremely comfortable — perhaps the most comfortable over-ears I've tested so far. Being able to plug them into any device and console you own is a massive advantage, and the wired design means you're getting high-fidelity audio at all times.
You may still want a pair of wireless headphones for when you're traveling, and of course, open-backs doesn't boast the best active noise cancellation due to the limitations posed by their design. But if you want one pair of wired headphones for both gaming and careful listening, I can't think of a better option.
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