Sony Inzone Buds review

Before we move on to the actual audio performance, it’s important to clear all the shortcomings of the Inzone Buds. Firstly, the Sony Inzone Buds don’t support Bluetooth. Yes, you’ve read that right. It supports Bluetooth LE which only works with the latest smartphones like Samsung Galaxy S23 and Google Pixel 8. Got a shiny new iPhone 15? It won’t work. So be sure to check your smartphone's Bluetooth compatibility before buying the Inzone Buds if you’re planning to use them with your smartphone without the dongle. 

Secondly, it comes with a 2.4 GHz dongle to connect to all USB Type-C devices, so technically, it can work with your iPhone 15 and other Android devices without the need for Bluetooth. Even Nintendo Switch, PC and PS5 are compatible. However, the catch is that it will use up that single USB Type-C port on your smartphone which will not allow you to charge the device while gaming or even that single USB Type-C port on the ‘old’ PS5 if you have a PS VR2 headset. It’s a shame because these are very capable in-ears that are perfectly suited for PS VR2 gaming.

The Sony Inzone Buds have the same 8.4mm driver as the award-winning Sony WF-1000XM5 so they sound fantastic. It’s also tuned to sound more textured and crisp with minimal fatigue at higher frequencies. Lift Off (feat. Rocco Palladino) by Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes sounds clean and forward but only if you listen to it in stereo. In Spatial Sound mode, the frequencies tend to overlap each other and the soundstage is not as impressive as on the Apple AirPods Pro 2 or the Oppo Enco X2. This is, however, not a earphone focused on music but it’s hella impressive nonetheless. At 6.5g per bud, it’s also very lightweight for workouts and daily listening. The Inzone Buds are especially comfortable for long listening hours and don’t feel stuffy.

The opening sequence with drums in Something Good by alt-J is tight and controlled without sounding too thick or boomy. These earphones sound as good as the WF-1000XM5 and Apple AirPods Pro 2. Continuing the test and listening to The Wilhelm Scream by James Blake these start to punch above their weight. It’s not a gaming earphone at this point frankly. It’s tuned differently than what we expect from gaming earphones. There’s no resonance from the low frequencies and the exploding grenades in Call of Duty: Mobile don’t compress the finer details. It’s a thoroughly impressive-sounding pair of buds.

Sadly, there’s no way to toggle between Spatial Sound without accessing the Inzone Hub software on a PC. You cannot even assign the Spatial Sound to the touch controls on the left or right stick. We think it’s a big deal because, between music and gaming, this setting makes a world of a difference. For music, it’s best kept off but for gaming, it works well.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown on the PlayStation 5 sounds energetic and these can easily replace your headphones if you’re willing to sacrifice a bit of battery life for weight loss. Call of Duty: Mobile has better footstep detection with Spatial Sound turned on but not all games reap the benefits. You’ll have a clearer sound stage on bigger gaming headphones for games like Gran Turismo 7 where the exhausts keep popping and growling. These are expensive and very closely priced to the Sony Inzone H9 which sounds fantastic so pick your poison and indulge, either way, you won’t be disappointed with the audio quality.

Sony’s not put instructions properly inside the box and the Inzone Buds don’t support an app so the first thing you will have to do is download the Inzone Hub on your PC and change the settings as per your preference. The Buds have a touch control on each bud so you can tweak touch and hold commands as per your liking. Each bud can have up to four touch commands. Volume adjustment and ANC control are here too. 

The ANC on these is good as well. Cutting out most of the fan and AC noise in the house. It’s also great at shushing Mumbai’s peak-hour traffic horns and chatty cab drivers a bit. The Sony WF and the Apple AirPods Pro will do a better job for sure if that’s what you want specifically.

The Sony Inzone Buds are the best-sounding gaming earphones that have plenty of caveats. The lack of Bluetooth seems deliberate to not chew into Sony’s TWS business and the inability to switch Spatial Sound from the earbuds is bothersome. Not to mention, the Inzone devices don’t have a dedicated app on smartphones as well. 

All of this and we haven’t even mentioned that the case is in a wedge shape which makes an inappropriate bulge in your trousers. Oh, and it’s uncomfortable to keep in your pockets as well. With this in your pants, someone is bound to think you’re very happy to see them.