The Comfiest Headset Ever? — Sony INZONE H6 Air Review

The Sony INZONE H6 Air is a $200 open-back gaming headset that immediately invites comparisons to the much-loved Sony MDR-MV1, a consumer/audiophile headphone that gamers have often used for its exceptional comfort and engaging sound signature. The burning question here, due to the similarities in tuning/acoustics, is whether the H6 Air delivers a similar level of quality for half the price. The answer? It gets remarkably close, making it one of the absolute best options in the gaming headset space.

When it comes to ergonomic and mechanical design, the H6 Air is easily one of the most well-designed and engineered headsets on the market. It builds upon the already excellent chassis of the MDR-MV1 and adds a suspension strap mechanism reminiscent of older AudioQuest designs. This distributes its incredibly lightweight (200g) metal frame so well that it virtually disappears on the head. While the pads use a slightly  slicker (seemingly) nylon material compared to the MDR-MV1, they create a wonderful feeling where your ears are perfectly ensconced within the cups, allowing for hours of uninterrupted use without any fatigue.

Sonically, the H6 Air uses the same driver platform as the MDR-MV1 and shares its slightly V-shaped, downsloped response, balancing a healthy amount of bass (especially for an open back headphone) with a rather aggressive treble presentation.

For competitive games like Deadlock, this default signature was actually fantastic for me. It drew a clean outline around footsteps while giving gunshots enough low-end meat and gumption to sound fun and immersive without muddying the mix.

However, for music, that treble can be a bit unhinged. You will notice extra sibilance on vocals and cymbals, making it a minor but meaningful step down in overall sonic refinement compared to the MDR-MV1. 

While the physically-detachable microphone is perfectly adequate and the headset's baseline sound is distinct enough to have an edge vs. its competitors, Sony's included INZONE Hub software is a bit of a disappointment.

The spatialized sound personalization option is uniquely terrible for me, essentially nuking the midrange and shoving harsh treble straight into your eyeballs while failing to provide any real sense of object-based localization. It is best left completely turned off. You are much better off relying on standard stereo reproduction, and using something like Equalizer APO to dial back the treble if needed since it can be more specific/tailored than the generic graphic EQ on the INZONE App.

Ultimately, the INZONE H6 Air is effectively an MDR-MV1 tailored for gamers at a significant discount. While the MV1 remains slightly more premium feel and refined sonic performance for pure music listening, the $200 savings and the brilliantly executed suspension strap make the H6 Air an undeniable value.

In the broader context of gaming headsets, it is an easy recommendation that outclasses almost everything else currently available, earning a very solid 5/10 rating on my ranking list, just a bit behind the MDR-MV1's 5.4/10.