Sony INZONE Buds review: A solid debut for PS5 TWS earbuds that actually perform better on PC

The INZONE Buds do a good job across most categories, but fall short in a couple of areas. (Image: Karan Pradhan/Moneycontrol)

A cursory glance at the Indian gaming TWS (True Wireless Stereo) market throws up a couple of interesting facts. First, a vast majority of offerings from the likes of boAt, Mivi, Noise, Wings and so on tend to be in the “below Rs 2,000” category or thereabouts. And second, the JBL Quantum and the Razer Hammerhead Hyperspeed appear to be the most popular premium gaming TWS on the market today. So where will the Sony INZONE Buds fit in?

For starters, and if we’re going solely on price, the INZONE Buds (marked at Rs 17,990) are somewhat similarly priced to the Razer earbuds and around Rs 6,000 pricier than the JBL offering. But what lies beyond the price tag?

(Image: Karan Pradhan/Moneycontrol)

Getting the basics right

According to the marketing materials, these buds are primarily designed for PS5 and PC, but can also be used with Android devices and the Nintendo Switch. We’ll check on compatibility shortly, but for now, let’s look at basic performance. As stated in an earlier review, gaming headphones/earphones play a different role to that essayed by conventional headphones/earphones, primarily because they have different priorities. These can be distilled down to four key areas: Immersion, privacy, communication and convenience.

Immersion comes from accurately delivering in-game audio in a manner that puts you in the midst of the action. The INZONE Buds do an excellent job with this aspect as they’re not only able to deliver mostly top-notch sound with their punchy 8.4 mm drivers, but make the most of the PlayStation 5’s Tempest 3D audio engine. My solitary qualm with the sound that the low end isn’t quite as well-defined as the mids and the higher end.

(Image: Karan Pradhan/Moneycontrol)

Moving on to privacy and the buds offer some solid active noise cancellation (ANC) that eerily erases all but high-pitched sounds from your background soundscape. On the other side of things, people sitting around you can’t pick up so much as a peep, due to the near-zero sound leak — which is great but, to be fair, is par for the course these days.

The aspect of communication in this context refers to the ability to interface with other players. In terms of being able to hear other players during a multiplayer game, the INZONE Buds performed admirably. However, when trying to speak to them, the microphones weren’t equal to the task, rendering my voice muffled and at times, inaudible.

And finally, convenience. This is an area where the INZONE Buds, somewhat unsurprisingly, score quite high. After all, a pair of TWS earbuds are always going to trump a pair of headphones when it comes to ease-of-use and the amount of space they take up (which in turn affects pocketability and storage).

Overall then, the INZONE Buds do a good job across most categories, but fall short in a couple of areas, which we’ll examine in greater detail in the next section.

(Image: Karan Pradhan/Moneycontrol)

Scratching the surface

With Sony’s Pulse Explore wireless earbuds yet to arrive on these shores and with no due date in sight, the INZONE Buds are the first official TWS earbuds made for the PS5 on the Indian market. As such, there’s plenty of pressure on them, but there’s also a great opportunity to capture the market. And not just the PS5 market either, mind you.

The dongle (that comes handily packed in the charging case) allows for effortless and efficient syncing with PS5, Nintendo Switch or PC, and gives you a healthy range, so you don’t get disconnected if you wander off to the kitchen for a bit, Now, as per my tests, the INZONE Buds actually run slightly better on the PC. This is chiefly because it’s only on the PC (or Mac) that you can download the INZONE Hub that gives you access to the full complement of audio customization options. These range from the initial diagnostics (including photographing your ears and testing the way the earbuds fit in your ears) and equalizers to noise cancellation settings and the game-chat balance.

(Image: Karan Pradhan/Moneycontrol)

All that customizability means that once you’ve got everything properly lined up, you’re more likely to find the perfect sound for you on the PC than on the PS5, where there aren’t many options on offer. With its Tempest 3D audio engine, the PS5 though does provide a better experience than the Switch’s stereo audio. However, the issues with the slightly underwhelming bass sound are present on all platforms. This is less obvious in games than when listening to music via Spotify or YouTube, however, you do find yourself longing for a bit more kick to your sound.

The ANC, as mentioned earlier, cuts out most sounds and is extremely effective. However, the downside is that it can cause a slight buildup of pressure in your ears and give you a mild headache. However, I was pleased to find that I only experienced this the first couple of times that I used the INZONE Buds, as my ears seemed to get used to the experience over time.

Finally, there’s the tactility. And this is where the INZONE Buds perform most poorly. First, while the earbuds themselves feel premium and sit comfortably in the ear, the touch interface is extremely fiddly and takes a while to perform such basic actions as increasing/decreasing volume or switching between ANC and Ambient Sound. Second, it’s the build quality of the case, which feels extremely plasticky and poorly-built. The hinges of the lid, for instance, feel rickety and I found myself being extremely careful when opening and closing it.

(Image: Karan Pradhan/Moneycontrol)

In closing…

Unlike closing the case, providing a set of closing remarks for this particular product is quite straightforward. If you want a versatile set of TWS buds that offer a rich audio experience on the move with your phone (the INZONE Buds use Bluetooth Low Energy and are only compatible with Android and iOS devices from iPhone 15 onwards), these aren’t it. It’s worth also noting that these are weighed down slightly by the ropey build quality of the case and the forgettable microphone performance.

If, however, you are in search of a set of TWS earbuds with solid sound quality and superb ANC for gaming on the PS5, Switch and PC, and don’t much care about multiplayer gaming or taking the buds out on the road, you’ll struggle to find a pair with better all-round capabilities at this price.