Comfort
Ergonomics: I have relatively small ears, and the Inzone Buds actually fit well in my ears. This is mainly due to the design of the in-ears. The body is quite slim near the ears and then widens significantly towards the back. This way, the headphones sit securely in the ear, while there is little surface area touching the ear bone. This means the in-ears fit quite well. The additional ear tips also provide some leeway, allowing for a better fit in the ear.
Sound Quality
The Inzone Buds use Sony’s proprietary Dynamic Driver X. These are already integrated into the WF-1000XM4 and WF-1000XM5 and perform excellently. The Inzone Buds also deliver exceptional sound.
Also great is the active noise cancelling, which I have particularly come to appreciate. Because it can almost completely eliminate background noise when I am gaming. Here, the Inzone Buds are on par with the WF-1000XM4 and WF-1000XM5.
However, the spatial sound touted by Sony is not as impressive, as it is only offered with a few options.
Battery Life, Microphone, and Connection
Battery life: Sony officially states the battery life as 12 hours. A total of 24 hours is possible with the charging case. On average, I manage around 10 hours, which is already quite good and more than sufficient.
Microphone: The built-in microphone is mediocre. I am understandable, but overall very quiet and muffled. It is far from a proper gaming headset or a desk microphone. But still better than the built-in microphone in the DualSense controller.
Connection: The in-ears can initially only be connected to the PS5 and PC via the dongle. A Bluetooth connection is only possible under certain circumstances: the device must support Bluetooth LE.
If I plug the dongle into my phone, my S21 Ultra is detected, but only when I set the dongle to “PC.” Nothing happens on PS5/Mobile. However, on the Nintendo Switch, the dongle and thus the in-ears are recognized directly and without problems.
However, I cannot connect my phone via Bluetooth or Bluetooth LE. The S21 Ultra supports Bluetooth 5.2 and thus officially also Bluetooth LE.
I am quite unhappy with the decision to allow only Bluetooth LE. Because this mainly excludes older phones and devices that do not offer Bluetooth LE. Some new devices are also excluded. A decision I cannot understand, which will likely make the in-ears less appealing to many gamers.
Additionally, it is also regrettable that two devices cannot be paired simultaneously.
Conclusion: Brilliant In-Ears with an Annoying Limitation
Who are the in-ears worth it for? The InZone Buds build on Sony’s experience with the highly praised WF-1000XM5 and offer powerful sound and excellent noise cancellation.
However, in terms of compatibility, Sony has stumbled, as the in-ears only work flawlessly through the dongle. But there are also limitations here. While the Inzone Buds work well with my Switch, the Buds are only somewhat compatible with my S21 Ultra.
Essentially, the Inzone Buds can also be used via Bluetooth LE, but only a few devices support that.
What alternatives are there?
- EPOS GTW 270 with dongle: A very good alternative for gaming. You can currently get the model for around 100 euros. The devices offer very good sound and good ergonomics. The manufacturer has also made improvements to the software. You can read the test of the EPOS GTW 270 on MeinMMO.
- The JBL Quantum TWS are my insider tip if you’re looking for cheap and comfortable in-ears for on the go and gaming. Besides decent sound, there is reasonable noise cancellation and good software. The main weakness is the short battery life. You can read a comprehensive test of the JBL Quantum TWS directly on MeinMMO.
More headsets on MeinMMO: Are you looking for headsets that you can use on PC or your new Xbox Series X|S or PS5? Then check out our MeinMMO buying guide. Here we present you with the best options currently available for purchase:
The best gaming headsets you can currently buy
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