Open back gaming headsets are still very much in the minority, and in 2026 wired ones are even more niche – yet it’s a niche Sony wants to fill with the InZone H6 Air. The firm’s PC gaming sub-brand has taken inspiration from its flagship wireless model but focused on sound.
The result is a headset focused more on story-focused single player games rather than esports, courtesy of large 40mm open-back drivers, but with a boom mic at the ready should you decide to venture online.
At $198/£179 it’s more affordable than the Asus ROG Kithara, which has planar magnetic drivers that are even more aimed at audiophiles – but if you shop around you’ll find it’s not dramatically cheaper than the closed-back InZone H9 II, which has multi-device wireless and active noise cancelling. You’re getting the bare essentials here – does sound quality make up for it?
What the Sony Inzone H6 Air does right
Sony has taken the already light InZone H9 II and stripped it back further here, swapping sealed ear cups for perforated aluminium ones that keep the weight in check and give a tantalising glimpse at the drivers within. They look like they’d cave in when you give ’em a squeeze but are impressively sturdy.
The ear cushions aren’t the plushest I’ve tried but are deep enough that even oversized lugs should fit without being pressed up against the driver housings. They pop off by hand, which should make replacements a simple job later down the line. It’s the headband that contributes most to comfort, using a suspension design and sliding clips that really let you dial in the fit. Clamping force isn’t too extreme either. The result is a seriously snug headset which, at 199g, I could wear all day and feel zero discomfort. Being able to swivel the ear cups a full 180 degrees for resting around your neck helps.
I like that Sony has added a few physical controls to the H6 Air. They’re easier to find than the Asus Kithara’s in-line volume and mic mute, which rely on the cable staying where you left it last – not always a given if you’re shuffling around in your seat. The pack-ins are pared back too, with just a single 3.5mm cable and a tiny USB-C dongle for plugging into any devices that lack a headphone port. That said, you’re out of luck using the microphone on devices that need a split input and output.
Really though, it’s audio quality that sees the InZone H6 Air stand out. It has 40mm dynamic drivers based on Sony’s MDR-MV1 studio monitoring headphones and a tune that doesn’t try to cater to the hardcore esports crowd – but one that’s not only meant to please sound engineers.
Instead, this headset is suited to story-driven adventures, atmospheric horror games and single player adventures where bass is allowed to rumble and high frequencies don’t have to sound shrill in pursuit of detail. When I was creeping through STALKER 2: Cost of Hope‘s Iron Forest in the dead of night, the rumble of thunder and me frantically emptying my revolver into a prowling Bloodsucker produced a satisfyingly strong low end.
Switching to Counter Strike 2, I was impressed by the sensation of precision and locational awareness, aided by the open back design bringing lots of space and airiness to the sound. The H6 Air is at its weakest when things get properly hectic, as layers of sounds get a little lost in the shuffle, but multiplayer gamers will still find a lot to like.
These are a great listen for music and movies, too. The bass isn’t overblown like a lot of gaming headsets, mid-range tones have plenty of detail, and the high-end avoids sounding shrill or sibilant. The snares on Sublime’s Ensenada have bite and the hi-hats are crisp, but Jakob Nowell’s laid-back vocals still hold court at the front of the mix.
It’s a different sound to the InZone H9 II, just not necessarily a better or worse one; some will love the wide soundstage, while others will prefer the H9’s more direct, more enclosed sound signature.
Where the Sony Inzone H6 Air falls short
I thought the InZone H9 II’s microphone was rather good, so it was surprising to see the H6 Air’s fall a little short. Visually it looks unchanged between the two headsets, keeping the broadcast-style shape, flexible boom arm (which stays exactly at whatever angle you bend it to) and foam pop filter. The cardioid pickup pattern it uses should reject any noise not coming from directly in front of it, but I found background audio would still seep through during in-game comms. Plosives weren’t dealt with as well as some rival headsets either, although teammates had no trouble hearing what I was saying.
Sony’s INZONE Hub software remains properly barebones too. Given the H6 Air is a wired headset there are unsurprisingly few options to tweak, with just a 10-band equaliser, spatial upmixing mode (which requires scanning your ear shape with a smartphone) and a bunch of EQ presets to pick from, along with microphone volume, gain and side-tone.
Side-tone is pretty pointless in an open-back headset, as I could hear myself speaking just fine even over game audio, and the spatial upmixing didn’t make much of a difference to the sound after calibration. Any EQ changes you make are also contained in the app, so they won’t carry over between devices.
That makes for a somewhat limited headset, but one that’s priced to compete with rivals that really pack in the features. You’re giving up wireless listening, multi-device connectivity, active noise cancellation and more by picking up the H6 Air.
Should you buy the Sony Inzone H6 Air in 2026?
If you value comfort, want a headset that can handle more than just games, and still appreciate the simplicity of a wired setup, the InZone H6 Air should absolutely appeal. While I don’t think it has quite the sonic abilities of Asus’ planar-powered Kithara, Sony’s effort has it bested for price, weight and on-device control convenience.
As wired headsets go, however, this is still quite expensive. Wireless rivals can be had for similar cash, while Sony’s own InZone H9 II adds active noise cancelling to the mix for not a whole lot more.
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