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  1. Table of Contents
  2. Top
  3. Main Differences
  4. Design
    1. Style
    2. Comfort
    3. Controls
    4. Breathability
    5. Portability
    6. Case
    7. Build Quality
    8. Stability
    9. Headshots 1
    10. Headshots 2
    11. Top
    12. In The Box
  5. Sound
    1. Sound Profile
    2. Frequency Response Consistency
    3. Raw Frequency Response
    4. Bass Profile: Target Compliance
    5. Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance
    6. Treble Profile: Target Compliance
    7. Peaks/Dips
    8. Imaging
    9. Passive Soundstage
    10. Virtual Soundstage
    11. Weighted Harmonic Distortion
    12. Test Settings
  6. Isolation
    1. Noise Isolation - Full Range
    2. Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios
    3. Noise Isolation - Voice Handling
    4. ANC Wind Handling
    5. Leakage
  7. Microphone
    1. Microphone Style
    2. Recording Quality
    3. Noise Handling
  8. Active Features
    1. Battery
    2. App Support
  9. Connectivity
    1. Wired Connection
    2. Bluetooth Connection
    3. Wireless Connection (Dongle)
    4. PC Compatibility
    5. PlayStation Compatibility
    6. Xbox Compatibility
    7. Base/Dock
  10. Comments

Sony INZONE H9 Wireless vs Sony PULSE Elite Wireless

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

Sony INZONE H9 Wireless
Sony PULSE Elite

Tested using Methodology v1.5

Updated Jan 10, 2025 04:25 PM

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Tested using Methodology v1.8

Updated Aug 23, 2024 03:13 PM

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Sony INZONE H9 Wireless Picture
Sony PULSE Elite Wireless Picture
  1. Recommended in 1 article:
  2. Sony

Variants

  • INZONE H9 (Black)
  • INZONE H9 (White)
  • PULSE Elite (White)

Our Verdict

Sony INZONE H9 Wireless

Sony PULSE Elite Wireless

The Sony INZONE H9 Wireless and the Sony PULSE Elite Wireless are closed-back gaming headphones with slightly different feature sets that will cater to different uses. While they both feature support for non-Bluetooth wireless and Bluetooth connections simultaneously, the Sony PULSE Elite Wireless can be used with a wired connection, making them a more versatile choice. The PULSE Elite are also a natural choice for users who value microphone quality, as their retractable boom mic has a great recording quality and excellent noise handling. On the other hand, the INZONE have an ANC system that helps attenuate much more ambient noise than the PULSE Elite are able to.

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PULSE Elite
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PULSE Elite
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PULSE Elite
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PULSE Elite
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PULSE Elite
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Notice: Two or more of the products selected have been tested with different test methodologies, so some of the results below aren't directly comparable. Learn how our test benches and scoring system work, and read more about the latest changes to our headphones test methodology.

Main Differences for

Threshold 

0.10

Neutral Sound 

6.4
7.0

Bass Accuracy 
 

6.3
8.5

Passive Soundstage 
 

4.6
6.7

Imaging 
 

8.5
5.7

Mid Accuracy 
 

7.1
7.8

Full Comparison

Design

Style  

Design Picture 2  

Sony INZONE H9 Wireless Design Picture 2
Sony PULSE Elite Wireless Design Picture 2

Type  

Over-ear
Over-ear

Enclosure  

Closed-Back
Closed-Back

Wireless  

Yes
Yes

Transducer  

Dynamic
Planar Magnetic

Show text

Comfort 
 

7.0
7.0

Comfort Picture  

Sony INZONE H9 Wireless Comfort Picture
Sony PULSE Elite Wireless Comfort Picture

Weight  

0.72 lbs
0.75 lbs

Clamping Force 
 

0.8 lbs
0.83 lbs

Show text

Controls 
 

8.3
5.6

Controls Picture  

Sony INZONE H9 Wireless Controls Picture
Sony PULSE Elite Wireless Controls Picture

OS Compatibility 
 

Not OS specific
Not OS specific

Ease Of Use  

Decent
Decent

Feedback  

Decent
Good

Call/Music Control  

Yes
No

Volume Control  

Yes
Yes

Microphone Control  

Mute/Unmute
Mute/Unmute

Channel Mixing 
 

Yes
No

Noise Cancelling Control  

On/Off
No

Talk-Through 
 

On/Off
No

Additional Controls  

Bluetooth + Multi function
Bluetooth + Multi function

Show text

Breathability 
 

Breathability After Picture  

Avg.Temp.Difference  

Portability 
 

5.2
5.2

Portability Picture  

Sony INZONE H9 Wireless Portability Picture
Sony PULSE Elite Wireless Portability Picture

 

9.4" (24.0 cm)
8.4" (21.3 cm)

 

8.8" (22.3 cm)
6.1" (15.5 cm)

 

3.1" (7.9 cm)
5.1" (12.9 cm)

Volume  

258.02 in³ (4,228.10 cm³)
259.90 in³ (4,258.94 cm³)

Transmitter Required  

No
No

Show text

Case 
 

0.0
0.0

Case Picture  

Sony INZONE H9 Wireless Case Picture
Sony PULSE Elite Wireless Case Picture

Type  

No case
No case

 

N/A
N/A

 

N/A
N/A

 

N/A
N/A

Volume  

N/A
N/A

Show text

Build Quality 
 

7.0
6.0

Build Quality Picture  

Sony INZONE H9 Wireless Build Quality Picture
Sony PULSE Elite Wireless Build Quality Picture

Show text

Stability 
 

6.0
6.2

Stability Picture  

Sony INZONE H9 Wireless Stability Picture
Sony PULSE Elite Wireless Stability Picture

Show text

Headshots 1  

Angled Picture  

Sony INZONE H9 Wireless Angled Picture
Sony PULSE Elite Wireless Angled Picture

Side Picture  

Sony INZONE H9 Wireless Side Picture
Sony PULSE Elite Wireless Side Picture

Headshots 2  

Front Picture  

Sony INZONE H9 Wireless Front Picture
Sony PULSE Elite Wireless Front Picture

Rear Picture  

Sony INZONE H9 Wireless Rear Picture
Sony PULSE Elite Wireless Rear Picture

Top  

Top Picture  

Sony INZONE H9 Wireless Top Picture
Sony PULSE Elite Wireless Top Picture

In The Box  

In The Box Picture  

Sony INZONE H9 Wireless In The Box Picture
Sony PULSE Elite Wireless In The Box Picture

Show text

Sound

Sound Profile 
 

Sound Profile  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Normalization Frequency 
 

1,350 Hz

Bass Amount 
 

0.41 dB
1.2 dB

Treble Amount 
 

-1.83 dB
0.1 dB

Show text

Frequency Response Consistency 
 

6.0
5.2

Consistency L  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Consistency R  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Avg. Std. Deviation 
 

0.94 dB
2.22 dB

Show text

Raw Frequency Response 
 

Raw FR L  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Raw FR R  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Bass Profile: Target Compliance 
 

6.3
8.5

Bass Profile: Target Compliance  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

RMS Deviation From Target 
 

6.25 dB
3.5 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

19.71 Hz
21.65 Hz

Low Bass 
 

1.03 dB
-1.16 dB

Mid Bass 
 

6.93 dB
4.4 dB

High Bass 
 

9.06 dB
1.8 dB

Show text

Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance 
 

7.1
7.8

Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

RMS Deviation From Target 
 

3.84 dB
2.14 dB

Low Mid 
 

5.64 dB
-1.78 dB

Mid-Mid 
 

0.48 dB
0.84 dB

High Mid 
 

1.87 dB
-1.18 dB

Show text

Treble Profile: Target Compliance 
 

5.8
5.5

Treble Profile: Target Compliance  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

RMS Deviation From Target 
 

6 dB
4.6 dB

Low Treble 
 

-0.48 dB
-3.21 dB

Mid Treble 
 

4.26 dB
4.4 dB

High Treble 
 

0.36 dB
-1.33 dB

Show text

Peaks/Dips 
 

6.3
6.5

Peaks/Dips Graph 
 

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Peaks 
 

2.23 dB
2.04 dB

Dips 
 

2.77 dB
2.59 dB

Show text

Imaging 
 

8.5
5.7

Group Delay  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Phase Response Mismatch  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Weighted Group Delay 
 

0.17
0.47

Weighted Phase Mismatch 
 

6.71
14.67

Weighted Amplitude Mismatch 
 

0.84
4.13

Weighted Frequency Mismatch 
 

1.64
3.67

Show text

Passive Soundstage 
 

4.6
6.7

PRTF  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.) 
 

3.75 dB
4.11 dB

PRTF Size (Avg.) 
 

6.44 dB
4.41 dB

PRTF Distance 
 

7.18 dB
14.2 dB

Openness 
 

2.4
7.3

Acoustic Space Excitation 
 

3.0
4.7

Show text

Virtual Soundstage 
 

2.0
2.0

Virtual Soundstage  

Sony INZONE H9 Wireless Virtual Soundstage
Sony PULSE Elite Wireless Virtual Soundstage

Head Modeling 
 

No
No

Speaker Modeling 
 

On/Off
On/Off

Room Ambience 
 

No
No

Head Tracking 
 

No
No

Virtual Surround 
 

Sony Spatial Sound
Yes

Show text

Weighted Harmonic Distortion 
 

7.1
7.2

Weighted Harmonic Distortion  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

WHD @ 90 
 

0.475
0.506

WHD @ 100 
 

0.263
0.175

Show text

Test Settings 
 

Firmware 
 

01.000.001
0136

Power 
 

On
On

Connection 
 

Wireless (Proprietary)
Wireless (Proprietary)

Codec 
 

PCM, 16-bit, 48kHz
PCM, 16-bit, 48kHz

EQ 
 

DEFAULT (Flat)
No EQ

ANC 
 

On
No ANC

Tip/Pad 
 

Default
Default

Microphone 
 

Boom
Boom

Show text

Isolation

Noise Isolation - Full Range 
 

7.6
3.4

Noise Isolation - Full Range Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Noise Cancelling  

Yes
No

Overall Attenuation 
 

-20.41 dB
-7.80 dB

Isolation Audio 
 

Bass 
 

-13.37 dB
4.00 dB

Mid 
 

-19.59 dB
-7.92 dB

Treble 
 

-28.83 dB
-21.95 dB

Show text

Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios 
 

3.2

Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios Graph  

See details on graph tool

Airplane Noise Attenuation 
 

-5.77 dB

Airplane Noise Isolation Audio 
 

Office Noise Attenuation 
 

-6.47 dB

Office Noise Isolation Audio 
 

Street Noise Attenuation 
 

-6.87 dB

Street Noise Isolation Audio 
 

Show text

Noise Isolation - Voice Handling 
 

Female Voice 1 
 

Male Voice 1 
 

Female Voice 2 
 

Male Voice 2 
 

ANC Wind Handling 
 

ANC Wind Handling Graph  

Sony PULSE Elite Wireless ANC Wind Handling Graph

ANC Wind Noise 
 

N/A

Leakage 
 

7.4
5.9

Leakage  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Leakage Audio 
 

Overall Leakage @ 1ft 
 

37.44 dB
45.46 dB

Show text

Microphone

Microphone Style 
 

Integrated 
 

No
No

In-Line 
 

No
No

Boom 
 

Yes
Yes

Detachable Boom 
 

No
No

Mic  

Yes
Yes

Show text

Recording Quality 
 

6.7
7.9

Microphone Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Recorded Speech 
 

LFE 
 

125.17 Hz
113.14 Hz

FR Std. Dev. 
 

4.5 dB
0.99 dB

HFE 
 

7,136.96 Hz
6,736.4 Hz

Weighted THD 
 

7.026
1.821

Gain 
 

-3.08 dB
8.46 dB

Show text

Noise Handling 
 

8.2
8.8

SpNR  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

SpNR 
 

22.23 dB
63.8 dB

Noise Gate 
 

Always On
Always On

Speech + Pink Noise Handling 
 

8.0
9.0

Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample  

Speech + Subway Noise Handling 
 

8.5
8.5

Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample  

Show text

Active Features

Battery 
 

8.4
8.9

Battery Type 
 

Rechargable
Rechargable

Continuous Battery Life 
 

22.4 hrs
53 hrs

Additional Charges 
 

0.0
0.0

Total Battery Life 
 

22.4 hrs
53 hrs

Charge Time 
 

2.3 hrs
2.5 hrs

Power-Saving Feature 
 

Auto-Off Timer
Auto-Off Timer

Audio While Charging 
 

Yes
Yes

Passive Playback 
 

No
No

Charging Port  

USB-C
USB-C

Show text

App Support 
 

8.0
7.0

App Picture  

Sony INZONE H9 Wireless App Picture
Sony PULSE Elite Wireless App Picture

App Name  

Sony INZONE Hub
PS5 Inferface

iOS  

No
No

Android  

No
No

macOS  

No
No

Windows  

Yes
No

Equalizer 
 

Graphic + Presets
Graphic + Presets

ANC Control 
 

On/Off
No

Mic Control  

Adjustable Level
Adjustable Level

Room Effects 
 

No
No

Playback Control 
 

No
No

Button Mapping  

No
No

Surround Support 
 

Yes
Yes

Show text

Connectivity

Wired Connection 
 

0.0
8.4

Cable Picture  

Sony INZONE H9 Wireless Cable Picture
Sony PULSE Elite Wireless Cable Picture

Analog Audio 
 

No
Yes

USB Audio 
 

No
No

Detachable 
 

No
Yes

Length 
 

N/A
N/A

Connector 
 

No Wired Option
1/8" TRRS

Latency - Analog 
 

3.8 ms

Latency - USB 
 

N/A
N/A

Recorded Latency 
 

Recorded Latency Connection  

Analog

Show text

Bluetooth Connection 
 

8.4
7.4

Bluetooth Version 
 

5.0
Unspecified

Multi-Device Pairing 
 

Bluetooth + Console/Non-BT Wireless
Bluetooth + Console/Non-BT Wireless

NFC Pairing 
 

No

Quick Pair (Android) 
 

No

Quick Pair (iOS) 
 

No

Line Of Sight Range 
 

322.51 ft (98.30 m)
334.65 ft (102.00 m)

Latency - SBC 
 

213 ms
325 ms

Latency - aptX 
 

N/A
N/A

Latency - aptX Adaptive (High Quality) 
 

N/A

Latency - aptX Adaptive (Low Latency) 
 

N/A

Latency - LDAC 
 

N/A

Recorded Latency 
 

Recorded Latency Codec  

SBC

AAC Support 
 

No

PC Latency (aptX HD) 
 

N/A

PC Latency (aptX-LL) 
 

N/A

iOS Latency 
 

75 ms

Android Latency 
 

135 ms

Show text

Wireless Connection (Dongle) 
 

8.6
8.6

Line Of Sight Range 
 

96.78 ft (29.50 m)
104.99 ft (32.00 m)

Latency - Dongle 
 

24 ms
26 ms

Recorded Latency 
 

Show text

PC Compatibility 
 

Analog 
 

No
Audio + Microphone (Not Included)

Wired USB 
 

No
No

Non-BT Wireless 
 

Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone

Show text

PlayStation Compatibility 
 

PS4 Analog 
 

No
Audio + Microphone (Not Included)

PS4 Wired USB 
 

No
No

PS4 Non-BT Wireless 
 

Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone

PS5 Analog 
 

No
Audio + Microphone (Not included)

PS5 Wired USB 
 

No
No

PS5 Non-BT Wireless 
 

Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone

Show text

Xbox Compatibility 
 

Xbox One Analog 
 

No
Audio + Microphone (Not Included)

Xbox One Wired USB 
 

No
No

Xbox One Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

Xbox Series X|S Analog 
 

No
Audio + Microphone (Not Included)

Xbox Series X|S Wired USB 
 

No
No

Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

Show text

Base/Dock 
 

3.4
3.4

Type 
 

Wireless USB Dongle
Wireless USB Dongle

USB Input 
 

Yes
Yes

Line In 
 

No
No

Line Out 
 

No
No

Optical Input 
 

No
No

RCA Input 
 

No
No

Dock Charging 
 

No
No

Power Supply 
 

USB
USB

Show text

Check Price

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PULSE Elite
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PULSE Elite
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PULSE Elite
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PULSE Elite
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PULSE Elite
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Sony INZONE H9 Wireless

Sony PULSE Elite Wireless

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Sony INZONE H9 Wireless vs Sony PULSE Elite: Main Discussion

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