Introduction
IEMs are getting more and more popular in the gaming scene. Pros have always had to use them on-stage (with a noise-canceling headset on top so that they can’t hear the crowd and casters) but we see them more and more at home, too. SONY has recently tried to get into the IEM market, and we asked our reviewer to find out if it was a good first attempt. In this review, you’ll find out everything you need to know about the SONY INZONE E9.
At A Glance
SONY INZONE E9
The SONY INZONE E9 IEMs are a great option for people who are looking for dedicated gaming IEMs that you can run right from your PC without having to buy a DAC or anything like that.
Pros
- Great sound for (competitive) gaming
- Comes with numerous ear tip options
- Long cable is great for gaming purposes
- Comfortable and lightweight
Cons
- Not great for listening to music or watching movies; the sound is very gaming-focused
First Impressions and Packaging
The SONY INZONE E9 IEMs come in at $149.99, which is not very expensive for an audio product. However, it’s definitely not ‘budget’ either, so I expected the unboxing experience to match the price. And it did. In the box, you get:
- The earbuds
- A carrying case
- A USB-C connector dongle
- SONY INZONE stickers
- User documentation
- Additional ear tips
I like all of this. I have no use for stickers and other ‘box swag,’ but additions like a carrying case actually improve the product experience in my opinion. The generous amount of extra ear tips is also a welcome addition.
The case itself is nice. It has a little magnetic storage system so the cable doesn’t get twisted, and it’s also decently sturdy. On top of that, it’s small enough to fit in most pants pockets.
Another thing that I immediately noticed was the length of the cable. Some IEMs use inexplicably short cables, which makes no sense if you’re focused on a gaming audience, since PCs are often tucked away underneath desks and the likes. Not so with the E9, which has a cable of 1.8m. Kudos to the designers for thinking of this.
Design and Features
The SONY INZONE E9s have a subtle design. They’re mostly black, and the cable is also black with very faint purple accents. The housing is small and light, which is something that I personally like.
When it comes to connectivity, you have two options. You can connect the INZONE E9s via a 3.5mm audio jack, or you can plug that jack into the dongle so that you can connect to devices with a USB-C connection. This dongle also works as a DAC.
I like the connectivity options here, but it should be noted that older PCs likely won’t have USB-C ports, so that’s something to keep an eye out for in case you’re considering these. Adapters can be bought for under $10 however, so this doesn’t have to be a hurdle.
Comfort
Ears are unique, so what works for me might not work for others. With that said, I find that the lightweight and small driver shells fit comfortably. I don’t like having weighty earbuds in my ears, as it makes me aware of having them in, and I didn’t have that problem with the E9.
What also helps here is that you get a wide variety of ear tips to choose from. There are also two types: hybrid silicone and noise-isolation foam ear tips. For me, the latter fit best, but there’s such a wide variety of tips to choose from that these IEMs will fit perfectly for the vast majority of users.
All in all, the SONY INZONE E9 IEMs are, to me, very comfortable to wear for extended periods of time.
Sound Performance – Gaming
The SONY INZONE E9 IEMs were made in collaboration with Fnatic, a world-renowned esports team. Like all recent SONY INZONE products, this is an explicitly gaming-oriented product. That’s important to note before reading on about the sound quality.
For gaming, the SONY INZONE IEMs excel. The bass isn’t too rumbly, making important sounds like footsteps stand out more. The sound profile also makes it easier to keep a cool head in intense situations. Even when the grenades are exploding around you and enemies are shooting from all directions, you never feel overwhelmed and you can still hear the sounds you need to hear. In CS2, for example, I got a kill or two spraying through the smoke when a team was trying to bust through to a site, solely based on a reload sound I heard amidst the chaos.
The positional audio is also good. Precisely how good depends on the game itself (some games are better at this than others) but you can quite easily tell which direction sounds are coming from and how far away from you they are. It’s not the absolute best audio product I’ve tried in terms of positional audio, but then again those better products do cost (quite a bit) more. For the price, the SONY INZONE IEMs perform great.
In short: if you’re looking for IEMs that have a strong focus on competitive gaming and will absolutely make you a more consistent player when compared to using regular earbuds, these are a great option.
Sound Performance – General
With the fact that these IEMs are so heavily tweaked towards gaming also comes a compromise. Here, it’s in the form of the bass response. You can raise the bass by using the EQ in the SONY INZONE Hub (if the E9s are connected via USB) but it never gets to that super satisfying ‘oomph’ that you might be looking for if you’re watching a show or a movie, or listening to bass-heavy music. The same can (to a lesser extent) be said for the treble; it’s a bit underrepresented at times.
All of this results in a listening experience that’s ‘just okay’. It’s not bad or annoying in any way, but if your main focus is music or content consumption, these are not going to be it.
With that said, this all makes sense. For competitive gaming, you don’t want rumbling basses, as those drown out important sounds. Overemphasized treble sections can also cause fatigue over longer periods of time. And since this is, as I mentioned, a gaming-focused product, I was not expecting a top-tier music product here.
Conclusion
The SONY INZONE E9 IEMs are a great option for people who are looking for dedicated gaming earbuds that you can run right from your PC without having to buy a DAC or anything like that. With a sound profile that’s specifically tuned for competitive gaming, you hear everything that you need to hear (such as reloads and footsteps) in the midst of chaos, and the good spatial audio capabilities allow you pinpoint where those crucial sounds are coming from.
The E9s are also comfortable, light, and small, meaning that you can easily wear them underneath a headset if you’re going to be using them in tournaments. Speaking of tournaments: with a 1.8m cable, you can plug these into a PC even when it’s hidden underneath a desk or ad panel.
For music listening, it’s not fantastic, though. The E9’s are not bad for content consumption, but if that’s your main focus then there are cheaper IEMs out there. The bass is lacking a bit, and the high notes can also get drowned out in certain tracks.
If you’re looking for a dedicated gaming product, however, this is a great option.
This product was received for free from the manufacturer and given to our reviewer to test and review. Brands and manufacturers have no editorial control over our reviews. For more information, check out our review FAQ.
Former semi-pro gamer turned writer, product reviewer, and community manager.
