How to connect the WH-1000XM5 to Xbox Series X or S

If you have the Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones and would like to use it with your Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S, then you can take a look at this guide from Seeking Tech to see how you can properly connect this accessory.

Can you connect WH-1000XM5 to Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S via Bluetooth?

Unfortunately, the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S do not support Bluetooth connections. As a result, you won’t be able to connect the headset wirelessly to your game console.

However, there are two workarounds that you can do. The first of which is to pair and connect the WH-1000XM5 to a television screen that supports audio output over a Bluetooth connection. You should then be able to use the headphones with the Xbox as well as doing any other activities with your TV.

For the second method, you can buy a Bluetooth 5.0 Wireless Audio 3.5mm Adapter. You will need to plug the adapter into the 3.5mm audio port of the Xbox Series controller. You should then be able to pair and connect the WH-1000XM5 to the adapter.

If you are interested in an Xbox compatible adapter for Bluetooth headsets, then we recommend checking out the UGREEN Bluetooth 5.0 Transmitter and Receiver 2 in 1 Wireless 3.5mm Bluetooth Adapter. You can find this product on Amazon with this link. (#CommissionsEarned).

How to connect WH-1000XM5 to Xbox Series X or Xbox Series by using an audio cable

Of course, you can also simply plug in the WH-1000XM5 to your Xbox controller. In order to do so, you need to take the following steps:

1. Use the audio cable that came included with the WH-1000XM5 to plug one end of the cable to the headphones.

2. Plug the other end of the cable to the audio port of the Xbox controller.

3. The audio output of your Xbox should automatically be switched over to the WH-1000XM5.

4. By default, this headset will be using the Stereo Uncompressed format. In order to change to a different one, go to the Settings menu of your Series X or Series S.

From there, select General > Volume & audio output > Headset format. In the drop-down menu, you will be able to select the following:

  • Stereo uncompressed
  • Windows Sonic for Headphones
  • Dolby Atmos for Headphones
  • DTS Headphone:X

5. From the same General – Volume & audio output menu, you can also select the “Audio testing & details” option.

On the next screen, scroll down to the “Formats supported by your headset” section. This will show you a list of supported formats for the Sony WH-1000XM5.

What to do if your INZONE H7 or INZONE H9 is not working

If your Sony INZONE H7 Wireless Gaming Headset or Sony INZONE H9 Wireless Noise Canceling Gaming Headset is not working properly, or at all, then you can take a look at this troubleshooting article from Seeking Tech to see you how can potentially fix this problem.

1. Before doing anything else, you should make sure that your INZONE H7 or INZONE H9 isn’t wet as it could lead to liquid damage.

If it does feel wet, then make sure that you turn off the headset immediately. Afterwards, you should let it dry up at room temperature before you attempt to use it again.

To find out more about how to prevent water damage, as well as how to properly dry these headphones, you can check out this guide.

2. If you try to use the INZONE H7 or INZONE H9 outside of the recommended temperature range, which is from 32 °F to 104 °F (or 0 °C to 40 °C), then you may run into problems.

3. You should also make sure that your wireless gaming headset has been charged before using.

If you are experiencing problems trying to recharge the internal battery of these products, then you can take a look at this post.

4. Furthermore, make sure that you are connecting your headset correctly to the other device.

If you have a PC or PlayStation 5, then you need to plug the USB transceiver into a compatible USB port. Your headset should then be able to connect to the computer of game console automatically when you turn it on.

For Bluetooth devices, you need to first pair the headset to the other device. If you are having problems, trying to do so, then you can check out this article.

5. You should also make sure that you are properly wearing the Sony headset.

The headband should fit snuggly on the top of your head. Furthermore, the ear cups should be completely covering your ears.

6. Physical objects, such as walls and metals, could block the wireless communication between your headset and connected device. As a result, your INZONE H7 or INZONE H9 may not work properly.

7. Other wireless nearby devices could also negatively affect these headsets.

We recommend that you take a look at this guide to see how you can deal with USB transceiver connection issues as well as this post to see how you can potentially fix your Bluetooth connection problems.

8. Resetting the INZONE H7 Wireless Gaming Headset or INZONE H9 Wireless Noise Canceling Gaming Headset may help solve several problems.

You can also do a full factory reset, which will restore all the settings to the original default values, to see if doing so could help with your issues.

You can follow the steps in this tutorial to reset and factory reset these Sony products.

9. There is a possibility that your headset may need to be repaired or replaced if it is suffering from a hardware problem.

If you believe that there is something wrong with the hardware side of your INZONE H7 or INZONE H9, then we recommend that you contact Sony for additional support.

How to fix PC and PS5 pairing issues with the INZONE H7 and INZONE H9

The INZONE H7 Wireless Gaming Headset and INZONE H9 Wireless Noise Canceling Gaming Headset are made specifically for the PC and PlayStation 5. In order to connect to these platforms wirelessly, you first need to go through the pairing process.

If you can’t seem to get your headset to pair correctly to your PC or PlayStation 5, then you can take a look at this troubleshooting article from Seeking Tech.

1. To start off, make sure that you have the USB transceiver of the INZONE H7 or INZONE H9 properly plugged into one of the USB ports of your PC, PlayStation 5 or PlayStation 5 Digital Edition system. Otherwise, you won’t be able to pair your gaming headset at all.

2. If possible, try to plug the USB transceiver on the front facing side of your computer or PS5. If you don’t, then the wireless signal will have to go through the PC or console in order to reach your headset, which will weaken the communication and potentially cause pairing problems.

3. You should also avoid having any other physical objects that may block the direct line of sight between your headset and the PC or PlayStation 5.

4. Avoid having other wireless devices nearby when you are trying to pair your INZONE H7 or INZONE H9. The wireless signals from the other devices may cause interference.

5. For pairing, try to move the wireless gaming headset within 3 feet or 1 meter of the USB transceiver as that is the optimal distance.

6. You should also make sure that you are following the pairing procedure correctly by doing the following:

  • Plug the USB transceiver to your PC or PS5.
  • Turn on your computer of PlayStation 5.
  • Press and hold the connect button on the USB transceiver for at least 5 seconds.
  • If done correctly, you should see the indicator of the USB transceiver repeatedly flashes a white light twice.
  • Next, turn on your INZONE H7 or INZONE H9 to start the pairing process.
  • When the pairing process is done, you should hear a notification sound played from the headset as well as see the indicator of the USB transceiver show a solid white light.

7. If you still can get the INZONE H7 or INZONE H9 to pair, then you can try unplugging the USB transceiver and then plug it back in again.

8. You can also try using a different USB port if there is another one available.

9. If you have multiple apps open on your PC, then you can try closing the apps to see if doing so will get rid of the pairing issues.

10. Restarting your computer or PlayStation 5 may help fix the pairing problems as well.

11. It is a good idea that you keep the firmware versions of your headset, PC and PS5 up to date as the latest updates may help improve the pairing process.

12. Resetting or factory resetting the INZONE H7 Wireless Gaming Headset and INZONE H9 Wireless Noise Canceling Gaming Headset may help fix the pairing errors as well.

How to INZONE H7 and INZONE H9 low audio quality issues

When connecting your INZONE H7 Wireless Gaming Headset or INZONE H9 Wireless Noise Canceling Gaming Headset, you may experience lower than expected audio quality.

To see how you can improve your listen experience with these Sony products, you can take a look at this troubleshooting article here at Seeking Tech.

1. The first step we recommend taking is to make sure that your INZONE H7 or INZONE H9 is not wet.

This is because that, if liquid gets inside your headset, then it may cause the sound output to be distorted. Of course, water can also cause the inner parts to short circuit as well as many other problems.

To find out how you can prevent liquid damage, as well as properly dry these products, you can take a look at this article.

2. You can try playing a different audio, video or video game to see if the sound output from other content sound better.

If the other content features a higher audio quality, then the issue is not related to the headset. Instead, it is most likely due to the media file.

3. Some content will sound worse at higher volumes. If you believe that this is the case, then we recommend that you lower the volume to see if the audio quality will improve.

You can try lowering the headset volume with the dial located on the left ear cup of your INZONE H7 Wireless Gaming Headset or INZONE H9 Wireless Noise Canceling Gaming Headset. Moreover, you can try lowering the volume on the connected device.

If the app or game you are using has an in-app or in-game menu, then you can also check to see if these is a setting where you can adjust the volume.

4. If you are connecting your headset to the other device by using a Bluetooth connection via the HFP or HSP Bluetooth profiles, then make sure you change the codec to A2DP.

In order to do so, look through the Bluetooth menu on the connected device to see if there is an option available where you are able to switch Bluetooth codecs.

5. You can also try changing various settings in the INZONE Hub.

You can download and install this program on your computer. You then need to connect your INZONE H7 or INZONE H9 to be able to start messing with the various settings that may help improve the sound output quality.

6. On the connected devices, you can also try looking at its system settings in order to adjust the audio output settings in order to see if you can fix the low audio quality problems.

7. Resetting or restoring your wireless gaming headset to the factory default settings may also help.

To see how you can perform both of these actions for the Sony INZONE H7 Wireless Gaming Headset or Sony INZONE H9 Wireless Noise Canceling Gaming Headset, you can follow the steps from this tutorial.

How to fix INZONE H7 and INZONE H9 audio skipping issues when using USB transceiver

The audio may occasionally skip or dropout when you are using your INZONE H7 Wireless Gaming Headset or INZONE H9 Wireless Noise Canceling Gaming Headset with the included USB transceiver.

To see how you can smooth out the sound output, you can check out this troubleshooting guide from Seeking Tech.

1. The first step you can take is to try moving the headset closer to the USB transceiver.

While the listed maximum wireless range is 10 meters (or 30 feet), the actual effective range depends on the surrounding environment.

2. You should also make sure that there aren’t anything blocking the line of sight in between the transceiver and your headphones. Metals, walls and even your own body could weaken the wireless signal if it gets in the way.

If you are using the INZONE H7 or INZONE H9 on a PlayStation 5 or PlayStation 5 Digital Edition console, for example, we recommend plugging the USB transceiver to the USB port located at the front side of the system so that the signal won’t have to go through the PS5 to reach the headset.

3. Other wireless devices that are near the USB transceiver or headset may cause interference due to the electromagnetic waves being generated. These may include Wi-Fi routers and microwave ovens.

In these cases, you can try turning off the other wireless devices or moving the headset and the USB transceiver to somewhere else.

4. If you are connecting your INZONE H7 or INZONE H9 to a computer, then you can try closing any opened apps to see if the audio playback is smoother.

5. Furthermore, you can try restarting the app, media file or video game to see if doing so will fix your issues.

6. You can also try restarting the connected device.

7. Reconnecting the headset to the USB transceiver may help fix the audio skipping or dropout problems as well.

8. You can also try resetting and factory resetting the INZONE H7 or INZONE H9. To do so, you can view these steps.

If you are still getting skipping and/or dropouts when using these headsets, then we recommend that you contact Sony in order to get additional help. There is also a possibility that your problem may be hardware related.

How to fix INZONE H9 ambient sound mode problems

The Sony INZONE H9 comes with an ambient sound mode that makes it easier to hear external noises while also listening to the audio playback of the headset at the same time.

With this feature, you will be able to pay attention to your surrounding environment. This is helpful if you are need to be alerted for some sort of public announcement or need to be more cautious in situations (such as crossing a busy street).

If you are having problems trying to get this mode to work effectively, or at all, then you can take a look at this troubleshooting article from Seeking Tech.

1. To start off, make sure that you are enabling the ambient sound mode correctly. In order to do so, you need to take the following steps:

  • Turn on the Sony INZONE H9 Wireless Noise Canceling Gaming Headset if you haven’t done so already. You can do so by pressing and holding the power button located on the right ear cup for 2 seconds on more. If done correctly, the left and right ring indicators should light up a blue or right light for around 5 seconds.
  • With the headset turned on, you then need to press the NC/AMB button to switch to the ambient sound mode. You may need to press this button a few times to cycle trough the noise cancellation mode as well as the off mode before you get to the ambient sound mode.
  • If done correctly, you should be able to hear a sound notification being played in the headset.

2. If you are able to set up the ambient sound mode correctly but you still aren’t able to clearly hear the external noises, then make sure that you are wearing your INZONE H9 correctly.

The headset should fit securely on the top of your head with the ear cups completely covering your ears.

3. You should also avoid covering the left and right ear cups as it may end up blocking out the ambient sound.

4. Using the ambient sound mode of the INZONE H9 is not effective when it comes to wind noises. In fact, this mode may amplify the wind noises in the headset.

In this case, you can turn off the Ambient Sound Mode. Alternatively, you can disable the voice focus by doing the following:

  • Download and install the INZONE Hub on a computer.
  • Open the INZONE Hub.
  • Connect your INZONE H9 to the same computer.
  • With the headset connected, you need to disable the voice focus setting.

5. You can also try turning down the volume of the audio playback to make sure that you are able to hear the ambient sound more clearly.

6. In some situations, the ambient sound mode may not work at all. In these cases, we recommend that you simply turn off the headset if you need to pay attention to the external noises.

How to fix INZONE H7 and INZONE H9 low volume issues when using Bluetooth

You are able to connect the INZONE H7 Wireless Gaming Headset and INZONE H9 Wireless Noise Canceling Gaming Headset to Bluetooth devices.

When doing so, you may experience low volume. The headphones may not even output any sound at all. You can take a look at this troubleshooting article to see how you can fix this low or muted audio issue with these Sony headsets.

1. To start off, make sure that your INZONE H7or INZONE H9 is turned on. To power it on, press and hold the power button for at least 2 seconds.

If you can’t seem to power on your wireless gaming headset, then you can take a look at this guide to see how you can potentially fix this problem.

2. You should also make sure that the Bluetooth device is also turned on. If the device is set to rest mode, sleep mode, hibernation mode or any other low-power state mode, then you might need to wake it up in order to establish a connection.

3. In order to use the Bluetooth connection, the other device needs to have the same pairing information as your wireless gaming headset.

If you are having a difficult time trying to pair your INZONE H7 or INZONE H9 to a Bluetooth device, then you should check out this troubleshooting post.

4. Try to turn up the volume by using the volume dial located on the left ear cup of your wireless gaming headset.

5. Furthermore, you can also try increasing the volume on the connected device.

6. If you are playing game or using an app, then you can check the in-game or in-app menus to see if there is a setting where you can adjust the volume.

7. On the connected device, you can also look for the setting where you can change the sound output source to the headset.

8. If you are listening to music, make sure that you are using the ASDP Bluetooth profile for the wireless connection.

You may need to look in the Bluetooth menu of the connected device to change the profile.

9. You can also try disconnecting the INZONE H7 or INZONE H9 to the Bluetooth device and then try to connect them again to see if doing so will make the sound output louder.

10. Restarting the Bluetooth device may also be helpful as it will refresh the Bluetooth connection and close any potentially conflicting apps or processes that are currently running.

11. You may also want to consider deleting or forgetting the INZONE H7 or INZONE H9 pairing information from the Bluetooth menu of the connected device. Afterwards, try to pair the headset to the same device again.

12. Resetting your headset could also solve the low volume or muted audio problems. If a regular reset does not work, then you can try restoring it to the factory default settings.

To learn about how you can reset and factory reset the INZONE H7 Wireless Gaming Headset and INZONE H9 Wireless Noise Canceling Gaming Headset, you can follow the steps from this tutorial.

How to fix INZONE H9 noise cancellation issues

The Sony INZONE H9 Wireless Gaming Headset offers noise cancellation. If you can’t get this feature to work correctly, then you can take a look at this troubleshooting article from Seeking Tech to see how you can potentially get a better performance.

1. To start off, make sure you aren’t covering the left and right earcups of the INZONE H9 with stickers, clothing and other materials.

For the uninformed, the noise canceling microphones are located on these ear cups. If your end up blocking them, then the headset won’t be as effective at blocking out the unwanted external noises.

2. You should also make sure that you properly turn on the noise cancellation functionality on your Sony INZONE H9 Wireless Gaming Headset.

In order to do so, you need to take the following steps:

  • Turn on your INZONE H9 if you haven’t done so already. If you have a hard time powering it on, then you check out this tutorial.
  • Make sure that your headset is connected wirelessly to the other device.
  • Next, you need to press the NC/AMB button.
  • You should hear a notification sound coming from the headset when the noise cancellation function.
  • You may have to press the NC/AMB button a few times to cycle to the noise cancellation mode.

3. If you don’t wear your INZONE H9 properly, then the headset may be less effective at blocking out the external sound. In this case, try to reposition the headset to fit securely on your head and make sure that the ear cups are completely covering your ears.

4. You can also try using the INZONE Hub. This app can be downloaded and installed on your computer. Afterwards, connect the headset to the same computer and then try changing the noise canceling settings.

5. Moreover, you can use the aforementioned INZONE Hub in order to update the firmware of your wireless gaming headset.

6. Mobile phones could also interfere with the noise cancellation feature of the INZONE H9. Therefore, you can try moving your phone further away.

If you are in an area with a lot of smartphones being used, then you can try moving to a less busy space to prevent any potential interference.

7. If you decide to use the INZONE H9 when riding in a bus, car or another vehicle, then you may still hear noise depending on the surrounding environment.

8. The noise cancellation feature of the INZONE H9 Wireless Gaming Headset is mainly designed to block not external noise in the low frequency ranges. It is not as effective if there are high pitch noises, such as when someone is talking.

9. While noise cancellation work well with blocking out low frequency noises, it won’t completely mute it from your ears. Therefore, you can try turning up the volume of the headset to cancel out the rest of the noises.

10. It is also important to note that this feature may not be effective, and may even be counter intuitive, if you are already using the headset in an environment that is already quiet.

How to fix INZONE H7 and INZONE H9 Bluetooth pairing issues

In order to connect the INZONE H7 Wireless Gaming Headset and INZONE H9 Wireless Noise Canceling Gaming Headset to another Bluetooth device, you first need to go through the pairing process.

If you are having problems trying to do so, then you can check out this troubleshooting guide from Seeking Tech.

1. Before we begin, it is important to note that both the INZONE H7 and INZONE H9 support the following Bluetooth profiles:

  • A2DP
  • AVRCP
  • HFP
  • HSP

The following Bluetooth codecs are also supported:

  • SBC
  • AAC

2. To start off, make sure you are properly putting your INZONE H7 or INZONE H9 into its pairing mode. In order to do so, you need to take the following steps:

Turn on your wireless gaming headset if you haven’t done so already. To see how to do so, you can take a look at this tutorial.

If this is the first time pairing the headset after you take it out of the box (or after a factory reset), then you need to press and hold the Bluetooth button for 2 seconds. If you already pair the headset to another device, then you need to press and hold the Bluetooth button for 5 seconds.

Once you put your INZONE H7 or INZONE H9 into its pairing mode, you then need to confirm the pairing in the Bluetooth menu of the other device.

3. If you are following the pairing process correctly but your headset is still not pairing, then you can try moving the INZONE H7 or INZONE H9 closer to the Bluetooth device you are trying to connect it to.

Sony recommends that both should be within 3 feet or 1 meter of each other.

4. The Bluetooth signal may also weaken if there are any physical objects in between the headset and the Bluetooth device.

Therefore, make sure that there aren’t any walls, metals or other objects that may be blocking the direct communication path.

5. Other wireless devices, including those that use the Bluetooth connection, could also interfere with the pairing process.

In this case, you may want to turn off any other wireless devices that are close by. Alternatively, you can move the headset and the device you are trying to pair it to into a different location.

6. On the Bluetooth device, make sure that the Bluetooth connection has been turned on.

7. You should also make sure that the keep the firmware of the Bluetooth device up to date.

8. Moreover, you can try restarting the Bluetooth device as doing so will refresh the Bluetooth connection in addition to close any apps and processes that may have been causing the pairing process to fail.

9. If you try pairing your INZONE H7 or INZONE H9 to the same device after factory resetting the headset, then the pairing may fail unless you delete or forget the previous pairing information that was stored.

10. Resetting or factory resetting your INZONE H7 Wireless Gaming Headset and INZONE H9 Wireless Noise Canceling Gaming Headset may also fix the Bluetooth pairing issues.

To find out how to do both of these actions, you can check out this tutorial.

How to fix PS5 wireless connection issues with the INZONE H7 and INZONE H9

The INZONE H7 and INZONE H9 are both wireless gaming headsets that can be connected to the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Digital Edition systems.

If you are having problems trying to get these devices to connect to your PS5, then you can take a look at this troubleshooting article from Seeking Tech.

1. The first step you can take is to make sure that your INZONE H7 Wireless Gaming Headset or INZONE H9 Wireless Noise Canceling Gaming Headset are close enough to the console.

Sony recommends that the headset should be within 1 meter (or 3 feet) of the PS5 if you want the most optimal wireless communication.

2. For the USB transceiver, make sure that the slider is on the PS5 side. Otherwise, your console may not be able to recognize the headset if the slider is set to PC instead.

3. Furthermore, make sure you connect the USB transceiver directly to your PlayStation 5 or PlayStation 5 Digital Edition. Using a USB hub, USB converter or USB pass-through device instead may end up disabling the wireless communication aspect of the transceiver.

4. Sony also recommends that you plug the USB transceiver in to the USB Type-A port located at the front of your PS5.

Although the back of the system also comes with two USB Type-A ports, you will most likely get weaker wireless communications as the signal will have to go through the PS5 in order to get to headset.

5. Moreover, you should make sure that there aren’t any solid objects nearby that could end up blocking the direct line of sight between the game console and your INZONE H7 or INZONE H9.

6. Other nearby wireless devices could also end up causing connecting issues for your PS5 and wireless gaming headset.

In this case, you can try turning off the other wireless devices to see if you can end up getting a better connection for your INZONE H7 Wireless Gaming Headset or INZONE H9 Wireless Noise Canceling Gaming Headset.

7. You can also try pressing and holding the connect button on the USB transceiver for around 5 seconds in order to refresh the wireless connection.

8. Updating the firmware of your PS5 may also help as a new release may resolve your connection issue.

In order to update the console, make sure that it is connected to the Internet and then go to its Settings menu. From there, you need to select System > System Software > System Software Update and Settings > Update System Software > Update Using Internet. If there is a new firmware available, then you need to select the Update option to download and install it.

9. You may also want to power cycle your PS5 as well.

To do so, turn off the console and then unplug the power cable from the power outlet. You then need to wait for at least 20 minutes before plugging the PS5 back into the power outlet and turning it back on again.