After Sony announced a series of INZONE e-sports sub-brand products in the middle of 2022, the high-end INZONE M9 screen officially launched in Taiwan recently, at a price of NT $ 29,990, let’s take a look at its performance!
Specification analysis
INZONE M9 uses the IPS panel AHVA (Advanced Hyper-Viewing Angle) produced by AUO Optoelectronics, model M270QAN07.2, with a viewing area of 596.16 × 335.34 mm, which is a 27-inch standard.
The panel is native 8-bit, upscaled to 10-bit with FRC, and can display 1.07 billion colors. The declared color rendering capability can cover 95% of DCI-P3, providing a resolution of 3840 x 2160, and it supports 24-144 during DisplayPort transmission variable update rate Hz, HDMI transmission only offers variable update rate 24 – 120 Hz. Response time can be as low as 1 ms (GtG) in fast mode.
Compared to most screens on the market that still use the side light zone dimming system, INZONE M9 uses the direct type full array zone dimming system with 96 zones, which can improve’ r brightness according to the content of the screen, and the peak brightness can reach 600 nits, having passed VESA DisplayHDR 600 certification.
The appearance and operating experience of the actual machine
INZONE M9 adopts a narrow bezel design, only the lower edge is slightly thicker. The back is covered with a matte-textured white plastic shell, and the black plastic is used as the outer frame. The cooling holes above the center of the back cover are decorated with RGB lighting effects.
The most special design is this unique foot The entire line hole is made on the lower edge of the central pillar, which supports the raising and lowering of the screen body in an oblique manner. It is the furthest away from the user when it rises to the highest point, and gets closer and closer to the user as the height decreases.
Interestingly, compared to other screens that may have a popular base occupying the central area under the screen, or a V-shaped foot occupying the outer area under the screen, the INZONE only has a small pillar M9, which Sony says makes it easier for game players to shoot Place the keyboard at an angle so that the screen is closer to the user.
It should be noted that apart from the converter, INZONE stickers and the color calibration report, no video or USB transfer cables are provided in the box.
screen performance
After Datacolor Spyder 5 Elite color calibrator is paired with DisplayCAL calibration, INZONE M9 can cover 99.8% sRGB, 83.2% AdobeRGB, 99% DCI-P3 color gamut.
Due to the direct-type full-series division dimming, INZONE M9 will not have strange halos on the edge of the screen except for a very small halo feeling around the color blocks under the all-black background screen. Additionally, at a peak brightness of 600 nits, HDR content is indeed easier to see with bright contrast than a screen with just a 400 DisplayHDR rating.
When connected to the PS5 host, it is easier to feel the results of Sony’s unique color correction, everything is so comfortable and natural. Although the sound value of the built-in speaker is usable, the performance is reasonable, and there is no popping phenomenon.
Summarize
Sony INZONE M9 should be the 27-inch 4K screen with the highest picture value on the market. Not only is it comfortable to adjust the color, but the direct type full series zone dimming can also bring excellent HDR effects.
However, its biggest challenge comes from the price point After all, there are many 27-inch 4K / 144Hz models with decent picture performance but more competitive prices. Moreover, at such a high price, even an HDMI / DisplayPort / USB transfer cable is not included, and the bracket does not support left and right navigation, which is really embarrassing.
Overall, if you want to buy a 27-inch 4K gaming monitor with comfortable color adjustment and direct down division, Sony INZONE M9 is indeed an option worth referring to. Of course, the premise is that the budget can support nearly NT$30,000 Selling price.
