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Insignia Digital Wireless Headphones Headphones Review

Tested using Methodology v1.5
Reviewed Dec 22, 2022 at 09:15 am
Insignia Digital Wireless Headphones Picture
6.2
Neutral Sound
4.7
Commute/Travel
5.4
Sports/Fitness
5.2
Office
5.5
Wireless Gaming
3.9
Wired Gaming
1.5
Phone Calls

The Insignia Digital Wireless Headphones are TV headphones that come with a wireless dock to help ensure a low latency experience. The dock supports an RCA and optical connection to your TV, and can also be used to charge the headphones when not in use. That said, they have a no-frills design and like most TV headphones, such as the Sennheiser RS 165 RF Wireless, they lack a mic, which limits their versatility.

Our Verdict

6.2 Neutral Sound

The Insignia Digital Wireless Headphones aren't designed for neutral sound, but for watching TV. Unfortunately, they have an uneven sound profile. They've got extra thump, punch, and boom, which is good for action scenes, but dialogue and instruments sound muddy and veiled. They also lack sound customization features to help adjust them to suit your tastes. On the upside, they have a fairly comfortable fit suitable for long movie marathons and have low latency to ensure that your audio and visual stay in sync while streaming video.

Pros
  • Low non-Bluetooth wireless latency.
  • Decently comfortable fit.
Cons
  • No sound customization features available.
  • Highly prone to inconsistencies in audio delivery.
4.7 Commute/Travel

The Insignia Digital Wireless Headphones are TV headphones and aren't meant for commute and travel. While they're decently comfortable and well-built, they can't be used without their wireless dock and lack a carrying case to help protect them when you're on the go. They don't have noise cancelling either, and won't block out noise like the rumble of bus engines or ambient chatter.

Pros
  • Decently comfortable fit.
Cons
  • Won't block out much background noise.
  • Highly prone to inconsistencies in audio delivery.
5.4 Sports/Fitness

The Insignia Digital Wireless Headphones aren't intended for sports and fitness. They can easily fall off of your head with moderate movement, and they need to be used with their wireless dock, which makes them less than convenient to use on the go.

Pros
  • Decently comfortable fit.
Cons
  • Can fall off of your head with moderate head movements.
  • Highly prone to inconsistencies in audio delivery.
5.2 Office

The Insignia Digital Wireless Headphones are a disappointing choice for office use. They aren't really designed for this use as they don't block out background noise like office chatter and lack a mic, so you won't be able to take calls. If that's not a dealbreaker for you, they have a decently comfortable fit and last almost 16 hours continuously.

Pros
  • Decently comfortable fit.
Cons
  • Won't block out much background noise.
  • No mic.
  • Highly prone to inconsistencies in audio delivery.
5.5 Wireless Gaming

The Insignia Digital Wireless Headphones are TV headphones first and foremost. If you want to connect them to newer consoles, you'll need to use the 1/8" TRS to RCA to connect them to your controller's AUX port. However, they don't have a mic, so you won't be able to chat with others while gaming. In addition, they have an uneven sound profile. While the extra bass can help emphasize sound effects like footsteps, underemphasized treble hurts the clarity and detail of dialogue and instruments.

Pros
  • Low non-Bluetooth wireless latency.
  • Decently comfortable fit.
Cons
  • No mic.
  • No sound customization features available.
  • Highly prone to inconsistencies in audio delivery.
3.9 Wired Gaming

The Insignia Digital Wireless Headphones can only be used wirelessly and can't used wired.

1.5 Phone Calls

The Insignia Digital Wireless Headphones don't have a mic, so you won't be able to use them for calls.

  • 6.2 Neutral Sound
  • 4.7 Commute/Travel
  • 5.4 Sports/Fitness
  • 5.2 Office
  • 5.5 Wireless Gaming
  • 3.9 Wired Gaming
  • 1.5 Phone Calls
  1. Updated Dec 22, 2022: Review published.
  2. Updated Dec 16, 2022: Early access published.
  3. Updated Dec 13, 2022: Our testers have started testing this product.
  4. Updated Oct 18, 2022: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  5. Updated Oct 05, 2022: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

The Insignia Digital Wireless Headphones come in one color variant: 'Black' and you can see our model's label here. If you come across another variant of these headphones, please let us know in the description below and we'll update our review. 

Compared To Other Headphones

The Insignia Digital Wireless Headphones are budget-friendly TV headphones. They come with a wireless dock that offers low latency, so your audio and visuals stay in sync, and the dock can be used to charge the headphones when you're not using them. That said, they have an uneven sound profile, which muddies dialogue and instruments while the rolled-off treble veils detail. Unfortunately, they lack an EQ or presets to help you customize their sound to your liking. Unlike the Avantree HT5009 Wireless, they also don't support Bluetooth. 

Check out our recommendations for the best TV headphones, the best over-ear headphones, and the best wireless Bluetooth headphones.

Avantree HT5009 Wireless

The Avantree HT5009 Wireless are slightly better TV headphones than the Insignia Digital Wireless Headphones. While both headphones have okay build quality, the Avantree are a lot more versatile as they have an integrated mic, a significantly longer-lasting continuous battery life, and Bluetooth support. That said, the Insignia are more comfortable and have lower latency.

Sennheiser RS 195 RF Wireless

The Sennheiser RS 195 RF Wireless are better TV headphones than the Insignia Digital Wireless Headphones. The Sennheiser are more comfortable and better built. Their sound profile is more neutral, which some users may prefer, they have controls like music and speech modes to help customize their performance, and their continuous battery life is a bit longer too. That said, the Insignia have lower non-Bluetooth wireless latency.

Sennheiser RS 175 RF Wireless

The Sennheiser RS 175 RF Wireless are better TV headphones than the Insignia Digital Wireless Headphones. The Sennheiser are more comfortable and better built. They have a more neutral sound profile, which some users may prefer, and they have controls to adjust bass and surround sound. They have a longer continuous battery life too, although they take two AAA batteries rather than use rechargeable batteries. 

Sennheiser RS 165 RF Wireless

The Sennheiser RS 165 RF Wireless are better TV headphones than the Insignia Digital Wireless headphones. The Sennheiser are better-built and have a more comfortable fit suitable for long movies. Out of the box, they have a significantly more neutral sound profile, which some people may prefer, though their control scheme has a bass effect if you want more bass. They have a longer continuous battery life too.

Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Type Over-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Yes
Transducer Dynamic

These headphones look pretty non-descript for over-ears. They have an all-black design with faux leather padding. There's a fairly small label on the ear cup. Overall, they look more sleek and premium than the Avantree HT5009 Wireless. They only come in one color variant: 'Black'.

7.0
Design
Comfort
Weight 0.47 lbs
Clamping Force
0.6 lbs

These headphones are decently comfortable. They feel lightweight and don't put much pressure on your head. The padding on the headband as well as the ear cups have a nice feel against the skin. The padding is also plush enough so you won't feel the charging connector on the top of the headband when using them. On the downside, the headphones have a limited range of movement and they creak when you move them or adjust the positioning of the ear cups or headband.

5.1
Design
Controls
OS Compatibility
Not OS specific
Ease Of Use Decent
Feedback Decent
Call/Music Control No
Volume Control Yes
Microphone Control No
Channel Mixing
No
Noise Cancelling Control No
Talk-Through
No
Additional Controls Source Switch

These headphones have disappointing controls. They're TV headphones, so don't expect any commands for managing your calls or music. However, their simple design is still worthwhile if you want basic TV-centric controls close. The physical controls are located on the right ear cup and are easy to use as well as clicky. The volume controls feel a little clunky though since you have to press and hold it to change the volume. On the upside, there's a chime to let you know when you've reached max volume and there's a physical protrusion to let you know by feeling alone which button raises the volume. Although the base station doesn't have any controls, there's a light to let you know whether you're connected via optical or RCA.

Power button:

  • Single press: Turns the headphones on and off.

'+' button:

  • Press and hold: Raises the volume.

'-' button:

  • Press and hold: Lowers the volume.

5.6
Design
Portability
L 7.3" (18.5 cm)
W 7.4" (18.8 cm)
H 3.1" (7.9 cm)
Volume 168.08 in³ (2,754.40 cm³)
Transmitter Required No

These headphones aren't designed with portability in mind. They can't swivel or fold to lay flat, which means that they take up space on your coffee table in their default form. On the upside, you can hang them on their wireless receiver when not in use.

0
Design
Case
Type No case
L N/A
W N/A
H N/A
Volume N/A
6.5
Design
Build Quality

The build quality of the Insignia Digital Wireless Headphones is okay. They're made of plastic and feel cheap. Although the padding feels soft, the faux leather seems like it can peel apart when you manipulate it. They also creak when you're adjusting them and the hinges move a bit, which can be annoying. In comparison, the wireless transmitter feels more solid and sturdy.

6.0
Design
Stability

These headphones are stable enough to watch movies or TV shows from your couch. However, if you tend to move your head a lot, the headphones can shift on your head or fall off.

Design
Headshots 1
Design
Headshots 2
Design
Top
Design
In The Box

  • Insignia Digital Wireless Headphones
  • Wireless dock
  • RCA audio cable
  • 1.8" to RCA cable
  • Optical cable
  • Power cable
  • Manuals

Sound
Sound
Sound Profile
Bass Amount
0.99 dB
Treble Amount
-5.19 dB

These headphones have a pretty warm and uneven sound profile. They deliver extra thump, rumble, and boom, which is good for genres like action movies. However, their mid-to-treble range is pretty uneven, so dialogue and instruments are harsh but very veiled and lacking details. Unfortunately, our unit has issues placing objects like voices correctly in the stereo image, which can impact the immersiveness of your audio. They're also prone to inconsistencies in audio delivery and unlike the Sennheiser RS 185 RF Wireless, they lack sound customization features to help you adjust their sound.

5.3
Sound
Frequency Response Consistency
Avg. Std. Deviation
1.6 dB

The frequency response consistency of these headphones is disappointing. They're really prone to inconsistencies in audio delivery and you may especially notice a drop in bass if you have thick hair or wear glasses, as these features can rupture the headphones' seal on your head.

Sound
Raw Frequency Response
7.6
Sound
Bass Accuracy
Std. Err.
3.5 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
15.2 Hz
Low-Bass
1.82 dB
Mid-Bass
4.03 dB
High-Bass
4.7 dB

The bass accuracy is good. The response is overemphasized across the range, adding extra thump, rumble, and warmth to mixes, which is good if you enjoy action-packed movies and TV shows. However, this also makes mixes sound boomy and muddy.

7.1
Sound
Mid Accuracy
Std. Err.
3.93 dB
Low-Mid
3.81 dB
Mid-Mid
0.49 dB
High-Mid
4.74 dB

The mid accuracy is satisfactory. The range is a bit uneven, and some of the overemphasis from the bass range seeps into the low-mid, which clutters and muddies the mix. While the mid-mid is flat in comparison, which keeps dialogue and instruments present, the high-mid is also overemphasized. If you're watching content like the news, higher-pitched voices sound honky and harsh.

3.2
Sound
Treble Accuracy
Std. Err.
9.3 dB
Low-Treble
-6.6 dB
Mid-Treble
-4.46 dB
High-Treble
-6.36 dB

The treble accuracy of these headphones is poor. This range is mostly underemphasized, which really hurts the clarity and detail of dialogue and instruments. Sibilants like S and T sounds are dull and lispy.

5.5
Sound
Peaks/Dips
Peaks
2.83 dB
Dips
3.43 dB

The peaks and dips performance of these headphones is disappointing. The left and right drivers are slightly mismatched, and the left driver is more overemphasized across the low-bass to low-mid range, which muddies mixes. A dip in the low to mid-mid pushes vocals and instruments to the back of the mix while a peak in the high-mid makes these sounds harsh. A massive dip in the low-treble further veils details in dialogue and instruments while the uneven mid-treble makes sibilants like cymbals alternatingly dull and piercing.

8.3
Sound
Imaging
Weighted Group Delay
0.25
Weighted Phase Mismatch
8.9
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
0.42
Weighted Frequency Mismatch
2.32

Insignia makes a wide variety of home tech products including home theatre systems and speakers, but they're not really known for their headphones. That said, it's not surprising that our unit has mismatched left and right drivers, which affects their imaging. Although the headphones are well-matched in group delay and amplitude, peaks in the phase response's treble range are audible with real-life content. This affects the localization of sound effects, like higher-pitched dialogue, which sound out of place. That said, imaging can vary between units and can indicate a manufacturer's quality control and ergonomics.

4.3
Sound
Passive Soundstage
PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
3.59 dB
PRTF Size (Avg.)
-0.25 dB
PRTF Distance
4.44 dB
Openness
9.1
Acoustic Space Excitation
3.0

The Insignia Digital Wireless Headphones have a poor passive soundstage performance. They're closed-back headphones, so their soundstage doesn't feel very natural or spacious. Audio sounds like it's coming from inside your head, rather than from speakers placed in the room around you.

0
Sound
Virtual Soundstage
Head Modeling
No
Speaker Modeling
No
Room Ambience
No
Head Tracking
No
Virtual Surround
No App
6.5
Sound
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
WHD @ 90
0.958
WHD @ 100
0.307

The weighted harmonic distortion performance of these headphones is just okay. There are a couple of peaks: one in the low-bass and another between the low to mid-treble at moderate listening volumes. The bass peak can be somewhat difficult to hear, but the low to mid-treble peak is audible with content such as movies, and overall, audio won't sound very clean or pure at moderate volumes. They perform a bit better at high volumes though, and even though the peak in the treble range is still present, it isn't as noticeable as at a moderate volume.

Sound
Test Settings
Firmware
Unknown
Power
On
Connection
Wireless (Proprietary)
Codec
PCM, 16-bit, 48kHz
EQ
Default
ANC
No ANC
Tip/Pad
Default
Microphone
No Microphone

These are the settings used to test these headphones. Our results are only valid when used in this configuration.

Isolation
2.5
Isolation
Noise Isolation
Isolation Audio
Overall Attenuation
-8.1 dB
Noise Cancelling No
Bass
0.36 dB
Mid
-1.35 dB
Treble
-23.14 dB

The noise isolation performance of these headphones is bad. They don't block out any bass-range noise, so they're not the best choice if you like to watch movies near an open window with traffic outside. They also don't reduce any mid-range noise like ambient chatter either. On the upside, they can still help cut down some of the high-pitched hums of standing fans.

7.4
Isolation
Leakage
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
37.26 dB

The leakage performance of these headphones is decent. Leakage is mostly concentrated between the mid to treble range and sounds fairly thin. If you're listening to TV shows at high volumes, only a small portion of your audio will be audible to others.

Microphone
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
No
In-Line
No
Boom
No
Detachable Boom
No
Mic No
0
Microphone
Recording Quality
Recorded Speech
N/A
LFE
N/A
FR Std. Dev.
N/A
HFE
N/A
Weighted THD
N/A
Gain
N/A
0
Microphone
Noise Handling
SpNR
N/A
Noise Gate
No
Speech + Pink Noise Handling
N/A
Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample N/A
Speech + Subway Noise Handling
N/A
Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample N/A
Active Features
6.8
Active Features
Battery
Battery Type
Rechargable
Continuous Battery Life
15.9 hrs
Additional Charges
0.0
Total Battery Life
15.9 hrs
Charge Time
0.8 hrs
Power-Saving Feature
No
Audio While Charging
No
Passive Playback
No
Charging Port Proprietary

The Insignia Digital Wireless Headphones have a fair battery performance. They're advertised to last 10 hours continuously, though we measured almost 16 hours. Battery life can vary depending on use though. On the downside, the headphones can't be used wired if you run out of battery life and they lack a power-saving feature if you forget to turn them off.

0
Active Features
App Support
App Name No App
iOS No
Android No
macOS No
Windows No
Equalizer
No
ANC Control
No
Mic Control No
Room Effects
No
Playback Control
No
Button Mapping No
Surround Support
No
Connectivity
0
Connectivity
Bluetooth
Bluetooth Version
No Bluetooth
Multi-Device Pairing
No
NFC Pairing
No
Line Of Sight Range
N/A
PC Latency (SBC)
N/A
PC Latency (aptX)
N/A
PC Latency (aptX HD)
N/A
PC Latency (aptX-LL)
N/A
iOS Latency
N/A
Android Latency
N/A
8.7
Connectivity
Non-Bluetooth Wireless
Non-BT Line Of Sight Range
104.99 ft (32.00 m)
Non-BT Latency
23 ms

These headphones come with a wireless receiver. It connects to the headphones via non-Blutooth wireless, though it also has two different connections for your TV. In order to test latency, we connected these headphones to a TV and filmed the click track via USB, instead of connecting them to our PC test rig, which is what we normally use. When using their optical connection, they have low enough latency that your audio and visual stay in sync. If you want to use an RCA connection, their latency is a bit higher, but it still falls within good levels, so you shouldn't experience lipsync issues.

0
Connectivity
Wired
Analog Audio
No
USB Audio
No
Detachable No
Length N/A
Connection
No Wired Option
Analog/USB Audio Latency
N/A

These headphones come with three different cables, though none of them are an analog cable. They come with an optical cable (6 ft or 1.85 m), an RCA cable (6ft or 1.81 m), and a female RCA to 1/8" TRS cable (0.6 ft or 0.19 m).

Connectivity
PC Compatibility
Analog
No
Wired USB
No
Non-BT Wireless
Audio Only

These headphones can only connect to PCs via their wireless dock. Once you connect the dock to your PC, you'll only be able to receive audio as these headphones don't have a mic.

Connectivity
PlayStation Compatibility
PS4 Analog
No
PS4 Wired USB
No
PS4 Non-BT Wireless
Audio Only
PS5 Analog
No
PS5 Wired USB
No
PS5 Non-BT Wireless
Audio Only

These headphones can only connect to PlayStation consoles when using their wireless dock. You can connect the dock to your PS4 via optical or RCA but you'll only be able to use the RCA cable on PS5. It requires quite a workaround though, as you'll need to plug the 1/8" TRS to RCA adapter into your controller and then use the RCA cables to connect to the base, which is a bit unwieldy.

Connectivity
Xbox Compatibility
Xbox One Analog
No
Xbox One Wired USB
No
Xbox One Non-BT Wireless
Audio Only
Xbox Series X|S Analog
No
Xbox Series X|S Wired USB
No
Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless
Audio Only

Like their PlayStation compatibility, these headphones can only connect to the Xbox One via RCA or optical. If you're an Xbox Series X|S gamer, then they can only connect via RCA. That said, regardless of how you're connected to either console, you'll only be able to receive audio as they don't have a mic. To connect them via RCA also requires the use of their 1/8" TRS to RCA adapter, which is plugged into your controller's AUX port. This kind of connection is a little annoying though, since the base station needs to be near you in order to use the headphones.

3.0
Connectivity
Base/Dock
Type
Wireless Dock
USB Input
No
Line In
No
Line Out
No
Optical Input
Yes
RCA Input
Yes
Dock Charging
Yes
Power Supply
AC Adapter

These headphones come with a wireless dock that offers an RCA and optical connection. There's a proprietary charging connection at the top of the dock to allow you to easily charge the headphones when not in use.