Where to buy? Factory store at AliExpress.
INSMA is a Chinese brand that has been releasing a good variety of audio products this year. They sent me these bluetooth headphones, the P80S, an item that can be used with smartphones and PCs, or even with a PS4 via adapter. I tested them with my Windows 10 PC and the LG G8S ThinQ.
They have a discreet build in plastic and synthetic leather, as well as some parts that resemble aluminum – in my unit, those came in red. I found it to be a beautiful piece, and it’s also convenient to carry, since it can be folded inwards.
In my head, their fit is a little bit loose, and I think that’s comfortable. In addition, the over-ear design worked well with me, fully covering my ears. In Brazilian heat, I felt that it heats up more than I would like. In about 30 minutes I already feel my ears warm, but this will certainly vary depending on where you live.
There’s a built-on microphone, which can be used on PC or smartphones, but the package also offers an input for an external mic that is included. To be quite honest, I expected a little more from the results: in the end, both of the mics are similar, and generate a slightly muffled audio, although 100% audible. In video calls, my contacts noticed loss of quality compared to an USB condenser microphone I was previously using, but they were able to hear me without major issues with the P80S.
In addition to wireless, the headphones can be used passively, with a P2 cable included in the package. However, the product only plays audio this way, without a microphone, without audio controls and so.
When synced via bluetooth, you’ll notice some colorful glowing lights in the earcups. I found the result beautiful and somewhat discreet. Also, the feature can be disabled at any time. In bluetooth mode, the music controls of the left earcup will operate, and they can do everything: changing the volume, play/pause, skipping tracks and calling the virtual assistant.
There’s even a strange feature that makes the headphones vibrate in your head depending on the audio they’re playing. In theory, it’s a thing for gamers, but in practice, I found it unnecessary in any scenario. After 20 minutes, I was ready to turn it off and no longer use it. Maybe it’s personal, well, this is my experience.
The P80S box clearly states that they reproduce sound with extra bass. And it’s right: that’s what defines the audio profile here. Lower frequencies dominate the sound stage, making the audio more closed, with huge reverberation of the bass. It’s not as classy a result as I’ve seen on other Sony or Philips headphones: in the P80S, bass can actually be way more dominant than necessary, drowning out other frequencies.
While playing Android games, I noticed a slight delay in the audio response. Nothing too serious, but it should be noticed by hardcore players of titles such as Free Fire and PUBG.
Battery was an aspect that left me very satisfied. I didn’t even manage to do the exact accounts of how long it lasted, but it was a lot. I can say for sure that I had more than 30 hours of autonomy in bluetooth. This will vary depending on the used features, but the results should be good anyway.
These are headphones that left a good impression when it comes to build quality. They’re beautiful, discreet and, at the same time, they have beautiful glowing lights to be unique. I would rate them 8 out of 10 in that regard. In terms of sound quality, to my liking, they will have 7 or so, mainly because I expected a little more from the dockable microphone, which doesn’t improve results so much, and is clearly worse than those on USB headsets.
Costing around 50 USD, this item seems to deliver what it should. It’s an option that can be considered by those who, in addition to performance, place a high value on appearance while gaming. I ended up going back to my Edifier W800 after the tests, but I see a lot of gamers sticking with the P80S for the looks.