The Insta360 Mic Air is an ultra-compact, ultra-light wireless microphone system. Designed to handle whatever life can throw its way, Insta360 has stripped away the frills and focused entirely on function. With an impressive 48KHz capture, equally impressive battery life and range, and a plethora of handy accessories, the Insta360 Mic Air might just be the budget-friendly wireless microphone solution for more action-focused content creators.
Weighing a mere 7.9g, the Mic Air transmitter is incredibly small. Roughly the diameter of a quarter, the transmitter houses an impressive omnidirectional microphone and a single control button that manages power, mute, and active noise cancellation. A single LED indicator provides all the information needed to communicate the transmitter’s state at any time. Examining the magnetic backplate of the Mic Air reveals a three-point charging port. It’s a simple, straightforward design that naturally favours quick, set-it-and-forget-it setups.
While the transmitter can be purchased as a single device that seamlessly connects to a series of Insta360 cameras via Bluetooth, it can also be purchased alongside a USB-C receiver, which opens up a world of possibilities for content creators. The receiver, like its counterpart, offers a simple and smart design aesthetic, favouring simplicity and function over flourish and over-the-top features. A single control button on the left side of the receiver controls the three levels of input gain, with a complementary LED indicator showing the current audio input level.
“The Mic Air is a testament to Insta360’s ongoing commitment to quality.”
The aforementioned accessories include a charging dock for the transmitter, a button magnet, a clip magnet, a magnet pendant, a windshield, and a carrying case. It’s an impressive lineup of high-quality accessories that expand the Mic Air’s use cases. Each piece feels sturdy and functional, and despite being quite small to accommodate the Mic Air’s relatively tiny size, they are easy to work with.
I’m overall impressed with the build quality of the Mic Air. While I’ve reviewed other smaller wireless solutions such as the Maono WM620, Insta360’s premium pedigree is evident in the design and build of the Mic Air. It’s the sturdiest and best-constructed tiny wireless microphone system I’ve worked with.
Shifting from build quality and design to functionality, the Insta360 Mic Air does not disappoint. The omnidirectional microphone has an impressive 48kHz sample rate and 24-bit depth capture and provides impressively clean vocal capture. In testing, it handled my fairly low register despite being placed on my chest, which is historically a challenge for most wireless and lapel microphone systems.
It captured my low end exceptionally well without overpowering the mids and highs. This, in part, is due to its frequency response range of 20Hz – 20kHz, which is represented well in the audio capture. Insta360 has managed to fit an impressive microphone into an incredibly compact form factor.
While the open microphone does pick up background noise, it does a great job at distinguishing foreground from background as the intended subject is always at the front of the mix. For those who need active noise cancellation (ANC), a quick double-tap of the transmitter’s onboard control button activates Mic Air’s ANC mode. While there is no way to adjust the ANC level, the mode works quite well, emphasizing the subject and further reducing background noise.
It seems designed for live capture and, as such, works hard to create balance to the capture, more so than artificially removing all background noise. The plus to this approach is that the subject’s voice doesn’t sound impacted by the ANC when active. Instead, background noise is simply dialled back, providing a cleaner capture. I’ve been impressed every step of the way with audio testing.
“It’s the sturdiest and best-constructed tiny wireless microphone system I’ve worked with.”
Connecting the Mic Air via the receiver is incredibly easy. It’s a plug-and-play experience: simply connect the receiver to a USB-C-enabled recording device, such as a phone or camera. So far, I’ve tested it with my Gaming PC, Poco F8 Ultra, Xiaomi Pad 7 and HollyLand VenusLiv Air (keep an eye out for that review). In each case, it was a simple matter of plugging it into the USB-C port, having it immediately recognized and hitting record.
While I didn’t quite get the advertised 10 hours of use, I consistently managed over 9 hours per charge with ANC off. More than enough for most cases. I’ve also been impressed with the range of capture when paired with the receiver. I actually had to drive to an abandoned commercial lot near my house to test the 300m range, and sure enough, while it does capture a bit more white noise at 300m, with a solid line of sight, the Mic Air can record at those distances.
The Mic Air is a testament to Insta360’s ongoing commitment to quality. It’s a solid, budget-conscious wireless microphone system in one of the most compact form factors I’ve tested. Its plug-and-play design and overall quality make it my new gold standard for ultra-light wireless microphone systems.
