Pros
Solid customisable sound
Classier-than-average design
Good wi-fi efficiency
Cons
No {surround} sound
No in-line distant for cell use
Key Specifications
Review Price: £129.00
Wireless dongle
Removable mic
3.5mm jack
On-cup controls
What is the LucidSound LS30?
The LucidSound LS30 is a wi-fi gaming headset. It will work along with your PlayStation and Xbox consoles, and your PC.
What units the LucidSound LS30 aside, nonetheless, is that it could actually additionally work nicely as an ordinary pair of headphones. Not a wi-fi set, because it makes use of a dongle moderately than Bluetooth, however the detachable increase mic and avenue headphone-like design actually means it appears to be like the half.
At £129, the LucidSound LS30 is first rate mid-range headset for these searching for a tool that serves a function past merely gaming.
Related: Best Gaming Headsets
LucidSound LS30 – Design
The LucidSound LS30 is massive. Large pads and big ear cups put this firmly within the “full-size” class.
However, it’s additionally one of many solely gaming headsets I’ve used that I wouldn’t be embarrassed to put on in public. I’ve been doing so too. During testing I’ve used the LucidSound LS30 as my on a regular basis pair of headphones in addition to for gaming.
They’re pretty snug to put on for hours at a time. There’s loads of foam padding within the leatherette pads, they usually’re massive sufficient to completely enclose most ears. While the scarf does apply just a little little bit of strain to the highest of your head, it too is generously padded.
Using the headset outdoor, I did discover that it doesn’t have pretty much as good isolation as a variety of regular full-size headphones, although. It will block out many of the noise of a dialog or TV in one other room, however not somebody subsequent to you.
There’s some creak to the LucidSound LS30’s plastic too, however amongst gaming headsets, they do supply a contact of sophistication. The metallic band that snakes across the ear cups is definitely metallic, moderately than plastic imitating metallic, and the two-tone silver/black color scheme is refreshingly impartial for a gaming headset.
LucidSound LS30 – Wireless and Features
The half that allows the LucidSound LS30’s most essential gaming options is the wi-fi dongle. You plug this right into a a PS3/PS4 or a Mac/PC and it’ll take over sound card duties after a two-minute tweak of the system preferences. Xbox house owners must plug within the included optical cable as an alternative, connecting the console’s optical out to the socket on the dongle’s aspect.
One of the few minor, and customary, disappointments of the LucidSound LS30 is that this dongle is pretty massive at 10cm lengthy. Also, it doesn’t use Bluetooth both, so you may’t join wirelessly to a cellphone – though it could be doable to take action with sure units utilizing a USB OTG adapter. But this isn’t a slick resolution.
Wireless reliability and vary are stable. Within about 5m the sign is flawless, chopping out at round 8m. Unlike Bluetooth, the sign doesn’t steadily break down right into a garbled mess. For essentially the most half, it both works or doesn’t, and whenever you come again into vary the LucidSound LS30 hyperlinks again up with the dongle virtually instantly.
When utilizing wi-fi you utilize two rotary dials on the cups to vary the amount and the extent of the feed from the mic, and a faucet on the button on the again of the cup cuts out the sound so you may simply hear the mic feed.
The LucidSound LS30 has two mics: one constructed into the headset (which will also be used to take calls when plugged right into a cellphone), and a detachable increase mic that plugs right into a socket on the underside of 1 cup.
You’ll obtain higher voice readability utilizing the increase, even should you don’t angle it proper by your mouth. You can wiggle it about freely because the LucidSound LS30’s mic has a versatile arm.
It’s positive for gaming, however don’t plan to document a podcast utilizing the LucidSound LS30 because the constancy simply isn’t there. The increase mic can be much less directional than you may assume. It’s nonetheless completely satisfied to choose up noise from across the room.
There’s no precise distant housing on the cable used to connect to a cellphone both, so whereas you need to use the LucidSound LS30 as a pair of headphones and take calls utilizing the built-in mic, you don’t get the total music/name management of set with an in-line distant. The buttons on the aspect solely work when used wi-fi.
The LucidSound LS30 use an built-in lithium ion battery to energy the wi-fi aspect, recharged utilizing a microUSB socket. You’ll stand up to 15 hours of use between fees, which is par for the course for a good £100-ish headset, matched by the Turtle Beach Stealth 520.
LucidSound LS30 – Sound Quality
There’s additionally an additional function that pertains to sound high quality, however – sorry – it isn’t {surround} sound. It’s EQ.
A button on the correct cup helps you to swap between regular, further bass and further treble modes. It’s a good suggestion to have a play with these relying on what you’re doing with the LucidSound LS30.
The further bass mode will add some further drama to explosions, nevertheless it isn’t nice should you’re listening to music because the bass is gradual and overblown. It ruins any sense of rhythmic drive.
With the default mode, the LucidSound LS30 delivers pretty first rate sound. Bass tightness and basic definition aren’t near what you’d get in the most effective regular £100 headphones, however you additionally want to think about all the opposite tech that’s packed in right here. For a gaming headset, it isn’t unhealthy in any respect.
Dialogue readability is barely undermined by poor bass management, however utilizing the treble booster will considerably clear up the sound. The bass is extra impartial; much less clogged. It’s what I’ve been utilizing to take heed to music. The trade-off is a lack of heat and a few smoothness, nevertheless it’s a very good mode to make use of should you like your music to sound pure, or need to ensure you don’t miss a phrase of workforce chat.
Like the on-cup controls, EQ doesn’t work when the headset is used with a cable, reverting to the default EQ setting.
Should you purchase the LucidSound LS30?
The LucidSound LS30 is an efficient purchase in order for you a gaming headset that serves you away out of your front room.
It’s better-made than some headsets across the worth, with metallic the place you’d normally see plastic, and its EQ modes allow you to flick between sound modes rapidly and simply .
What it lacks is surround-sound audio, provided by the Turtle Beach Stealth 450 and 520 at an identical worth. Note that you just additionally miss out on a few of the finest options should you use the LucidSound LS30 with a a cellphone.
However, PC and PS4 avid gamers who aren’t too bothered about {surround} sound will actually just like the LucidSound LS30.
Verdict
A stable gaming headset that gained’t look misplaced when used as a traditional pair of headphones.