INTRODUCTION

   Back in 2011 some friends and i decided to compare some of the top wired gaming headsets with their equivalent wired ones to see if wireless technology had finally managed to match the audio performance of wired one. We ended up using a total of 6 headsets (2 wireless and 4 wired ones) for 13 days with quite disappointing results since at the end of our tests most wired models scored higher than their 2 wireless counterparts. Over 5 years have gone by since that day so with the arrival of Battlefield 1 (its closed and now open beta anyways) we decided to take several wired and wireless gaming headsets for a spin to see if technology has evolved to a point where wireless models can actually compete with their wired counterparts. Today's review is focused on one of the latest wireless models to hit the market and more specifically the LS-30 Universal Gaming Headset by a new player in the market called LucidSound.

   LucidSound is committed to providing gamers with the ultimate experience in sound by creating high-end audio products. Company founders are no strangers to acoustics, as they hail from the legendary audio brand, Tritton™. LucidSound founders are now unleashing their industry know-how, creativity, and technological understanding of what gamers really want by elevating what consumers can expect from a headset.

   Unlike most headsets in the market today the LucidSound LS-30 Wireless Universal Gaming Headset is not only targeted towards gamers of all ages since it can be used both wired and wirelessly with pretty much every device out there from PCs and gaming consoles (Playstation 3/4 and Xbox One+/360+) up to mobile devices and even TV sets. Wireless connectivity (active mode) is achieved via a USB dongle/adapter (compatible with consoles and PCs) which transmits audio via the 2.4GHz wireless band whereas wired (passive mode) is possible via its 3.5mm (analog) and optical (digital) ports. Under the hood of the LS-30 LucidSound has placed two 50mm dynamic stereo drivers (20Hz-20KHz frequency response with 32Ohm impedance and 97db sensitivity), intergrated microphone (for answering calls) and a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack (offers up to 15 hours of audio playback). For more demanding use like gaming (and why not even Skype calls) LucidSound has also placed a flexible removable boom microphone. So let's take a closer look and see if the LS30 by LucidSound is the ideal all-around headset.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

A picture of the left earcup is placed at the front of the box right next to a list of compatible devices.

The features of the headset are all placed on the left side of the box.

LucidSound showcases their innovative audio controls at the rear of the box.

The package contents and connectivity options are listed at the base of the box.

Once you remove the exterior cover you'll see the company logo printed at the top of the box.

The box opens up almost like a book to reveal the headset placed inside a formed piece of plastic.

As you can all see LucidSound offers a wealthy bundle so aside the LS-30 headset you will also get the USB wireless dongle (base station), removable boom microphone, optical cable, 3.5mm mobile cable, 3.5mm Xbox chat cable, USB to micro USB charging cable, LucidSound sticker, two port covers and a quick start guide.

THE LS-30

LucidSound has designed a nice looking, mid-sized headset (as usual we placed it right next to the compact REVO Wireless by Jabra) which weighs a total of 355g and is made out of hard plastic and aluminum.

There are two plastic discs with the company logo on the exterior of both earcups. These are not just for show since the outside rings can be used to control the volume (left) and the chat volume (right) while pressing the logo at the center mutes audio (left) and the microphone (right).

Via the equalizer button located on the base of the left earcup you can switch between the 3 available presets (Normal, Bass Boost, and Treble Boost).

The boom microphone port is placed at the base of the right earcup right next to the 3.5mm port, micro USB port, power on/off button and the activity LED.

Right and left markings are placed on the interior just over both earcups.

The thick padded memory foam cushions may not be the largest ones around but are very comfortable.

Both earcups fold partially to allow for easier storage.

Thanks to the stitched padding of the headband the headset looks a lot more elegant (almost like a luxury item).

The headband extends up to 35mm on each side (70mm total) via 10 increments (not visible ones).

Instead of using a retractable microphone LucidSound went with a removable boom one which is very flexible and has their logo at the front right beneath an on/off (mute) LED.

Typically the company name is printed on the exterior of the headband.

The USB dongle/transmitter (base station) features a nice activity/pairing LED at its center.

Size-wise the base station is just slightly larger than your average USB flash drive.

An optical audio input is placed on the right side of the dongle (this is used to connect your Xbox 360+/One+ audio output with the dongle).

CONCLUSION

   First of all although LucidSound doesn't "officially" support PCs with the LS-30 it worked fine with both our systems, just plug in the USB dongle, select it as the default device and default communication device and you're good to go. Unfortunately using it with the Xbox 360+/One+ is not as easy since you need to route the optical cable from the optical out port all the way to the USB port where you have the dongle to allow wireless communication. With that out of the way i don't know if the size of the wireless transmitter has anything to do with it (if not it would be nice if it was smaller) but the LS-30 produced the best wireless audio I’ve ever encountered with a headset. Mids are very good and so are highs while in terms of bass things couldn't get much better than what they are. Volume levels when in active mode (wireless) are also very high and even at almost full volume the rechargeable battery pack never fell short of 10 hours (not to mention we didn’t encounter any audio distortion during our tests). Sure this headset doesn't feature the same positioning audio as with some high-end dedicated gaming headsets (the F.R.E.Q.9 and Siberia 840 which we've also been testing these days come to mind) but it does offer better and more balanced audio in general so for people who will have other uses for it the LS-30 is a winner. Overall build quality is also very good although i didn't like the fact that the earcups rotate far too easily (even taking pictures was hard sometimes since the earcups wouldn’t stay still) and that the round discs are made out of plastic (aluminum would up the cost and weight of the unit but they would last longer and look better). Bluetooth connectivity would also be a plus for people who may want to use the LS-30 with their smartphones and without using wires so I do hope LucidSound takes this into consideration for their future models.

   LucidSound just took its first steps in the market so it goes without saying that we were quite curious to see what they asked for their first attempt the LS-30 Wireless Universal Gaming Headset. Well as I type these lines the LS-30 retails for USD149.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 155Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) and although some consumers may regard this price tag as a bit high it’s actually not if you take into account that you’re getting a wireless and wired headset which you can use with virtually any device. Sure the lack of Bluetooth connectivity may disappoint some potential buyers but hopefully LucidSound will add that feature in upcoming models. Overall however we all liked the LS-30 not only because of its very good build quality and surprisingly good audio clarity and accuracy but also because of its rich bass levels, very good battery life and its innovative audio controls which is also why it gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- Overall Build Quality
- Very Good Audio Quality (Accurate / Detailed Mids & Highs)
- Rich Bass
- Design 
- Battery Life (Up To 15 Hours)
- Comfortable
- Semi Foldable
- Dual Microphones (Built-In & Removable Boom Microphone)
- Innovative Audio Controls

CONS

- Exterior Disc Quality
- Not Bluetooth Compatible (For Some)
- PC Not Officially Supported (Works Fine However)