STACK NZ October 2016 Issue 78

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“What’s this all about”,
I asked myself as I
pulled the wireless
LucidSound LS30s out of the box.
You see, this isn’t what you would
expect from a gaming headset;
these actually looked remarkably
stylish. “There has to be a catch!”
cried my inner-dialogue as my
fingers ran over the brushed
metal – surely quality has been
sacrificed for appearance? Eager
for answers, I pushed on with the
task at hand.
We were sent the black
pair – rimmed with the
aforementioned brushed
steel – to trial; the headset also
comes in a fetching white and
gold design. A good weight in
hand, you’d be hard-pressed
to find someone who wouldn’t
wager money on them being
conventional audio headphones.
While most of us game within
the confines of our own living/
bedrooms, you can comfortably
step into public wearing these and
no one would be the wiser.
But we’re here for the gaming
so this is where we’ll start.
Set-up is a breeze – plug in the
supplied dongle and link that to
the console's optical input via
another cable in the box, and
you’re basically away. We tested
it on the PlayStation 4, although
cable provision for Xbox One, PS3
and Xbox 360 is also catered for.
From a comfort perspective, the
memory foam cups and padded
First impressions last.
Words Paul Jones
Looking for an alternative that’s a little closer to your budget?
Try out the LS20 range. Smaller and more streamlined than its
bulkier cousin, the LS20 is a bit friendlier to your pocket. Using
40mm drivers – compared with the LS30’s 50mm – will give you
a slightly dampened audio quality, but if you’re in need of a new,
quality headset that won’t cost you an arm, the LS20s do the job.
The LS40s are a step up from the LS30s, offering spatially
accurate, audiophile grade, 7.1 Dolby Surround Sound.
LS20/
LS40
STYLE
QUALITYAND
headband make for a luxury fit. No
matter what your head is doing in
the heat of battle, these won't slip
out to a different size.
However, it’s a little design
touch that makes all the
difference. Instead of relegating
the volume controls to a small
wheel that's harder to find than
Jimmy Hoffa, the idea here – and
it’s a bloody good one – is to
utilise the entire cup as a volume
switch. On the right hand side
you’ll find the volume control
which will mute if you press
the centre of the cup, and on
the left is chat control with the
same configuration. The headset
features an optional boom mic if
you want to instantly turn your
street cool appearance into that of
an oil rig helicopter pilot.
When it comes to sound,
I don’t have the attuned hearing
of some commentators who have
seemingly had their ears grafted
in an audio lab, but I do know
what’s good and what’s bad and
the LS30s are deep in the good
bracket. DOOM, SW: Battlefront
(when I could find a match) and
FIFA 17 all performed exceptionally
well with the configured settings
straight out of the box delivering
deep, rich sound; additionally,
there are three preset sound
settings to change it up for a
personal preference. The same
goes for music. You’ll need
to use the supplied 3.5mm
lead, but the quality and
consistency across selected
pieces by The Stone
Roses, Gustav Holst and
Black Sabbath was equally
impressive.
Overall, as we’ve already
stated, for the price range,
the LS30s are a good deal.
They’re comfortable, deliver
great sound, and the design
is a refreshing change from
traditional gaming headsets.
They offer versatility for
gamers who not only sport
them inside for marathon
gaming sessions but are also
keen to wear their headset
outside of the house without
looking like a nincompoop.
visit EXTRAS FEATURE
12 OCTOBER 2016
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