HARDWARE REVIEW

LucidSound LS-20 Review

by Luke Walsh, December 4th, 2016

LucidSound might not be your common household name yet like Razer or SteelSeries for gaming headsets but if the LS-20 does as well as our review of the LS-30’s, then we can expect to see much more great things come out of them as a hardware manufacturer.

The LS-20 are much like the younger brother of the LS-30s but still looking to offer a fair amount of features which a gamer might find useful, while trying to look more casual than “epic omg lights l33t gaming”. You can see they have tried to follow suit and include a range of different features such as the active and passive sound modes, dual microphone functionality and the ability to use them for more than one device.

Probably the biggest difference between their products so far is the LS-20 seems to be much more like a traditional headset than the big brother was, as it still featured a little bit more of a gaming aesthetic. The frame is made from a light aluminum alloy which makes them extremely light weighing only 255g. They seem to be the aimed at making them the portable more daily use alternative to their more bulky but more powerful LS-30 gaming headset.

In terms of connectivity, the headset uses a standard 3.5mm jack making it pretty versatile being able to be connected to your mobile phone or other audio device. Unlike the LS-30’s though, the 3.5mm connection is the only way to use them and does not come with a wireless alternative connection. This is fine though as the price is lower to suggest that by reducing the optional extras they are making this an easier headset to own.

LucidSound again have designed a headset which is able to use two different microphones, giving more versatility on how you can use the headset. If you want to game, you’ll prefer to use the attachable boom microphone which offers directional sound and a more crisper sound. The built-in microphone is more useful when using the LS-20 more like a normal headset but you’d still be able to pick up your phone calls if connected to your phone or if you just felt a little lazy and wanted to game without the boom mic in the way. Sound quality from the boom microphone is much better which is expected but I am still a massive fan of the fact they have made an effort to think outside the box and give gamers choice. The built-in mic is more than usable and better than some other gaming headsets in terms of quality but can make you sound a little far away.

Comfort is a word that I seem to be connecting with LucidSound and their gaming headsets. So far, as standard all their range comes with memory foam faux leather earcups. This makes them really comfortable to wear for long periods of time and they seem to be quite breathable, not having the problem other headsets do, making your ears feel confined and warm after long periods. My only little niggle with these is the sizing of the earcups, they are one of two usually standard sizes. The LS-20 has the smaller size earcup which instead of encompeses your entire ear, tend to sit on top of them. If you are someone with smaller ears then you could be one of few which they will fit in but if you are like myself and don’t, then they’ll be on top or a little tight to squeeze in. It is not by far a bad thing but they do then make you feel like you want to tuck your ears into the earcups. The benefit with the memory foam does mean you won’t find the same issues with standard earcups, as the heat will mold the memory foam, they’ll rest nicely on top instead of the ear-ache you can get from others.

Selecting audio drivers is a big part and the most important, for LucidSound they recognise this and have gone a step further by creating their own custom drivers which are fine tuned for their requirements. They have opted to use 40mm drivers which are a nice balance between low frequency sounds and high frequency. They are able to deliver some decent bassy notes while still being able to distinguish between the higher tones music offers. In-game the headset can give quite a nice reaction to explosions and gunshots or heavy music, while still being able to switch to light footsteps or high toned background noise.

As these are still pretty big drivers for a mobile device, the LS-20s do come with a powered amplifier and this is to help reduce the strain on the mobile phone and the battery. It means that when in device mode, the drivers can still deliver the punchy bass required for the mobile device at volume levels it does not achieve in passive mode. Don’t worry though about listening time, these will last a good 8+ hours of constant use before you’ll need to recharge. Even in passive mode these work quite well, they just lose a little bit of their kick when without the additional amplifier but completely useable in a pinch away from electricity. Like the LS-30, there is also an equalizer built into the headset but only have normal(balanced) mode or bass boost. You can’t fault them for not adding as much as the more expensive bigger brother but one of two settings is a little slim pickings.

Connect them up to any mobile phone with a 3.5mm jack and you are good to go (sorry iPhone 7 users) and they’ll also work with any headphone jack on a PC, gaming console such as the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One (if you have the newer controller or the 3.5mm adapter). It is a shame that there is not other connectivity for the 20’s as these would do really well if they included a Bluetooth connection. Seen as LucidSound have gone through the effort to make them amplified and powered it would not cost much more to get that included.

Overall, for £80 the LucidSound LS-20’s are a decent portable gaming headset which has multiple uses. They are a sexy alternative to your usual gaming headset and a good combatant compared to more well known music headphones. They definitely look the part of well-build, high-end headphones but to get the most of the 40mm drivers you will need to make sure they are full charged. One thing missing from them is Bluetooth, for the £80 I don’t think it would of went amiss to add it in. It is also a shame that the built in equalizer is not more varied just to give the audio a bit more distinction depending on what you are using them for.