The headset in question is the LS40 7.1 Surround Sound Gaming Headset. The LS stands for LucidSound, a recent newcomer on the headset scene and one that I believe will become as well known as Turtle Beach and Astro. A bold claim you may say........well I'm here to tell you that LucidSound has really hit the ground running with their range of gaming headsets. The LS40 is the flagship unit, until the LS35X makes its debut but I'll touch on that later after I tell you about the ones I have actually used.
The first thing you notice when you delve into the box (unboxing video below) is the build quality and the actual look of the headset itself. It looks and feels like a serious piece of hardware and although looks can be deceiving, that isn't the case here.
Now although the headset feels quite heavy as I mention in the video, when they are on your head they feel very light. I game for long periods at a time and they genuinely are the most comfortable pair of headphones I've ever used. I have a bigger than average head and the LS40 easily fit with no pinching and pressure that I have had from other headsets over the years. The padded leather headband and the memory foam in the earcups work very well and provide the comfort needed for prolonged sessions.
The battery life is said to be 15 hours and I'd say that was pretty accurate, the battery is charged via a usb cable (provided) and again it's the longest I've used a headset without the need to fiddle about looking for spare batteries.
Now enough about the comfort.......on to the performance.
There are 3 sound modes to choose from, stereo, gaming surround and boosted surround. You switch between these via a button located on the bottom of the right earcup. A very helpful feature is included here too when you click the button a voice prompt informs you of the choice you have made.
The thing I love most about this headset is the way the volume is controlled. The game volume is controlled via a dial on the right earcup, you just twist the dial to your desired level and off you go. You can also mute the audio by pressing the middle of the dial if you have a pesky family member interrupting your gaming fun. The right earcup controls the game chat volume and works in the same way as the other one. An added visual cue via a glowing blue light at the end of the detachable boom mic lets you know when your mic is muted.
Time to talk about the sound............ Excellent, brilliant, top notch are just a few descriptives I can use. I've used the LS40 whilst playing Destiny, Battlefield 1, Overwatch, Doom and Titanfall 2. I've heard things in each of the games that I've never heard before using other headsets. The 7.1 Surround does everything that you would expect it too. You can hear bullets whizzing by left and right and in the more stealthy games you can distinguish the direction of your enemies footsteps and gain a significant advantage over them.
Even at full volume (which is pretty damn loud), the sound doesn't distort and the balance seems perfect between the deep booming bass and the higher treble tones. Other reviews have mentioned a popping sound but I haven't experienced anything like that in my usage.
As well as using them for my Xbox One I also tried them out on my phone, again top notch performance and even with the detachable microphone detached I was able to talk via the built in mic which is situated at the front of the left earcup.
I did have some problems with the initial setup on my Xbox One but a quick e-mail to LucidSound and a very prompt reply pointed me to the video below and I was up and running.
Setup tutorial for Xbox One
So, in conclusion, the LS40 from LucidSound is a brilliant headset and well worth the asking price of £189.99/ $199.99.
Whilst I only tested them on Xbox and Mobile they are also compatible with PC and PS3 and 4, so if you're fortunate enough to own all of these then this is definitely the headset for you.
I don't think I've ever given top marks for anything in my game reviews but I'm more than happy to score these 10/10
Headset for review graciously provided by LucidSound
About LucidSound
LucidSound is committed to designing premium quality audio products for gamers. Every team member of LucidSound hails from a gaming audio background with a vision to deliver world-class audio to the interactive entertainment sector. Uncompromising in its insistence for audio excellence, the Company crafts audio products specifically for the needs of gamers and everyday life. Strikingly different in appearance from traditional gaming hardware, the LucidSound family of products unlocks the emotion and intensity of modern gaming audio, elevating the experience for gamers everywhere.
You were gonna touch on the LS35x
ReplyDeleteWell spotted, I was going to say that the LS35x would be launched alongside the Xbox One X (Scorpio as it was known back then). Not sure what happened to that paragraph, I'll look back at my notes and edit the review when I find it. :)
ReplyDelete