As a privileged guy with my own gaming space, it’s not often I have any concerns about being too noisy when gaming. Coupled with my general lack of interest in online multiplayer-style gaming, I rarely have any need for a headset or mic when gaming. That said, I do have a consistent interest in having an all-in-one solution for audio – a universal headset I can use across console and portable gaming, as well as my PC and mobile. Usually you can tick a decent number of those boxes, but rarely all at once. Enter LucidSound, who were kind enough to provide Stevivor with several of their headset models to really take to task. For me, that meant getting my hands on the LS30 wireless headset.
The headset itself is a nice piece of kit. Weighing in at about 400 grams, you’re definitely going to notice it sitting on your head; it could even be strenuous for the twitchier of necks amongst us. Actual functionality is a big boon, though – the LS30 mostly eschews physical buttons for more intuitive controls. While the traditional on/off button is present along with one for switching between equaliser settings, they are conveniently kept on separate ears to avoid any mis-clicks. Instead of an up/down clicker or slider, volume is controlled by twisting the outer edge of each ear – right for volume, left for the mic. As someone who regularly hits the wrong buttons when I can’t actively see what I’m pressing, it’s a great point of convenience to see.
Additionally, tapping the centre panel of each ear will mute the incoming sound or outbound mic, but confusingly these are swapped compared to the volume twisters – game audio on the left, mic on the right. In a way it makes sense to have game audio on the left – if you’re hitting it midgame, your right hand’s doing the bulk of the work on the controller. Still, having the swap between left and right is a bit of an odd choice.
The audio quality is nice and solid, to boot. Volume range on game audio goes nice and high, with minimal audio leakage The ability to quickly and easily adjust mic volume is handy as well, with full return audio if you so choose (though why you’d want to hear yourself talk, I don’t know. I don’t know your life.) Handily, when using the detachable boom mic you get a bright blue light on the end when muting the outbound audio, making it easier to tell whether the recipient can hear you talking trash about them or not. Mic output from the onboard option is slightly quieter, but still sustainable in situations where the boom isn’t an option.
Described as a universal gaming solution, the LS30 boasts compatibility with all of the devices I would want it to. Depending on the device outputting the sound, this varies between actual wireless connectivity or hooking up the direct audio cable instead. PC, PS4 and PS3 are all relatively simple wireless – hook the base station dongle into a USB port, and you’re good to go. For the PS4 especially, as soon as this was connected I was able to switch on the headset and get started without any fussing about, which is exactly what I want. Likewise, PC is pretty simplistic, barring some minor level adjustments (though this may be the fault of my previous, very-quiet mic).
Unfortunately, Microsoft consoles are slightly trickier. The Xbox One needed me to get into setting to get it to recognise the headset to begin with, though this seems to be more a fault of the console than the headset. Additionally, to utilise the mic you’ll need to wire your headset to your controller directly, which takes away from the freedom of the headset’s wireless nature (and kinda reminded me of strapping a Wiimote/Nunchuk combo to my face).
The biggest bummer, for me, was the fact that on shifting to my mobile I wasn’t able to Bluetooth directly from the headset to my phone, and instead had to use the audio cable. While this isn’t the worst thing ever, it again drops some of the convenience the LS30 could have as a ‘universal’ sound solution. With the recent reveal of the iPhone 7 and its complete absence of a headphone jack, this may limit the usability of the LS30 for a decent chunk of mobile users going forwards.
Barring this minor inconvenience, the LS30 is a solid option in the mid-range price arena. With solid half-day’s battery life it’s going to support extended gameplay sessions, supported by the comfy earpieces to prevent sound leakage without encouraging too much awkward ear sweating – an ever-present threat for the modern headphone gamer. If you’re needing something to fit whatever device you’re looking to hook up to, the LS30’s got you covered.
The LucidSound LS30 headset was reviewed using a promotional product as provided by LucidSound.
This article may contain affiliate links, meaning we could earn a small commission if you click-through and make a purchase. Stevivor is an independent outlet and our journalism is in no way influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative.
