LAS VEGAS – A wireless gaming headset with surround sound is a pretty common sight on PCs, but it’s much harder to do on consoles. With the LS40 headset, LucidSound aims to give both console and PC gamers a simple, gorgeous headset that’s equally at home with stereo or surround sound, and in a gaming nook or on a crowded subway. Not only can the LS40 help improve your gaming experience, but it can make you look pretty stylish at the same time.
What Is It?
I went ears-on with the LS40 at CES 2017. The peripheral is the latest in LucidSound’s arsenal of gaming headsets that double as everyday high-end headphones. The LS40 is a wireless model that features built-in DTS 7.1 surround sound, in both gaming and wide-placement configurations. Users can also switch to regular stereo sound at the touch of a button. The whole setup is rather elegant, with the earcups themselves functioning as volume controls and mute buttons for either the audio or the mic.
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How Does It Sound?
For gaming, the LS40 sounds spectacular. I played both Star Wars Battlefront on Xbox One and Doom on PS4, and cycled through both surround sound and the stereo settings as I did. Every mode had something to offer. Gaming surround sound was, unsurprisingly, the best of the three, as it made everything sound very immediate, especially enemy movements. (This was especially helpful in pinpointing demons in Doom, as anyone who’s played the game can attest.) The wider surround setting sounded like it could have applications for films and TV, while stereo is still the way most music works.
Pricing and Availability
The LS40 is shipping this month, and will cost $200. This is on the expensive side for a wireless gaming headset, but not the priciest model on the market, by any means. Considering that the LS40 works with Xbox One, PS4, PCs and mobile devices, the price point also reflects its versatility. You can, indeed, get cheaper models, though, with very good sound quality, to boot.
Why Should You Care?
Although it’s not as bad as it once was, dedicated gaming headsets still have an unfortunate tendency to look bulky and overdesigned. Some of them don’t even have 3.5 mm audio jacks for mobile compatibility. The LucidSound LS40 is both elegant and versatile, and it provides fantastic sound for games, too. While we still need to test it with music and movies, this headset will be one to watch in 2017.
