[section_title title=Build and Comfort]
With the LucidSound LS30 making it onto our 2016 Holiday Gift Guide, it’s about time we take a deeper look into another product in the LucidSound arsenal. Showcased at E3 2016, the LucidSound LS20 gaming headset is the entry level product in the acclaimed LucidSound line of headsets that beg you to take them out of the house. Sharing the same calm yet stylish appearance of the LS30 and LS40, the LS20 also brings the some of the same on-board controls we loved in the LS30. This time, the LS20 is a smaller-frame on-ear headset, coming in at $99. Let’s dive into the LucidSound LS20 gaming headset to see what $99 gets you.
Build and Comfort
| Speaker Size: | 40mm |
| Frequency Response: | 20 – 20,000 Hz |
| Characteristic SPL: | 97 +/-3dB |
| Battery Life: | 20 hours |
| Weight: | 255g / 9oz |
| Connectivity | 3.5mm and Micro USB for charging |
The LS20 is an on-ear stereo headset with the same general silhouette as its LS30 and LS40 brethren. A plastic frame with a leatherette headband connects the two swiveling ear cups. The outside of each ear cup features LucidSound’s vinyl record-like display of their logo. The ear cups can extend swivel both vertically and horizontally. This not only makes it easy to wear around your neck, but also allows it to accommodate for heads of varying shapes and sizes. The cushion on the ear cups are of memory foam with leatherette skin. A somewhat lighter version of this cushioning is also on the inside of the headband with the LucidSound name printed on the top.
The outside of each cup is a button with the left ear cup housing a dial for controlling master volume. Also, on the left ear cup you have a power button that both powers and switches the LS20 between its three modes. On the right, you have an EQ button for swapping between “normal” and Bass Boost modes. The LS20 comes with a removable boom mic and houses a built-in mic for continued use with mobile devices on- the-go. The LS20 also comes with port caps for covering the hole left after removing the boom mic.
LucidSound’s LS20 is a comfortable headset that maintains a light grip that’s just tight enough to manage a sturdy hold on one’s head. The vertical and horizontal swivels allow you to adjust the ear cups to be pressed at just the right angles against your head. The leatherette cushions on the ear cups feel nice and do a great job at forming an acoustic and passive noise-isolating seal. Best of all, with its smaller form factor, the headset is exceptionally light, while not at all feeling flimsy or weak in its build.
While I prefer over-ear headsets myself, I actually really appreciate this gaming headset build. In a world full of over-ear headsets, it’s nice that LucidSound chose to cater to the subset of gamers that preferred something with a lower profile. Over-ear headsets can be intimating to people who prefer to maintain inconspicuous or just not have something of a presumed larger size on their head. Luckily, the LS20 aims true towards that niche, giving you a comfortable and sleek-looking headset that is easy to transport. The LS20 is stylish and unimposing, daring you to take it out on the go.