Microsoft LifeChat LX-3000 Headset Reviews

• Even Leopard Likes It

  
  By A1QYQMDCRRLCUP on 2007-12-13
  Even though this was a MS product and I am a Mac person, I took the plunge. I have to say that I like these much better than my previous Logitechs. the over-the-ear fit is great. There's even an inline remote and the volume up/down buttons and microphone mute button even work! I just plugged it into my keyboard USB and iChat was happy and the volume/mute buttons worked. To be sure, the volume up/down buttons are for the output and they actually change the OS volume, so it will be changed wether you're listening through the headphones or through other speakers. And the mute button is for the microphone and it only mutes the headset microphone, not the internal microphone or anything else.
  
  The sound is really nice too, but that probably has a lot to do with the background noise that is removed by the nice fit of the ear pieces.
  
  Note: The 'other' button on the remote isn't currently doing anything. I'm not actually sure what it's supposed to do.
  
  

• Awsome headphones for a decent price!

  
  By A38T1JFRUIG19W on 2007-04-21
  After my big disappointment with Logitech's "gaming" headphones (Logitech Precision PC Gaming Headset), I decided to go with Microsoft LiveChat, and I made the right choice. I'm a gamer and I use programs called TeamSpeak and Vent to communicate with my teammates. Here are the basic pros and cons
  
  Pros
  - Crystal clear mic picks up your voice with no problems
  - Sound quality is excellent
  - The headphones fit nicely
  - Easy installation, up and running in less then 5 minutes
  
  Cons
  - There is no clip on the back of the volume and mute buttons, making it slide around your lap
  - Have to adjust head headset every so often due to the tight fit around the ears. Makes you feel like you are in an airplane prolong use.
  
  Other then some minor adjustments, this does exactly what I need. As for the whole push to talk buttons and syncing with WLM, I haven't gone down that route, but if you're a gamer, this would be something to definitely check out.
  
  
  

• Great addition to my MacBook Pro

  
  By A1HASA7UZPXT0Z on 2008-02-18
  Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2I5G3P3RZWEEZ
  
  

• Nice quality for gaming and music at a nice price

  
  By A12B6HCQNIPHKA on 2007-12-17
  I just purchased this headset yesterday because I was looking for a decently-priced gaming headset. While this headset markets itself largely toward the WLM users, it does claim to be useful for gaming as well. I figured that since it was made by Microsoft, there shouldn't be any compatibility issues when using with Windows.
  
  I was right about that. I installed the software first, as instructed, then plugged in the USB cable attached to the headphones. At first I thought I was having problems with the headphones conflicting with my Creative X-Fi soundcard, but I just needed to restart my Media Player and it worked fine (so there was no adjustment needed to my audio devices, even though Windows seems to identify the headphones almost like another sound card).
  
  The ear pads are very comfortable, which is good because the new headset does have quite a bit of pressure on the head. I do have to adjust them from time to time to keep a maximum comfort feel. Music sounded excellent--crystal clear sound reproduction. I listened to a piece that involved a large string orchestra and it sounded beautiful.
  
  Gaming was great. I really wanted a 5.1 surround sound headset, but they're either too expensive or not reliable enough at this point, so I decided to hold off. In gaming, it's fine. I hear footsteps to the left or right accurately and clearly, and voice chat in-game is quite clear (I was in the same room as someone else playing online with me and I was able to hear my voice communication).
  
  I don't use WLM, so I can't speak to its functionality at all.
  
  The in-line remote is fairly useless for any functions other than WLM. It does have an independent volume control (it doesn't affect the volume of your system--just of the headset), which is very useful. But the mute and call buttons don't function for anything other than their intended purposes.
  
  Overall this headset is very good for the price. It fits tightly around the head, which may be a bit uncomfortable at first, but I found that with some adjustment I was able to get a comfortable fit. If you're looking for a nice gaming headset and don't want to shell out over $100 for a high-end headset, this is a strong choice.
  
  

• Big Al hates cheaply made, uncomfortable headsets!

  
  By A3078D7BWHU8TC on 2007-04-12
  I gotta say, this headset looks comfortable. That's why I bought it. Unfortunately, it doesn't deliver once you put it on. At first, it felt like this headset was trying to force my brain out of my nostrils...it clamped extremely tightly on my ears! After about 4 hours of wear (during which I probably sneezed out a few brain cells), it loosened up slightly, but it's still very uncomfortable after 20 or so minutes of having it on.
  
  It doesn't help that the headband is wider (due to its split) than other PC headsets. The hard plastic touches more of the top of my head than I prefer.
  
  Audio is OK. Music sounds decent through the LX-3000. It doesn't perform well in some mid-ranges...voices and some music sound flat.
  
  The microphone picked up my voice well according to the other people I talked with. I don't like the bendy mic with the big foam ball. It looks and feels cheap. But it does work.
  
  I would not recommend this headset if you use anything other than Windows Live Mesenger. The "call" button doesn't work in any other program than WLM. Skype, Yahoo! or AIM users beware!
  
  The controls on the cord are humongous. You could serve a small meal on this thing! It doesn't have a clip on the backside to attach it to clothing or the desk, so it just pulls the left side of the headset down as dead weight.
  
  Also, you'll have to be really gentle with this thing as the two headphones come off the headband easily and you'll have to snap them back into place. When I took this out of the package, that is exactly what happened. I don't feel like I got what I paid for. Assembly seems very cheap.
  
  I can't recommend this headset. Maybe the next one (LX-3001?) will be better.
  
  
• A decent headset for the average user
  By A28FMO1RL3C17U on 2007-08-03
  As a pair of headphones the LifeChat LX-3000 is pretty decent. Good, clear response across all frequencies. Notably, the bass range is beefy without being too muddy. They are comfortable and don't make my head sore after extended use, compared to some other headphones I own. (Your mileage may vary.)
  
  The microphone is my favorite component of these headphones. It is responsive and doesn't pick up very much background noise. The windscreen (the foamy thing) eliminates some of the effect of breath sound, and pops and plosives to a certain extent, giving one's voice a more polished sound. You might think of it as a minor feature, and perhaps a little ugly or bulky, but it adds a tremendous value to the headphones in my opinion.
  
  In addition to Automated Gain Control (AGC), there seems to be the option in the Sound & Audio Properties control panel of applying effects to the incoming signal. Maybe it has something to do with the sAPO technology in Windows Vista, but I'm using the headphones on Windows XP exclusively at the moment. There aren't any effects included with the installation CD that comes with the LifeChat headphones, but the idea is intriguing. At least I know that since this headset comes from Microsoft, if the technology develops further I'll be able to take advantage of it. It would be good to apply some effects such as a compressor or equalizer to one's voice, even for something as simple as chatting or making calls online, in order to give one's voice more clarity and punch. In any case, that's all a side point to actually reviewing the product.
  
  I've tried recording my voice (both speaking and singing) into Audacity (a wave editor) and Ableton Live (a music/audio production package) and the results are favorable. I can see using this for some quick voiceover work or demo vocals if you happen to be a music production enthusiast as I am. Granted, an actual studio quality dynamic or compressor mic in the right environment is ideal, but this headset functions as a good tool to use a "notepad" for my voice.
  
  The "remote" with the volume, mute, and livechat controls is definitely handy. Only thing is it weighs down the cord. It's placed about a foot and a half down the cord from the headset itself, which makes it possible to place it on the desk; however if you tend to move around while working at your computer (and I would hope you do) you'll pull it off. I don't imagine it's heavy enough to cause any sort of neck strain or such thing, but the weight is noticeable.
  
  Another thing to note is that the headset uses the USB interface exclusively. There are no analog jacks to fall back on. This is a problem since it uses USB bandwidth, which can be a problem if you have many devices hooked up to your computer (and especially if they are hooked up to the same controller by way of a USB hub). I'm not using a hub on this computer currently, and I only have three other devices hooked up. Nevertheless, I ran into a problem with my audio recording interface (a Digidesign Mbox 2) and the headset competing for bandwidth. Windows produced an error message to this effect. The end result is that I can't use the interface and the headphones concurrently; I have to have one or the other plugged in. Granted, this isn't that big of a deal, since I use the headset for "consumer-grade" activities like watching movies and chatting, and use hardware and a microphone plugged in to the recording interface when I am working on a music or audio project. Unfortunately though I can't use the headphones with my recording interface to do quick vocal demos or voiceovers (one of the handy features of a headset I alluded to earlier). Granted, I don't need the recording interface since the headset isn't being run through it, but the latency issues with my onboard sound card makes monitoring my voice while recording untenable.
  
  The takeaway from all this is that the LifeChat LX-3000 headset is great for normal recreational use, although I would caution that if you have a lot of USB devices hooked up to your system you may run into some problems, and in that case I'd suggest a headset with analog microphone/audio jacks.
  
  
• MS Headset -- terrific
  By A2V610EWJ1R150 on 2007-06-04
  I cannot say enough good things about this headset (I do have a normal size head)...it is VERY comfortable to wear for a lengthy time. There is not feed back when in use, the quality of music play is wonderful. Again, easy to wear - light weight. Only problem is the inline device for adjustments etc......the thing is just too big and a little heavy. However, I think the overall device is good enough to overlook that one item.
  
  
• Head Phones
  By A37P6Z283B5ITK on 2007-04-06
  I must admit these headphones are fantastic,very comfortable light weight
  and what can I say about the sound it blew me away. The mic.on the headset
  is fantastic if you want to make your own recordings and talk to others,and with the button on the little black box you can go right into a chat session using Windows Live Messenger just press the button and it loads the program by itself neet feature.
  
  
• Simply the best headset I have ever owned
  By A23FAS55ZUJKKV on 2007-08-11
  I have been through about 1 to 2 headset every year for the past 5 years.
  This one has weathered my abuse for a little over eight months now. I am using this with Vista. I didn't have to use the accompanying CD. The headset was immediately recognized by the computer as soon I plugged it into the computer's USB port. My chat program had some trouble though; I had go to the options and specifically select LX-3000 as the input/output device. No problemss with any other programs.
  
  The friends and family have claimed that they hear my voice much clearer sounds than now than anytime in the past. The headset is very comfortable with a soft leather-like material for the ear pads.
  
  I use this headset for chatting, gaming; listening to music; while watching DVD movies and TV on Vista Media Center.
  
  
• A Great Headset!
  By A3J374MKJ2YYHW on 2007-10-11
  If you want to be fully "surrounded" by music or sound, this is your headset. It is lightweight, comfortable, and it delivers. It's a little work to set it up for those who are not computer savvy, but it's worth it.
  
  For those of you who are having trouble getting it to work beyond windows sounds and Live Messenger, there is a trick you have to do to unlock its full potential, and I found this out the hard way. You have to go to your Control Panel (Either Start->Control Panel or My Computer->Control Panel), then go to the "Sounds and Audio Devices" Option. It will bring up a screen with a series of tabs. Click on the Audio Tab, and set the Default Sound Playback and the Sound Recording Sections to the "Microsoft LiveChat LX-3000" option. Then Click apply. Next, in the same screen, look in the "Sound Playback" section, you will see the Advanced button. Click that, and it opens up the "Advanced Audio properties" screen. You should be on the Speakers Tab already. Set the "Speaker Setup" to "Stereo Headphones" and again, click "Apply". Click Ok to get back to the previous menu and Click ok to exit. You should now be able to listen to your music and other sounds because it's no longer conflicting with the default stuff.
  
  
• Adequate, but not long lasting
  By A1WYHT019KZ7MH on 2008-02-19
  I'm an avid gamer. I use my headsets for realtime voice communication as well as in lieu of speakers (I game in my living room a lot and don't like the computer to drown out everything else that's happening).
  
  Pros:
  Good sound quality
  Good microphone pickup
  
  Cons:
  Tight on the ears, even with the "soft" earpads
  Poorly designed 'mute' button comes on accidentally all too often
  Had two units fail within 30 days of purchase
  
  It's that last line that compels me to write a review. I picked up two of these headsets on the same weekend, one for myself and one for my girlfriend. Both units worked great right out of the box, no complaints at all about them - until now, just outside thirty days after purchase. My gf's headset has had the entire right speaker short out, while mine has developed a problem with the wiring in the oversized button console. Half the time my headset won't transmit now; the other half, I send either an incredibly loud burst of static, or I get normal voice output. I can't seem to control what's happening with it.
  
  I'm tempted to break out some wire-cutters and remove the button console from the center of the headset wire. I don't use it anyway. I don't know if that will fix the problem or irrevocably destroy the headset, though as time goes on, I'm caring less and less about the ultimate outcome. Something must be done.
  
  I'll probably spend a few more dollars and go for a higher end headset next time.
  
  
• Do not buy for use with Vista
  By A1T7Y7735ROCUD on 2008-03-27
  DO NOT BUY IF YOU HAVE OR ARE PLANNING ON UPGRADING TO VISTA!!!!!-This is a great headset if you have XP, but don't get it if you have Vista or are planning on upgrade. After buying a new computers with the latest and greatest OS I have had nothing but problems with this. It does not work. I start playing music or a game and a short while later the sound cuts out and I have to restart windows. Not fun. Support is abysmal for this product I got fobed off to another part of Microsoft, and you can forget about up to date drivers as they have not been updated from version 1.0 written in 2006.
  
  
• Doesn't impress
  By A2TBWLOHTZNK54 on 2008-04-04
  Here's a summary of why I would give it 2 stars:
  
  - Awkward ear alignment that is uncomfortable... why am I smooshing my ears into holes in hard foam rings? From this experience I can tell you it's not one-size-fits-all.
  
  - Poor sound quality. It's not the worst, but it's enough you can notice pings of scratchy sound distortion here and there. I would not want to watch movies or play games on these.
  
  - Decent casual use microphone. Not good enough for recording since it doesn't perfectly filter other noise, but somewhat better than the worst bargain rate microphones.
  
  - Retail price is ridiculous. If you need a chatting only headset this is maybe worth the $15-20 marked down, but the original retail is ridiculous for this rather limited product.
  
  
• Very comfortable and great quality
  By A2T972D3F5MADS on 2008-02-20
  I started using these headphones a few days ago. They are extremely comfortable. I've tried a few different headphones, but none of them provide comfortable for the long-term, which is extremely important to me being a transcriptionist who has to wear headphones all day long. I should note, however, that I actually am a fairly small woman with a fairly small head. So I don't have the problem of the headphones pushing into my head.
  
  I use the headphones with speech recognition program Dragon NaturallySpeaking Preferred 9. When I speak normally the accuracy is very high. So I can only assume that the quality of the headset is very good.
  
  From what I can tell from the few days I've been using it, there are no cons to this product only pros.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Horrible Product!! 3 Sets went bad with same issue!
  By A36YC46V11I71X on 2008-08-18
  I had three of these sets and had all 3 go out with the same issue within 3 months. The box that controls volume goes bad. You will start to hear a crackle sound anytime you touch the controls to adjust volume, etc. Then you know they are on their way out.
  
  
• Microsoft LifeChat LX-3000 Headset (JUG-00001)
  By A3Q99OL0L1DSSI on 2007-03-25
  Microsoft LifeChat LX-3000 Headset (JUG-00001) - is one of the excellent products by Microsoft. It proved to be very useful and of very good quality in both the finish and functioning. See at: Microsoft LifeChat LX-3000 Headset (JUG-00001).
  
  
• Great as headphones, good as a mic.
  By AXD7T3HF2Q9XD on 2007-07-28
  Pros:
  
  -Low Price
  
  -Good quality
  
  -Great sound Quality
  
  -Noise Canceling
  
  
  Cons:
  
  -Very big and can hurt your ears after a while before you get used to them.
  
  -Not the best as a gaming headset because it covers both ears and cancel the noise. So it can be annoying when you can't hear your game sound very well.
  
  -Also since it covers both ears and noice cancels, it feels weird when you talk because you can't hear yourself well so it causes you to speak louder. I just use them with one ear uncovered.
  
  
• Sucks as no support and heaps of problems
  By A3QUYCYCI02YMP on 2007-08-18
  If you are thinking to buy this thing for use with any other messenger except MSN, then NEVER EVER go for it. It has some bug and it stop working in few seconds when you start chatting on any other messenger including yahoo Skype Gtalk. Microsoft Support is horrible for this product and trust me you will think to garbage it after so much frustration. Not only mine item is buggy but I bought another one for testing and its the same thing. Never expected this from Microsoft.
  Think twice before spending a penny on it.
  
  
• Almost Perfect Headset even for World of Warcraft Players
  By A1GGVRXB81I0ZF on 2008-01-18
  I would have rated this a 5 star but the sound clarity seems a little bit off or a touch muffled to me however this could possibly be adjusted in the settings but i haven't monkied with it yet.
  
  It still sounds great tho and the noise cancellation is a really nice feature to have if you are raiding and trying to concentrate. That means you aren't going to be distracted so much by what your friend (who is in the same room) is watching on tv or doing at thier computer.
  
  For world of warcraft this is really great to use for vent or other chat programs as well as gameplay sound. I did have a few problems getting the sound to work on wow but i realized after i went through my control panel settings that i just had to change the settings in the "sound options" tab *ON* WOW before i could hear "any" in game sound. You just have to select the headset name under the hardware tab. Pretty simple once you know what you have to do. Hope this helps someone else who has the same issue. All in all, this is a very nice headset that can be used for many things, it's comfy and durable as well so i would in fact buy it again.
  
  
• Well built, good microphone, disappointing headphone sound quality
  By A38U7ANB8XVE93 on 2008-02-17
  A good headset is an elusive thing.
  
  Microsoft's LX-3000 is sturdily constructed and worked straight out of the box (with Windows XP; I can't speak for Vista). It also has a decent microphone which is very important in a headset. Good clarity and plenty of volume. I've noticed that non-USB headsets sometimes suffer lack of mic volume (maybe because they assume that the sound card will provide more amplification than it actually does).
  
  My main gripe with this headset is with the headphone sound quality. You're not expecting audiophile sound from a relatively cheap headset, but this falls short of average. It has horrible resonances in the bass and lower midrange, making speech and music sound muffled and "boxed in".
  
  I also found the headset uncomfortable after being worn for a while.
  
  If you don't mind spending more money, a much better headset is Sennheiser's PC156.
  
  
• broke the second day!!!!!!
  By A3PTCG2CGYE8X4 on 2008-04-26
  This was my first very owned headset, when i first used it, i was pretty satisfied.the sound was good. the next day i tried it, nothing worked and i was hearing a static when i touched the remote. my technical guess is that the wire shorted in the giant remote, and truthfully, the wire and the remote felt kinda flimsy. There was a review about the same problem i read on this site and i figured whats the chances that all the same problem is going to occur to me, especially from microsoft, god damn i was terribly wrong, punished for 2 weeks without a headphone because i decided to go with a brand name which i thought i could trust. dont let the same thing happen to you
  
  
• Great USB Headset For The Price
  By ABIFFUU4M6T39 on 2008-07-23
  Are these headsets the best ever? No, but for about $30, they are the best I've seen.
  
  The earphones are snug, comfortable, and adjustable. I imagine that people with really large noggins will have difficulty with the distance between earphones, but it wasn't a concern for my average-sized cranium. The output sound quality is very good.
  
  The microphone is adjustable and seems to pick up my voice with decent clarity. There's no function to cancel out ambient noise, but it's not a problem for the typical household or business cubicle, as long as you don't have the TV blaring nearby and you're not expecting studio quality results.
  
  Installation is a snap (one would expect that with a Microsoft product on a Microsoft OS PC) and configuration is done through the normal audio controls for XP or Vista. It's fast and pretty much idiot-proof to sync with your PC.
  
  The only negative is that the line control located on the cord is a bit heavy and adds unnecessary weight to the wire. The cord isn't so long that someone would be walking around or sitting on the couch away from their PC, so I'm not even sure why this feature is there.
  
  Overall, $30 is a great deal for this USB headset.
  
  
• Gaming Headset
  By A17NJ63G3GISXK on 2007-03-13
  Just got this headset today from a1 electronics and got it in one day. They have great bass and music sounds awsome so does voice chat! This is my first USB headset and I am very impressed with it.
  
  It was direct plug and play with Windows Vista Buisness. Had them out of the box and installed in the matter of minutes.
  
  Great for a Microsoft product Highly Recommend!
  
  
• Works fine EXCEPT with Windows Live Messenger
  By A31X6KHOFYFRFB on 2007-04-13
  The product says it is "optimized for use with Windows Live Messenger". However, I find it works perfectly for listening to online music or a CD but it does NOT work with WLM on my computer. I have done all the tests and adjusted all the settings. The headphones are comfortable and the sound quality is excellent. They just don't work with WLM and there is no support from Microsoft for the product.
  
  
• Price is great - Audio is only so so
  By A3ERMXOVWGRDGT on 2007-11-07
  The price was excellent, but I found the audio was not very sharp, my hearing is not the best, so being fair this may have something to do with it. But it seemed to me that there was to much base and not enough tremble (high notes) The quality of the head set item its self was excellent.
  
  
• Great Headset!!!
  By A2OMSWWG96IABX on 2008-02-08
  Great Headset!!! It's comfortable and the sound quality is crisp and crystal clear. I kept bragging about it when I first received it. I would have people try them out. They work great with Skype or online also.
  
  
• very good!
  By A3JQQ2TWTKFVNH on 2008-02-18
  I got this about 2 month ago for my gaming needs and it rocks, compared to my logitech one, great mic, great sounds, blocks background noises, and very comfortable also it has an sound control to control the volume and to be able to mute your mic, my mute control(mutes mic) isnt functioning right for me, it won't unmute my mic so i cant chat with it, thats sad but what can you expect nothing is perfect, oh yah and it uses usb instead of those plugs like for your speakers etc, i usually dont like using usb headsets mainly because they have to load unlike the other plug ones.
  
  
• Very Good
  By AJS7JYEDKJKLC on 2008-03-11
  The MS LifeChat LX-3000 was easy to plug in and use. The sound is very good and the microphone works well. If I have a complaint it would be that the ear coverings work like ear coverings. That is, they keep one's ears warm even when that is not necessary.
  
  I find I have to be careful with the telephone control which is conveniently close-- usually ending up in my lap. If I am using the device in an application and inadvertently hit the 'call' key the application in which I am working will minimize and go to the call window. This can be irritating when playing a game, but is easily overcome by simply assuring that the control is placed out of the way.
  
  
• i wouldn't buy
  By A3G769VPEE92WB on 2008-03-28
  when working pretty good, but coz of USB connection and lack of help facility something was always wrong. Also if you plan on wearing for more than 5 mins its very tight, gave me a headache
  
  
• LifeChat LX-3000
  By A1UZ13ZFV6MJO3 on 2008-07-07
  I have owned several sets of headsets to use to listen to music and talk via Skype and this set has been the best so far.
  
  The adjustable headset is comfortable (the best I have used so far)- however, like most headsets if you wear them for hours at a time like I do, you will be best to take them off for a few minutes every so often.
  
  I like how much you can adjust the microphone to find the best position. In addition to moving it up and down, you can bend it to make it closer or farther from your mouth. The noise cancelling works well and people say they can hear me perfectly.
  
  The audio in is very good for both Skype calls and casual listening to music.
  
  The main issue (and it's relatively minor) that keeps me from giving this product a 5 is that the control button that allows you to mute and adjust volume is too big. The size does make it easy to mute a conversation; however, because it is so big and because of its location on the cord, I have accidentally muted myself multiple times without realizing it.
  
  Overall, I would definitely recommend this product.
  
  

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