Introduction
In the world of gaming, IEMs (in-ear monitors; so basically earbuds) are getting more and more popular. An increasing number of content creators and pros go for in-ears and an external mic over the classic headset setup, so when Tekkusai (founder of Kurosun) introduced gaming-focused IEMs on the market, we naturally had to check it out. In our full Tekkusai Lucid review, you’ll find out whether or not these are worth it for gaming and content consumption.
At A Glance
Tekkusai Lucid IEM
The Tekkusai Lucid IEMs are impressive and punch way above their weight, especially when you consider they’re tailored for a relatively new space (‘gaming IEMs’) in the audio world.
Pros
- Modular cable is a plus
- Included eartips are high quality
- Great positional audio
- Great sound for content consumption and music listening
- Looks sleek and high-quality
- Included carrying case
Cons
- Awkward fit with the included eartips (though this is personal)
- Cable is a bit short
First Impressions and Packaging
The presentation of the Tekkusai Lucid IEMs is very satisfying. The whole thing comes in a nicely designed black box. Within that box, you will find:
- The IEMs
- A carrying case
- Additional ear tips
- A 4.4mm jack
- Plastic covers for the jacks
What I particularly love is the carrying case. This has a subtle and classy debossed logo on top, and the faux leather texturing makes it look sleek and premium. It’s also decently sturdy and seems well-built. On the inside, there’s a little pouch for storing the additional adapter and any other things you might want to store (such as ear tips). As a whole, this seems like a meaningful addition rather than an afterthought.
Design and Features
I really like the overall design of the Lucid IEMs. The twisted cable gives it enough visual flair to make it stand out from other earbuds, but other than that there are no eye-catching elements to be found. The shell of the IEMs is finished with a dark grey coating that has a bit of a shine to it, making the whole thing look stealthy and unassuming. If you like minimal or monochrome setups, this will fit right in. You also won’t stand out too much if you wear this on the train or bus.
In terms of features, the Tekkusai Lucid comes with a 3.5mm jack and can connect to any regular audio source. You don’t need a DAC or any other equipment to properly run the IEMs, as you can just connect them straight to your PC or audio device. The cable is also modular, meaning you can disconnect the cable itself from the jack adapter and use (for example) the included 4.4mm one. All of this makes this a very versatile product.
The Lucid IEMs use a quad driver setup with a dynamic driver, a BA driver, a micro planar driver, and a piezo driver.
Comfort
If you ask me, one of the most important factors when it comes to audio equipment is the comfort. The shells are relatively lightweight and the nozzle theoretically goes deep enough to get a good fit for me (with a 6.2mm nozzle it’s even on the higher end) but I do have to say that I had issues with the included ear tips.
I tried all of them, and I also tried mixing and matching different sizes, but I quite simply could not get a satisfying fit with these. If I could get a proper seal, the tips would pop out the minute I moved my jaw a bit, and the smaller tips quite simply did not give me a seal at any point, which caused the sound quality to suffer. With other IEMs, I usually find a combo that works pretty much perfectly, so I wouldn’t say that I have awkwardly shaped ear canals or anything like that.
Of course, this is not a massive deal. Getting third-party ear tips is a common thing in the audiophile world. However, I don’t think it can hurt to maybe offer some different (or extra) options with future iterations.
One other thing you should be aware of in terms of comfort with IEMs is the cable length. Here, that’s only 120cm. That’s quite common for IEMs, but if you’re going to be plugging these into your PC that’s perhaps a bit further away from you, you’ll want to get an adapter. Since these IEMs are so focused on gaming performance, I’m kind of wondering if it wouldn’t have been possible to make the cable a little bit longer.
Sound Performance – Gaming
Lucid App
Tekkusai designed these IEMs with gaming in mind. In order to be the best gaming IEMs they can be, Tekkusai created a companion app. This has a small number of surface-level settings that you can customize, but it also comes with a big number of premade sound profiles. In its default setting, the app will automatically switch to the relevant sound profile once a game becomes active, which is a feature that I like.
Detection works really well, and the app displays a small popup and plays a subtle sound once it switches, which is a good QoL addition. If you don’t want to use the pre-cooked profiles, you can also select which game profiles you want to use manually, but you have to turn off ‘optimize for esports’ in the settings, which I found to be a little bit counterintuitive. You also can’t tweak the EQ by yourself. To me, that’s not a huge deal since there’s such a wide variety of premade profiles to choose from, but it can be good to know.
Gaming Performance
What I found interesting is that the different profiles actually give a different experience. All too often, gaming audio equipment gives you a number of presets, when in reality there’s just a slight treble difference between different profiles. Granted, I did not do any in-depth testing on more niche games, but I found there to be a meaningful difference in the audio performance between different games. I tested these with CS2, VALORANT, Overwatch 2, and a bunch of single player games, and I was equally impressed with the audio quality in all of them.
Audio is, to me, a painfully underrated aspect of multiplayer gaming. Getting yourself some good audio equipment that’s tweaked for your specific game and circumstances can absolutely make you a lot more aware and net you a bunch of extra kills, and these IEMs are good example of that. Even when playing games that aren’t necessarily known for their excellent audio (like CS2), I managed to get info that I don’t think I would’ve gotten on any average headset.
Obviously, there are other (quality) audio products that can do this. But the positional audio and clarity of crucial sound cues that the Lucid IEMs offer is up there with the best of the best. Especially considering their relatively low (in the context of audiophile products) price, I’m thoroughly impressed with these. Pinpointing where sounds are coming from and how far they are is a breeze with these, and the overall sound quality doesn’t seem to suffer for it.
Sound Performance – General
Part of what makes the Lucid IEMs such a pleasant product to use is their performance outside of gaming. All too often, audio equipment is either really good for gaming or really good for music. It’s not often that you find something that’s both. The Lucid IEMs, to me, are good at both.
In terms of overall sound, I consider these to be rather warm. The bass is pretty present, but not to the level that it overwhelms any other sounds. If you get a proper seal, you’ll definitely get some rumbly moments, but it never becomes that teeth-shattering, overwhelming droning that you so often get with gaming products. If you’re a bass head, you might not find these to be satisfactory, but for me this is just about the right level of low-end.
The highs come through cleanly and pleasantly. They’ve balanced them well, which is something I really value, since harsh treble isn’t my thing. As a whole, I’d say that the sound is very easygoing and ready for a wide variety of genres and applications. Even on more complicated tracks, the Lucid IEMs manage to keep up. If I’m allowed to be nitpicky I would say that the mids can feel a bit underwhelming in very rare moments, but other than that I greatly enjoy the sound of these IEMs.
Obviously, sound quality is partially subjective. What sounds good to me might not sound good to someone else. I’d say the tuning hits a sweet spot that makes them a good fit for many listeners though. And if you don’t like how they sound out of the box, you can always change that by going for a different preset profile.
Conclusion
The Tekkusai Lucid IEMs are impressive and punch way above their weight, especially when you consider they’re tailored for a relatively new space (‘gaming IEMs’) in the audio world.
The build quality feels premium, the design is clean and minimal, and the sound is impressive. Whether you’re clutching a round in CS2 or just vibing to your favorite music, the Lucid IEMs will sound great. Thanks to the companion app, they also automatically switch their sound profile based on what you’re doing.
Of course, it’s not all perfect. That’s the case with pretty much any product. The included ear tips just don’t give me a comfortable fit, and the cable length might be a hurdle depending on your setup. But neither of those are dealbreakers. They’re merely small annoyances in what is otherwise a polished and thoughtfully designed product.
If you’re part of that growing wave of gamers who are moving away from gaming headsets and towards IEMs, the Lucids are a great option. They’re versatile, and offer sound that will absolutely help you play to the best of your abilities in your game of choosing.
This product was received for free from the manufacturer and given to our reviewer to test and review. Brands and manufacturers have no editorial control over our reviews. For more information, check out our review FAQ.
