[section_title title=”Performance and Testing”]
Performance and Testing
A specification and detailed look at the headset won’t give you a true grasp as to how the headset as a whole so let us crack on with some performance factors and testing.
We have now had this headset in our possession for a long time and put it through its paces, including real-world testing in a gaming environment as well as magnitude of audio samples to see how this headset stands in audio quality. A variation of bass, treble, volume increments in both increase and decrease stages were used as well as a variation of all to check for any fluctuation in performance or any black areas that suggest to us that the headset could not withstand what we threw at it. The headset and microphone were tested on multiple platforms too in order to see if the multi-platform compatibility was up to scratch. Here is what we found.
Comfort
Comfort is an important factor for any headset, regardless of how long the device is in use, so we scrutinise every headset we receive to ensure it sits right and is comfy from the moment it is placed on your head. The Lola has 3 points of contact with the head, these being the two earphones and the headband. The headband offers a very thick leather like material layer that gently sits on top of the head when in use. The earphones/cups sit over the ears and do fully cup them to allow for a sealed fit. This fit means that background noise is isolated and you have a fully immersive audio experience. This was an unusual feeling, having mainly used earbuds and ear cup based gaming headsets for so long but wasn’t something I couldn’t get used to. The construction of the headphones, mainly the headphone arms , allows for an automatic fitting ability so once you place it on you head it will find its own way to become affixed to the most comfortable position. Aside from the leather like material sometimes causing my ears to sweat after hours of use, expected as most headsets/headphones do, there was nothing I could find an issue with the comfort department. The headset is a little bit big but with the thick layer of padding, it isn’t too much of an issue when it comes to long durations of use.
Sound Quality
Testing was on a variety of high quality .WAV, MP4, and other HRA files as well as a variation of platforms, from smartphones to PCs. Specification wise, the Blue Lola offers a good specification but the interesting factor is the combination of both drivers and their frequency range. Once the drivers bed in a little bit, you then get the full experience from these headphones and I really was surprised by the quality. For playing games the experience was great. All sounds were crisp and to a nice tone, no annoying off key audio. Music and video wise, this headset amazed us with some very nice and audio from those 50mm drivers. Now we come to the intended purpose of this set of headphones, studio usage. Using the 1/4 inch adapter, feedback could be given from instruments and soundboards. using the Lola’s allowed for a very specific skill to be unearthed, that being incorrect note detection. When using this set of headphone and lack of any high bass interaction, you can head every note as it is played and easily be able to detect anything incorrect while “live-jamming” or playing back through a console. Having this capability is great, no interference from anything audio related means that your ears are focused on every note int he tracks and isn’t as much a burden to see what is incorrect. With this capability unlocked, it allows for more appreciation for the music you are listening to on a daily basis and hard work producers put into their work. Overall, we are very happy with the performance this headset had on offer and made for a good all around audio experience.
Microphone Quality
Not much can really be said in this department aside from that the in-line microphone provided is of an acceptable quality. It does the job and to a clear level but not something you really want to be using if vlogging or intending on producing any audio-based content. Testing was briefly carried out on the microphone and as it is the only option available, the headset does lack a microphone jack,  aside from the use of a standalone we found it to be good all around for general usage but nothing to write home over.
