LucidSound has a strong history of well-made devices for sound. The company’s popular headsets are often officially paired with Xbox and this is also true for their premium offering, the LS15X. Ultimately, this review will test sound and build quality, as well as how useful it is in the gaming space.
First off, the headset is built from lightweight plastic and has some nice pleather ear pads. The overall look is sleek, especially in the blue and white variant used for this review. The head strap is adjustable and features a soft pad at the top to cushion the wearer’s head; essential if, like this reviewer, you happen to be balding. LucidSound’s logo sits proudly on the back of each ear cup, and a small indicator of right and left sides can be found on the inside of the headband. Each ear cup swivels in a pleasing way, allowing for greater comfort, but unfortunately they are not articulated so folding the headset away isn’t possible.
In terms of tech, the headset uses 50mm drivers and has a plug-in microphone. Charging is sadly done via Micro-USB, which feels quite cheap in the age of USB-C standards, and means that super fast charging is out of the picture. The controls on the headset are hidden wonderfully into the design. Each ear cup has a clickable, twistable piece on the back, offering a variety of control features. In fact, the only visible buttons on the device are the EQ and power buttons. They are lovely to feel, wear and interact with.
The sound quality is excellent and clear in stereo. The bass, mid-tones and higher tones are all presented audibly when using the standard sound setup; however, activating any of the EQ variants, of which there are three, can muddy or unbalance the sound, making it quite unappealing. Turning on surround sound can be a little fiddly and requires using settings on the devices the headset is connected to. Once activated, though, it is great and adds extra directionality without loss of quality.
The Xbox compatibility means the LS15X offers some simple pairing and is ideal for gaming features when plugged into the machine. Again, once surround sound is activated, players are treated to high quality sound that stands out in games such as Dead Space. If played in stereo, however, it’s all a bit flat. With the USB connector the headset can be connected to any game console with lag free sound, which is a top feature, but it doesn’t come with a backup jack cable for those who might want to use it with Nintendo Switch.
The microphone is great for chatting in a game, but falls short on clarity in some situations. Using the monitoring feature, players can see that their voice is being recorded, and with the plug-in mic the directionality is good. It works for game chat, but using it for recording or work calls, it is muddy.
At the price point, the LS15X lacks some of the features of similar headsets. With no Bluetooth, device connections are limited, and without USB-C, the owner will not necessarily have any backup charging cables. These slight flaws paired with the average aesthetic design can leave buyers wanting.
