Headphones are found in the company’s catalogue LucidSound LS15X, which the manufacturer has provided us for this review. It is to all intents and purposes the “entry level” model proposed by LucidSound in its range of wireless headphones for Xbox/PC and which is sold at a list price of 99,99 Euro. Specifically, we are talking about an ultra-light wireless headset with a plastic body equipped with two 50mm memory foam-coated earcups designed not to annoy those who wear glasses and to flatten out if you decide to place the headset around your neck during breaks or when we place them on a flat surface to store or recharge them.
The headset does not support the Xbox communication standard or even bluetooth, which means that to be able to use them on a console or wirelessly on a PC it is necessary to use a USB dongle, while to be able to connect them to other devices such as smartphones or similar it is necessary use a classic 3.5mm jack cable. The LucidSound LS15Xthey are available in two colors, namely black and blue, and inside the package, in addition of course to the headphones, we find the flexible microphone, a micro-USB cable for recharging, the USB wireless transmitter and a quick user guide. The LS15X also have two microphones, namely the flexible one with a “classic” shape that can be connected and disconnected at any time by applying a minimum force and the one integrated in the body of the headset, which is automatically activated/deactivated in absence/presence than the traditional one.
With a view to reducing buttons and streamlining the user experience, LucidSound has also decided to remove as many keys as possible from the headset and to delegate most of the functions to a few elements integrated into the design. The only two traditional buttons are those dedicated to switching on/off and the one that allows you to switch from one equalization mode to another among the three available, i.e. the neutral one, the one that favors the bass and the one called “signature sound” which emphasizes the frequencies related to sounds such as footsteps, weapon reloading and the like. By rotating the two pavilions it is instead possible to adjust the audio volume and the balance between game and chat sounds, while by pressing the central part of the right one in different ways you can activate / deactivate the microphone or monitoring. By pressing instead the central part of the left pavilion you can completely mute the audio or, by holding it down, check the battery charge level, which leads us to talk about how the headset “communicates” with the user.
In fact, there is only one LED on the left pavilion, which indicates whether the headset is connected or if it is recharging, and another is positioned in the end part of the flexible microphone, so as to indicate whether it is active or not. For all other information, including switching on/off, checking the charge level and selected equalization mode, the LucidSound LS15X use short vocal messages played directly into the headphones. It is a solution with pros and cons: the main pro is that it is not necessary to remove the headphones to check the battery status (which, being a headset connected with an external dongle, is not displayed in the dashboard), the selected equalization preset or if we have successfully activated tracking. The downside is that, inevitably, game audio and chat are interrupted, albeit for a few moments, and some players may not like this.
Having concluded the dutiful “technical” introduction, let’s now move on to the road test. The first impact with the LucidSound LS15X after opening the box it is positive, especially as regards the extremely low weight and the general design, which conveys a really pleasant sensation of cleanliness. To the touch, the materials used for the bow and the pavilions, however, return a fairly plasticky feeling, albeit solid and well assembled. Once on, it’s impossible not to appreciate the memory foam lining, which instantly adapts to the ears without discomfort, even if you wear glasses. The contact with the rubber layer present in the internal part of the bow (the one that rests above our head to be clear), which appears of low quality and of far too small dimensions, is decidedly less pleasant. A soft lining on the entire internal surface would certainly have made the LS15X more comfortable.
In terms of audio quality, the LucidSound LS15X they offer good quality sound in all conditions of use, clean and without noteworthy disturbances, with the possibility of exploiting all the features of the Windows Sonic and Dolby Atmos standards available on Xbox. Overall, without reaching the level of higher-end headphones, the result is satisfactory and in line with that of other similar products, including the official Xbox headset. The three equalization presets proposed by LucidSound also allow you to modify some parameters in a completely automatic way to emphasize the bass or “secondary” sounds, such as the sound of footsteps or the sound of weapon reloading, but without these modifications being particularly incisive. both in gaming sessions and when using these headphones to listen to music or watch video content. From this point of view, the official headset proposed by the Redmond company is certainly more performing.
The quality of the two microphones present is more than good, with a particular mention for the integrated one. I have tested both possibilities offered by the LucidSound LS15X and I found no particular difference in quality using the built-in microphone versus the flexible one. The only aspect to take into consideration is that of the noise that surrounds us. The boom microphone can be positioned near the mouth and directed in such a way as to mainly capture our voice, while the integrated microphone also tends to pick up any background noise or sounds coming from other directions. Also in this case the overall result is in line with the standards of the price range in which the LS15X are placed, with the additional possibility of disconnecting the flexible microphone without having to give up the possibility of communicating or having to deal with audio quality significantly lower input.
I conclude with a note regarding battery life: according to data provided by the manufacturer, a single charge guarantees up to 15 hours of use at medium volume and tests have confirmed this value. Overall it is a value in line with the standards and which, also thanks to the timeliness of the audio notifications, allows you to practically never run out of charge during use. The time for a complete recharge is around 3 hours, but as always, this is a figure strongly influenced by the nature of the device that acts as a “via” for recharging.
On balance, therefore, I can only be satisfied with what has been shown by the LucidSound LS15X. The excellent sound quality is accompanied by a good performance of the microphone, which can also be removed without having to give up the possibility of communicating, and a simple, but no less fascinating or pleasant design. The only flaws concern the absence of the Xbox wireless communication standard, which translates into the need to use a USB stick for the connection occupying one of the ports on the console, in the lack of incisiveness of the equalization presets implemented by the manufacturer and by a choice of materials not always up to expectations with regard to the body of the headset. However, if these limitations don’t scare you and you are looking for a wireless headset with a good quality/price ratio, plus the possibility of being used 100% even without the flexible microphone, give the LucidSound LS15X because they could really be the accessory for you.