LucidSound LS50X Gaming Headset review

This, indeed, is where some other gaming headsets fall down. Most of them have their merits when it comes to sitting at home and playing games, but a lot of gaming headsets look a bit too jazzy and jarring to make you want to wear them outside of the house. The EPOS H3 that we reviewed recently, for example, fell into that trap somewhat.

So how does the LucidSound LS50X compare against the bold claims on its box? Is it really that rare gaming headset that you won’t mind wearing on the train? RadioTimes.com got our hands on an LS50X for review, and you can read on for our full thoughts!

Jump to:

• LucidSound LS50X review: summary
• What is the LucidSound LS50X?
• How much is the LucidSound LS50X?
• Design
• Features
• Performance
• LucidSound LS50X setup
• Our verdict
• Where to buy

LucidSound LS50X review: summary

Boasting excellent audio and heaps of cool features, the LucidSound LS50X gaming headset is a very strong choice for any gamer playing on PC, mobile, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and/or Xbox Series X/S. And yes, just like it says on the box, it’s designed in a way that will suit your normal life as well as hunkering down in your gaming den.

What is the LucidSound LS50X?

The LucidSound LS50X is described as a ‘hybrid’ gaming headset. It certainly can do an impressive amount of stuff: this headset can connect wirelessly to an Xbox One or Xbox Series X/S console using a handy USB dongle that comes included; it can connect to your phone or PC using integrated Bluetooth, or you can use the 3.5 mm audio jack cable that comes included to plug the LS50X into anything else that you’d care to use a headset with.

How much is the LucidSound LS50X?

The LucidSound LS50X has a recommended retail price of £239.99, putting it at the higher end of the headset price spectrum, although sometimes you’ll be able to find a deal that shaves a few pounds off that hefty cost. And it’s not just the headset you get in the box, either – you also get a travel case, a USB cable for charging, a removable boom mic for voice chat, a USB transmitter dongle for use with Xbox consoles, a 3.5 mm audio jack cable, and a quick start guide/instruction booklet.

LucidSound LS50X design

It says on the box that the LucidSound LS50X is ‘designed for life’, which certainly suggests that the creators of this headset would like you to use it on the go as well as at home. And we’re pleased to say that, for the most part, they’ve delivered nicely on that vision.

You could argue that the LucidSound LS50X is just slightly too wide to look completely at home on your commute (it’s somewhere between a normal pair of headphones and what a pitch-side football commentator would wear), but this isn’t such a huge issue to stop us from wanting to wear them. People might think, 'That guy's wearing a big pair of headphones', but you won’t look totally ridiculous.

What helps is the muted colour palette – while lots of gaming headsets chuck in a bit of green to try and look cool, the LS50X sticks to black and grey in a successful bid to look modest rather than showy. And as a nice extra touch, there are heaps of controls hidden totally from view, which we’ll discuss more in a second!

LucidSound LS50X features

Undoubtedly, there are a lot of cool features here, beyond the obvious fact that this headset can connect to pretty much everything thanks to its three different connection methods (the USB dongle for Xbox consoles, the in-built Bluetooth for mobile and PC, and the 3.5 mm audio cable that will work with any traditional audio jack).

One cool feature is the fact that you can actually use two of those inputs at once – you can connect up to your Xbox sounds using the dongle whilst simultaneously listening to audio from your phone via Bluetooth. This will be a very handy feature if you like listening to two things at once!

You can also adjust the volume at any time by twisting a very well hidden dial on the left-hand ear cup, while the equivalent dial on the right-hand ear cup allows you to alter the balance between game audio and chat volume. Again, that’s a very handy feature that could save some players a fair amount of faffing about in their settings.

The only shame in terms of connectivity is that you can’t connect it to a PlayStation console without using the aforementioned 3.5 mm cable, but that is quite a common trait among headsets like this which are geared more towards Xbox players. Because quite a lot of headsets work like this, most PS4 and PS5 gamers are probably accustomed to using an audio jack cable for their headphones at this stage.

LucidSound LS50X performance

There are many great features here, but how does this headset actually feel to use? First things first, it’s worth noting that this headset feels really comfortable to wear. The padding on the headband and the ear cups is just right, and the overall shape of the headset means that it sits nicely on your noggin despite being a little bit on the heavy side.

The audio consistently sounded great, as well, across a variety of different devices. I didn’t hear any crackles or disconnections across hours of playing games, watching TV shows, commuting to the office, listening to podcasts/audiobooks and attending Microsoft Teams meetings. The max volume is nice and high, too, which came in handy on the tube.

When I tested the dual-input feature of the headset, I mixed the crowd noise from FIFA 21 (using the USB dongle connected to my Xbox Series X) with the sound of an Audible audiobook (sent from my phone via Bluetooth). Both of them sounded crystal clear – it sounded like Adam Buxton’s Ramble Book audiobook was actually meant to be the in-game commentary! That’s really impressive stuff and a very handy feature when the two things you want to hear aren’t on the same device.

The only issue I had in terms of actually using the headset was the struggle to remember exactly which dial, button and hidden switch did what – there is a vast amount of things you can control on the headset itself, but it did take me a while to remember what they all are without having to refer back to the instructions. Once you’ve got the hang of those fiddly controls, though, it’s easy to feel like this headset is right up there with some of the best options on the market.

LucidSound LS50X setup

When it comes to setup, there are numerous ways you can get this headset started. If you’re connecting to a device using the 3.5 mm audio jack (such as a Nintendo Switch or a PlayStation controller), you simply need to plug that cable in, and the audio will come through straight away. Simples!

If you’re setting this up wirelessly on your Xbox, you just need to plug the USB dongle into the slot on the front of the console. Turn your console on. Then press the very obvious power button on the headset, and the two devices should sync up in a matter of seconds.

It’s also easy to set this headset up with Bluetooth. With the headset turned on, just hold down the ‘Bluetooth EQ’ button on the headset for a few seconds until a voice says ‘Bluetooth pairing ready’. You should, then, be able to find the headset listed as an option on your phone, tablet, laptop or PC’s Bluetooth settings.

Setting up the extra boom mic is easy, too. Simply get it out of the carry case, plug it into the orange audio port on the headset, and your device of choice should automatically pick it up and make it your default input.

If you want to listen to audio from your Xbox and your Bluetooth device at the same time, simply set one of those devices up and then the other, following the instructions above. It’s remarkably easy, really, and we didn’t have an issue during any of our setups.

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Our verdict: Should you buy the LucidSound LS50X?

All things considered, this headset is very easy to recommend to anyone that can afford it, especially gamers that want to use an Xbox as their primary gaming device whilst also meeting their audio needs on other platforms.

If you’re the type of person that wants to play on the Xbox when you’re at home, as well as having the option of connecting to your phone via Bluetooth for a podcast or linking up with a Nintendo Switch using a 3.5 mm cable for on-the-go gaming, you’ll find that this headset meets all of those needs as well as being comfy. And it just about passes the ‘can you wear it on the train’ test, even if it is a little bulky.

Review scores:

• Set-up: 5 /5
• Design: 4 / 5
• Features: 4.5 / 5
• Performance: 5 / 5
• Value for money: 4 / 5
• Overall star rating: 4.5 / 5

Where to buy the LucidSound LS50X

The LucidSound LS50X gaming headset is out now, so you should be able to find it at most major retailers. If you're looking to save a few quid, check out our handy deals widget below, which should compile the best prices it can find from around the web. If our review has convinced you to make a purchase, click away and grab one of these while they last.

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If you’re looking for more audio reviews, don’t miss our best soundbar and best wireless earbuds round-ups.