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Our review

The LucidSound LS25 Tournament edition surprised us in many ways. It may not be the best gaming headset out there but considering how little it costs, it more than justifies its existence and the design is one that we really took to.

Pros

  • A bargain price for a gaming headset
  • Impressive sound relative to the price
  • A detachable microphone that gives great quality
  • It's a lovely looking headset

Cons

  • The bass could be a tad more impactful

If you are on the lookout for a new gaming headset, then you have plenty of choices out there, with more seemingly on sale now than ever before. The only problem is that a lot of them tend to be on the pricey side, but if you are looking for a good one that will not cost you the Earth, then take a look at the LucidSound LS25 Tournament Edition.

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The price is not the only selling point here as there is a lot to like about this particular headset, from the design to the quality of sound it will give you.

Read about that and more in our full review to help you decide whether this is the new gaming headset for you.

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LucidSound LS25 Tournament Edition review: summary

lucidsound ls25

Buying the LucidSound LS25 will give you a decent headset that gives you acceptable sound, with a better microphone than some of the premium ones out there. Given the price of this, it is definitely one well worthy of some consideration if you need a new headset and you don't want to spend a lot to get one.

What is the LucidSound LS25 Tournament Edition?

The LucidSound LS25 Tournament Edition is more than just a pair of headphones - designed with competitive gamers and esports professionals in mind, this headset aims to offer superior performance across PC, PlayStation, Xbox and mobile devices. It works with the next-gen PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, but it's also compatible with the older PS4 and Xbox One hardware - that could come in very handy if you're planning to upgrade at some point in the future or play across generations.

How much is the LucidSound LS25 Tournament Edition?

The LucidSound LS25 manages to stay under the £100 mark by retailing at an impressive £51.99 – a frankly brilliant price for any gaming headset, let alone these ones.

LucidSound LS25 Tournament Edition design

We fell in love with the design of the LucidSound LS25 Tournament Edition from the moment that it came out of the box. The red and black design is immediately eye-catching, and while the headset itself may not be the best on the market, you could be forgiven for thinking it is one of the top tier ones by how great it looks.

And that stretches to all the smaller details that the headset has, from the ear cushions and padding to the headband – this really is a lovely headset visually in every way, and we have zero complaints in that department. You get two cables with the headset, one is the ordinary jack, and the other is for connecting to controllers that is the shorter of the two and both of these are of a decent length that should fit the needs of most.

As for comfort, these are actually comfier than we thought they would be when we first put them on. Initially, it feels as though they don't sit quite right, but after a bit of time with them, they began to feel like the perfect fit, and they are fine to wear for long periods of time – something that is normally the case when gaming.

The microphone is detachable, which is something we always favour and connecting it is as easy as you would want it to be.

LucidSound LS25 Tournament Edition features

When it comes to volume control, we are big fans of how this has been incorporated, and you wouldn't even know where the controls were if you didn't read the instruction manual first. The left ear has a dial that can be turned. The dial is essentially a large circle on the earcup, while the right has a hidden button that you can press in and out for muting – they are both nice touches.

But that is really it for any bells and whistles with the LucidSound LS25. But that being said, there is not much more we would expect with a headset of this cost and it services all your basic audio needs well.

LucidSound LS25 Tournament Edition performance

This brings us to one of the most important questions when talking about a headset, how does it sound? Pretty good is the answer to that! Given the price, you cannot expect to be blown away by the sounds that come out of the LucidSound LS25, but we were still pleasantly surprised with how things sounded – no matter what we were hearing coming out of them.

Things like footsteps and gunshots are heard clearly, and, for the most part, we could work out what direction they were coming from, and while the bass could be slightly more impactful, this was still more than we bargained for when we first came across them.

When it comes to the microphone, this is normally where gaming headsets have a tendency to fall short. Happily, that is not the case with the LucidSound LS25, as the mic impressed us far more than we were expecting it to. For starters, it is easily detachable, which is always a plus, but your voice will sound great while talking through it. It isn't quite crystal clear, but it is better than many of the others we have tried of late, and LucidSound deserve some praise for that.

The one downside we did find was that the mic picks up other noise quite easily – so if you are using it while outside and a gust of wind hits you, it will go through the mic at quite the volume.

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LucidSound LS25 Tournament Edition setup

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This is very much a plugin and play situation that is to be expected with a wired headset. But that does mean it is super easy to get up and running, and we ran into no issues when we first tried ours out on all the different consoles we own.

Our verdict: Should you buy the LucidSound LS25 Tournament Edition?

You will find many headsets out there for gaming that give you better sound than the LucidSound LS25, but the sound it does give truly is impressive given the low cost. So, if money is a factor and you don't want to break the bank forking out triple-figure amounts, and you just want a headset that does the job to an acceptable level – look no further than the LucidSound LS25.

Review scores:

  • Set-up: 5 /5
  • Design: 4 / 5
  • Features: 3.5 / 5
  • Performance: 3.5 / 5
  • Value for money: 4.5 / 5
  • Overall star rating: 3.9 / 5

Where to buy the LucidSound LS25 Tournament Edition

The LucidSound LS25 gaming headset is out now, so you should be able to find it at most major retailers, including Amazon. 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.

Follow Radio Times Gaming on Twitter for all the latest insights, or visit our video game release schedule for all upcoming games on consoles.

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

Authors

Joe JuliansEntertainment Journalist
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