I am becoming an ever-increasing fan of having wireless audio while playing games. While modern systems have made it easy to plug in any standard 3.5 mm headset directly into the controller for your audio needs, that one wire has become something of a pariah for me. I have kids constantly wanting to climb into my lap that might yank on the cords, or a pesky feline who thinks it is his job to chew through said cord while sitting in my lap. It has hit the point that while gaming in the living room I would rather just skip the headset entirely. Unfortunately, this leads to a lack of better positional audio in multiplayer games, which hampers the experience. The solution to this problem is an easy one though: wireless headsets! Today I am going to share my thoughts with you on the LucidSound LS15X for Xbox Consoles!

What’s In The Box

The LS15X comes in a white Xbox accessory-themed box with a depiction of the headset on the front. A number of key aspects of the LS15X are highlighted on the front along with a large Xbox badge. The sides of the packaging bear another nice depiction of the LS15X and more key highlights of the device. The back of the packaging further expands on the headsets’ design. Inside the box, you will find the LS15X and its wireless USB receiver, removable boom mic, user guide, Micro USB charging cable, and finally a LucidSound sticker.

Aesthetics And Build Quality

The LS15X has just been released in a new Shock Blue edition to match the Xbox Series X’s Shock Blue Controller. The headset color is a perfect match for the controller, even sharing the white and black highlights, and the pair look fantastic together. With the LS15X being an entry-level wireless headset, its construction is mostly plastic. It feels sturdy enough in the hands and has good flexibility, and that along with its rotating ear cups, should suit any number of head sizes. Each earcup features a slider and a tappable button for various functions. Equalizer and power buttons are also included. The last remaining ports on the LS15X include a Micro USB port for charging, a 3.5 mm jack for wired connectivity, and the attachment port for the boom mic. My personal favorite aspects of the LS15X’s design come from its memory foam padding on the earcups and headband. It remains comfortable to use even during longer gaming sessions, which is an essential factor of any headset in my book. The carbon fiber-inspired look is also aesthetically pleasing.

Specs And Audio Quality

The following specs are listed for the LS15X:

Compatibility: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Mobile (wired)
Connectivity: Wireless
Style: Shock Blue
Detailed Color: Shock Blue
Battery Life: Up to 15 hours
Characteristic SPL: 97 +/-3dB
Ear Cup Shape: Over-ear (circumaural)
EQ Modes: Signature Sound, Bass Boost, Flat EQ
Headset Inputs: 3.5mm, Micro USB (charging)
Microphone Type: Omni-directional, removable with LED mute indicator + built-in mic
Mobile Connectivity: 3.5mm
Platform: Xbox, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Sound Space: DTS:X, Amplified Stereo Sound, Surround Sound using Dolby Atmos,
Surround Sound using Windows Sonic
Speaker Size: 50mm
Wireless Range: 30ft

The audio quality of the LS15X is pretty standard for a headset in the $50-$100 range. Lows are the highlight from my listening time, though not as punchy as higher-end sets. Mids and Highs sound good but do come in a bit more hollow than I would personally prefer, but well within the range I would expect from a set in this price range.

Gameplay

Getting started with the LS15X is extremely simple: plug the wireless receiver into your Xbox or PC and turn on the headset. Each headset comes pre-paired with its receiver, and the time it takes for the headset to power on to receiving sound is fantastically minimal. One of the first things I noticed about using the LS15X on my Xbox systems was that it doesn’t randomly drop audio for a split second like can happen with wired headsets plugged into the controller’s headset port. While those momentary drops don’t happen all the time, they are frequent enough to notice. Why this is still an issue this many years after the launch of the Xbox One system line, and by extension Xbox Series consoles, I will never know, but it’s nice to be able to review a headset and not have it crop up! I am also quite pleased by the speed of the audio transmission with there being no perceivable delay from what’s happening on the screen to what I am hearing.

Diving into gameplay, the LS15X offers up the main advantage you would expect from a headset: enhanced audio quality over traditional TV speakers. The soundscape found in your favorite games really shines when you can hear even the most subtle of sounds that get lost from TV speakers. While nice home theater audio setups can accomplish the same thing, they definitely require more of a premium compared to a decent headset, and the LS15X is more than up to the task. With 3 equalizer modes to choose between, the LS15X offers up a nice sound variety for different titles. The default natural EQ preset is your standard option, which provides good mixing for the majority of things I used it for. Bass boost gives you more pronounced lows, perfect for intense action if you’re into that sort of thing. The last option is the Signature Sound Mode and this is geared more towards your competitive shooters and bringing out an opponent’s footsteps.

Personally, I left the LS15X on Signature Sound the most throughout my testing, as I liked the way it sounded the best across a variety of titles. Though, I do have to say I didn’t notice much of a difference in my opponent’s footsteps in this EQ mode and the others in Apex Legends. But still, this EQ mode combined with the Xbox’s support for Dolby Atmos for headphones was a great pairing for a positional audio experience well-suited to Respawn’s battle royale. Lucid Sound heavily suggests getting the most out of the headset by utilizing the spatial sound options on Xbox and PC, with Windows Sonic being the free alternative to anyone not wanting to pick up an Atmos license. Even with spatial sound disabled, the LS15X provides good stereo audio and I was able to determine the location of sounds pretty easily.

While the headsets primary purpose is to be a wireless Xbox headset complete with voice chat capabilities, the inclusion of a 3.5mm jack ensures you can use it with any compatible device in a wired capacity. I used the headset a lot for Switch games in this configuration. Devices like the Switch and PS4 lose out on spatial sound, so you will be relying on the headset’s default stereo output. PC users can take advantage of either the wireless receiver or 3.5mm jack, depending on the need. Do note you will need a cable that separates audio and mic if you plan to use both in a wired configuration on a PC. Just a quick note on battery life, the LS15X can last over 15 hours on a single charge. Recharging the battery is also pretty quick.

As for the boom mic quality of the LS15X, I would say it comes in pretty average for a headset mic. It doesn’t match the quality found in standard USB mics or even more advanced XLRs, but it gets the job done of communicating with your teammates in the heat of battle. One fun touch of the LS15X is that it actually incorporates 2 mics in its design. The secondary mic is built into the ear cup and is meant to be used with phones to take quick calls if the need arises. This way you don’t have to be out and about with a boom mic sticking out of your head if you were just wanting to listen to some music through the headset. Both mics have built-in monitoring so you can hear exactly how you sound to your friends while in use. Mics can be muted, and monitoring disabled, with the side buttons found on each earcup. The left ear slider can also change the mixing between voice chat and game audio on the fly. Quite a handy feature.

What It Could Have Done Better

I have been enjoying my time with the LS15X, but the one thing that has been bugging me about it is its plastic frame. While not a negative in itself, it has resulted in the set having some oddities along the adjustment bar with it not properly snapping into place or staying in place. This may not be a problem when the headset is sitting on your head, but it can be weird to come back to it later and have to adjust it again.

Verdict

Overall the LS15X delivers exactly the experience I have come to expect for a headset in its price range. Audio quality is good and smokes the caliber found on your TV’s built-in speakers, but doesn’t quite match up to wired alternatives in the same price range. Mic performance is likewise pretty standard. But with wireless capabilities and the ability to make use of spatial sound, not much else comes close to what the LS15X offers at this price. If you are looking for a way to enter into the world of wireless gaming audio without breaking the bank, the LS15X is where you begin!