Why You Can Trust CNET Attention Xbox One owners, this wireless headset deserves consideration
The LucidSound LS35X has premium looks, good audio quality and built-in Xbox Wireless.
- Patrick's play The Cowboy is included in the Best American Short Plays 2011-12 anthology. He co-wrote and starred in the short film Baden Krunk that won the Best Wisconsin Short Film award at the Milwaukee Short Film Festival.
The LucidSound LS35X uses Microsoft's wireless standard to connect easily to the Xbox One.
When you play Overwatch on an Xbox One, you probably aren't thinking about the wireless technology in your controllers. But one of the benefits of Xbox Wireless is that it allows your gamepads to connect directly and reliably to the console without the need for an adapter or cable.
A year ago, Microsoft shared its secret-sauce wireless recipe with third parties to use in headphones. One of those companies was LucidSound, which has the Xbox Wireless standard in its new LS35X game headset. And man, do they connect easily to an Xbox One. It only took a matter of seconds after hitting the sync button for them to link up -- officially I counted four Mississippis. You can also connect the headphones wirelessly to a PC running Windows 10 with Microsoft's optional USB adapter. The LS35X can also be used with a PlayStation, Nintendo Switch , computer, phone or tablet with an included headphone cable.
Listening to music on the LS35X was a delight. After seeing the film Bohemian Rhapsody, I've been listening to Queen nonstop on them. The song "Bohemian Rhapsody," with its harmonies and operatic sections, sounded rich and the bass was nicely balanced.
However, when I listened to "7th Chamber" by Wu-Tang Clan I did want a little more punch from the bass. Otherwise, tracks from Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Drake, Beastie Boys, Andrew Bird, Django Reinhardt all sounded outstanding. I'm guessing this has to do with the 50-millimeter drivers in those ear cups.
The LS35X has a sleek refined design contrasting the over-the-top looks of other gaming headsets.
LucidSound LS35X looks premium
Gaming headsets usually have "that" look. You know "that" look: lots of bold, saturated color accents, dark colored plastic material and at least one part that unnecessarily lights up. To be fair, I'm sure there are a lot of people who dig this aesthetic.
But the LS35X goes for a more distinguished, premium look that doesn't draw attention to itself. It easily doubles as gaming headphones and a pair of daily drivers for listening to Spotify on the go. Its swivel hinges are made of aluminum and zinc, which make it very durable.
There are definitely lighter gaming headsets, but I wouldn't call the LS35X heavy. It's well-balanced and comfortable to wear even for a three-hour stretch.
The ear cups are removable and reminiscent of a pair of Bowers and Wilkins headphones.
They're made out of memory foam with cooling gel to minimize sweaty ears syndrome (I'm pretty sure that's the official medical term). The headband sports an elegant quilted pattern on the padding and a subdued gray-colored "LucidSound" written across the top.
LS35X have good audio quality and rotary volume dials
My absolute favorite feature on these headphones are the rotary dial rings located on the outside of each ear cup. The left dial adjusts volume while the right blends the mix between the game audio and chat.
They have a physical stop too, and don't spin around endlessly giving me a precise feel for quick volume adjustments.
I played Overwatch, Star Wars Battlefront 2 and PUBG on the Xbox, but then I plugged them in via a cable to my Switch and played The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey . Music and game effects sounded good and clear.
The music score in Star Wars Battlefront 2 had a warm and full sound through the LS35X. I have to say, it's an odd sensation hearing PUBG chat audio over headphones with this much clarity.
Rings around each ear cup adjust volume and the mix between game audio and chat. There is a headphone jack, a boom mic jack and a micro-USB port.
Detachable boom mic and battery life
There is a small built-in mic which is serviceable for when you're on the go. But, you can plug in the detachable boom mic for cleaner audio. To mute the mic, you tap the right ear cup. To mute game audio, you tap on the left ear cup.
I like the built-in LED on the tip of the boom mic. A nice thoughtful touch is that it glows red when it's muted.
Since the LS35X is aimed mainly as a wireless Xbox headset, it's battery powered. LucidSound claims that it gets up to 15 hours on a charge. I never had an issue with the headphones running out of power even after hours of play, but keep in mind I never used them for more than three hours straight.
The battery charges via Micro-USB cable. I wish there was a dock so that after playing games, I could dock it like a gamepad and know it's ready the next time I play.
(Note that, the LS35X doesn't need to charged when connected via a headphone cable, like with your phone or something like the Nintendo Switch.)
LucidSound LS35X does not have a premium price
If you are an Xbox owner and looking for a pair of wireless headphones, the LS35X deserve your consideration. You get a premium design, robust build and great performance for $180 which converts roughly to £140 and AU$250.
The LucidSound LS35X game headset does get discounted though, and we've seen it priced at $130 to $160 on Amazon, which is a great price for headphones this good.
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