LucidSound LS100X Wireless Gaming Headset for Xbox Series X|S

One minute review

LucidSound’s LS100X for Xbox Series X|S is well-positioned to be one of the best ‘bang for your buck’ headsets out there. Its price tag borders on the midrange, but has a feature set that’s comparable to even pricier headsets. It’s absolutely one to consider if you’re looking for a new headset for your Xbox console.

Out of the box, the LS100X makes a strong – if simple – first impression. You’re getting the headset, a detachable mic and USB dongle, and not much else. The headset itself is of a remarkably solid build quality that you’d expect of its price. The cushioned cups and headpiece offer a good level of comfort that’s greatly helped by the headset’s lightweight design.

We’re also big fans of the intuitive on-headset controls. Headsets around this price and above often suffer from a bloated amount of buttons and toggles, but the LS100X keeps things refreshingly simple.

You’ve got the power button and a button for EQ settings and Bluetooth pairing, and that’s really about it for your typical headset buttons. Though, we’re particular fans of the larger buttons that take up the circumference of the outside of the cups. By default, these can be pressed to pause or mute the headset. These buttons are also surrounded by sliders that can adjust volume and mic monitoring. These sliders are wonderfully intuitive and complement the design of the headset.

(Image credit: Future)

The LS100X offers a well-rounded sound without leaning too much towards bass, mids, or trebles. But while the audio quality is clean, it doesn’t match the depth of, say, the Nacon RIG 800 Pro HX, which for our money is one of the best sounding headsets you can buy for Xbox Series X|S. 

In our testing, we found the FPS EQ mode was the best all-round setting, handling directional audio well, with the other two options – Bass Boost and Signature – sounding a little muted in comparison.

But the LS100X’s best feature is the frankly absurd battery life. Game Mode, which activates when the headset is connected wirelessly via the USB dongle, offers around 72 hours of charge. If you connect to a device via Bluetooth, however, battery life balloons to a whopping 130 hours, give or take. If battery life is paramount for you, then you should seriously consider getting the LS100X.

LucidSound LS100X: price and availability

The LucidSound LS100X gaming headset for Xbox Series X|S and PC can be bought from LucidSound’s official store, or from Amazon, for $99.

Currently the headset is only available in the US. However, LucidSound plans to launch the headset in other regions and a wider number of stores at a later date. We’ll update this review when the LS100X becomes globally available, with prices for your region.

(Image credit: Future)

LucidSound LS100X: design and features

• Comfy and lightweight
• Awesome headset controls
• Relatively lacking in extras

The LS100X is similar to Razer’s products, such as the Razer Kaira Pro headset. It bears a similar white-on-black motif, though sporting  LucidSound’s logo on the headpiece and ear cups. 

We actually appreciate the understated design. It doesn’t look like a gaming headset if you wear them as a pair of Bluetooth headphones out of the house.

We also found that, thanks to the well-padded ear cups and headpiece, the LS100X was comfortable even after a long gaming session.

Also impressive is the LS100X’s on-headset controls layout. It’s just the power button and EQ setting on the headset itself. The ear cups, however, feature larger buttons that allow you to perform extra functions like pausing, skipping tracks or muting the headset.

We love the circular volume sliders found around the outside of these ear cup buttons, too. We found these to be much easier to adjust volume with than more traditional buttons, and allow you to adjust volume to a more granular degree.

Lastly, a USB-C port for charging and a 3.5mm jack for the detachable mic complete the on-headset feature set. It’s no-frills, but that might be just what you’re looking for.

• Design and features score: 4 out of 5

(Image credit: Future)

LucidSound LS100X: audio quality

• Three distinct EQ settings
• Handles directional audio well
• Audio sounds flat in certain EQ modes

The LucidSound LS100X’s audio quality is unfortunately one of its weakest elements. It’s by no means bad, but the distinct EQ settings are serviceable at best. We had best results with the FPS setting, which delivered the most well-rounded audio profile.

As for the other two modes – Signature and Bass Boost – we honestly couldn’t find much of a difference beyond slightly beefier bass in the latter. Unfortunately, both modes suffer in that their overall audio profile sounds flat and muted.

Thankfully, the FPS profile does pick up the slack. It handles directional audio and dynamic range very well. Fitting of its FPS moniker, using it will allow you to better hone in on stray shots in, say, PUBG Battlegrounds. Or a particularly sneaky Licker in Resident Evil 2.

Mic quality is also adequate. The LS100X has a detachable mic, as well as one built into the headset. We love that there’s options here, but we’d recommend using the detachable mic during party chats as it allowed for better call quality overall.

• Audio quality score: 2.5 out of 5

(Image credit: Future)

LucidSound LS100X: battery life and connectivity

• 72 hours with Game Mode enabled
• 130 hours via Bluetooth connectivity
• Did we mention long-lasting battery life?

We were quite frankly stunned by the amount of battery life offered by the LS100X. At 72 hours via the USB dongle’s Game Mode and roughly 130 hours via Bluetooth, we never once received a low battery warning during testing.

The dongle itself features a switch that’ll allow you to toggle between Xbox and PC, which is all the setup you’ll need to get the headset working on either platform. Using the dongle automatically switches the headset to Game Mode, which helps to elevate detail in directional audio and allows for wider dynamic range.

Without the dongle, you can still connect the LS100X to a device via Bluetooth. This is great if you want to hook the headset up to your phone. Unfortunately, though, the Nintendo Switch wasn’t able to pick up the headset’s Bluetooth signal. So you’ll want to look for one of the best Nintendo Switch headsets for that.

• Battery life and connectivity score: 4.5 out of 5

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the LucidSound LS100X?

Buy it if...

You’re after lots of battery life
With 72 hours in Game Mode and 130 hours via Bluetooth connectivity, you’ll rarely need to charge up the LS100X.

You’re on a budget
$99 is superb value for a headset that ticks a surprising amount of higher end boxes for its price.

You want versatility
Whether you’re at home or out and about, the LS100X’s comfort and lightweight design make it an ideal headset for more than just gaming. 

Don't buy it if...

You want something more premium
The LS100X excels as a midrange headset, but you may want to look elsewhere if you’re after extra bells and whistles like Dolby Atmos or chunkier bass, for example.

You want a Nintendo Switch or PS5 headset
The LS100X is designed for Xbox consoles, and thus will only work on them as well as PC and mobile.

You want better sound
While the headset’s FPS EQ mode is solid, other settings leave its audio profile feeling pretty flat and muted.