I’ve used my fair share of headsets throughout my gaming career, from the Bluetooth earpiece that came with the PS3 to the Razer Barracuda X Chroma (my current daily driver). The things my favourites over the years have in common are comfort and sound. After spending a few weeks with the A50 X Lightspeed from Logitech, there may be a new sheriff in town.
After using the Razer Barracuda X Chroma for the better part of a year, I never thought I would see a better headset in terms of looks, comfort, and usability. Then I saw the A50 X Lightspeed from Logitech, and I was seriously blown away.
As a racing enthusiast, especially Formula One, I was surprised to see the McLaren Racing Edition become available, so I jumped at the chance and found something I wasn’t expecting.
“Unboxing the A50 X Lightspeed was a genuine pleasure, and the headset’s glossy orange design immediately stole the show.”
Unboxing the A50 X Lightspeed was a genuine pleasure. The box contained the headset, dock, power cords, and a USB-A to USB-C combo cable. What struck me most was the headset itself, painted in McLaren’s iconic papaya orange. I don’t usually go for bold colourways in my peripherals, but I couldn’t resist this one. With its glossy finish, the A50 X Lightspeed shines beautifully in orange and matches the dock perfectly.
The A50 X Lightspeed utilizes HDMI 2.1 audio & video passthrough to provide immaculate sound quality, depth, and detail regardless of what platform you are using it on. In addition, it also provides 4k120 Hz video quality passthrough and 40Gbps video, so all of your video remains at the highest quality possible. This was certainly my experience, as I was somewhat skeptical about how good the audio and video quality could be when running it through a dock. Battlefield 6, Gran Turismo 7, and others all came through crystal clear visually and sounded perfect.
Even during multiplayer party experiences, the A50 X Lightspeed performed immaculately; the real star of the show being the 48KHz omnidirectional microphone. It was immediately apparent to the group of friends I race and play Battlefield 6 with that I had gotten a new headset. The microphone quality was second-to-none. I no longer had to repeat myself or ensure my mic was mere inches away from my mouth. I could have it in a natural position and still be heard clearly.
“The A50 X Lightspeed delivers wired-level clarity while staying fully wireless with nearly 24 hours of battery life.”
Above all else, comfort and weight are the most important factors for me when using a headset, because if it isn’t comfortable and lightweight, then wearing it will become a pain (figuratively and literally) in the neck. The A50 X Lightspeed is a monument to comfort and ease of use. Weighing in at 363 grams, it is light on your head, decreasing neck pain and fatigue. The head strap at the top is padded, ensuring the headset stays in place. The ear cushions are padded and wrapped in a luxurious fabric covering that keeps moisture away from your ears and allows them to breathe, while also allowing you to hear ambient room noise.
Indeed, the A50 X Lightspeed is not noise-cancelling, but I don’t see that as a detriment. Not only does it mean that you aren’t shouting to hear yourself, but you aren’t shouting in your party-mate’s ears either. At no point did I struggle to hear what my party was saying or what someone in the room with me was saying.
The absolute best thing about the A50 X Lightspeed, however, is the PlaySync 3-system switching. This system allows you to switch between sound on your PS5, Xbox, and PC, all with the simple touch of a button, depending on which options you have connected. A quick press of the PlaySync button on the headset will switch between your connected systems, literally allowing you to change up your game in seconds. Connecting each of your systems to the dock facilitates this connection and allows the switches to take place.
“Everything about the A50 X Lightspeed radiates quality, from its build to its sound to its comfort.”
You’d think with this amount of audio clarity that the A50 X Lightspeed would be a wired headset, but you’d be wrong. Combined with a near 24-hour battery life, the A50 X Lightspeed is an incredibly capable headset, one that provides immaculate sound quality as well as reliable connectivity.
There are many things I love about the A50 X Lightspeed, and one thing I wish were better is the price. Coming in at a staggering $549.99 CAD ($599.99 CAD for the McLaren Racing Edition), the A50 X Lightspeed is a lot of headset, but I can’t say it’s absolutely worth the price. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely adore the A50 X, but it’s a big ask to spend more than the price of a PS5 on a headset.
All in all, the A50 X Lightspeed performs beautifully, looks spectacular, and feels incredible to wear. In any other world, that would be more than enough. It’s up to you to decide if the price is something you can justify.
