LOGITECH G PRO X Headset Review
Logitech just recently launched the G Pro X and G Pro headsets in India. These two headsets belong to Logitech’s “G Pro Series” Gaming Gear, which as of now has the G Pro Gaming Mouse and three headsets. I expect a G Pro keyboard to be out soon too. Logitech claims that the products in this line were designed by and for the “world’s leading esports professionals.”
Regardless, I was excited to take the Logitech G Pro X headset for a spin but at the same time skeptical about this being a typical “gaming headset.” By that, what I mean is that gaming headsets generally are all looks and no substance. They come with flashy LED lights and bright coloured cups, but sound like those cheap knock offs you get at roadside mobile phone screen guard sellers. I was really praying that the Logitech G Pro X isn’t one of those kind of gaming headsets, but the odds were against it because the whole G Series is apparently targeted towards gamers. On the contrary, genuinely good sounding headphones look very plain, subtle, but made made with premium materials. Looks are novelty and short lived, but it is the innate quality that makes or breaks a product. Gaming headsets have suffered from such a disease.
G Pro versus G Pro X
This is a review of the Logitech G Pro X. What about the G Pro? Well, the G Pro and G Pro X are essentially the same headphone, using the same 50mm drivers. Like the G Pro X, you get a USB DAC with the G Pro, and you get the exact same microphone.
So what’s really different between the G Pro and G Pro X?
The main outlining difference is that with the G Pro X you get Blue’s software microphone enhancements, and some extras like microfibre padding, carry case and an extra cable with inline controls. The G Pro is also ₹3,000 cheaper than the G Pro X. Whether Blue’s software enhancements and some extra goodies justify the price difference, that is for you to decide, since both the headsets are exactly the hardware wise
So did the Logitech G Pro X turn out to be just another gaming headset? Let’s get right into it.
Sturdy and Luxurious
I’ll begin by saying that the Logitech G Pro X is a great looking headphone. No, really. Not going for a ‘gamey’ design is the right move by Logitech. No where does it speak the language most gaming headsets speak. It is not aggressive, doesn’t use overly bright colours, has no LED lights (Thank GOD!), doesn’t have curvy contours and sharp edges; it simply looks like a solid, well built set of cans with a little touch of luxury. Logitech has not used cheap construction materials in building the G Pro X. Holding it in the hand feels weighty and dense; signs of a well built piece of hardware.
The Logitech G Pro X comes in a single colour, black. The entire headphone is black in colour. Only the outside of the pair of cups have bluish tinted aluminum housing on which Logitech’s “G” branding portrays itself, surrounded by thin circles, like the planet Jupiter (finally used the Jupiter reference!). Overall, the Logitech G Pro X gives off a retro-futurist vibe, and I won’t say I’m not a fan of that. I love it! They look great when hanging on your gaming monitor, when sitting on your desk, and even when kept tidily alongside audiophile equipment or a home theatre system, if you’re into that sort of a thing. With not really much styling done, the Logitech G Pro X looks a good combination of minimal and cutting edge. They would go really well with a room with monochromatic interiors and straight-lined furniture.
The headband on the Logitech G Pro X is fully made of metal, covered in good volume by leatherette. The metal band extends like a fork to the pill-shaped earcups on both sides. The cups are adjustable on its axis, and so is the headband. They will fit most head shapes and sizes, but people with really big heads might have a problem. If you have a really big head the HyperX Cloud Alpha will be more suitable for you. The earcups on the G5 Pro X are well endowed by leatherette padding. Both the pads are labelled “L” and “R”. You also get an extra set padding made of microfibre. I personally loved both the forms of padding and they both offer a different experience from each other. I prefer the leatherette padding over the microfibre padding though.
The leatherette padding I felt is more suited for long gaming sessions. I used them for three hours without feeling warm or without my ears sweating. That is a miracle because I sweat a lot. Never did I feel the headphones were overbearing, which I usually feel after long sessions with gaming headsets. On the other hand, the microfibre padding feels so darn soft to touch, and feels like cashmere when it touches your earlobes. However, they tend to feel warm after an hour or so of continuous use, and my ears started to sweat. That still doesn’t dismiss the fact that there are so comfortable.
Logitech has acquiring companies left right and centre over the recent years. When they acquired Westone, a super-premium in-ear earphone company, I was taken aback because of how different Westone is from Logitech’s brand image. Logitech, a company we all know since the 90s as a computer accessory company, now owns a world leading audiophile-grade sound company. Then, last year Logitech went ahead and acquired the Blue Microphone company. Blue makes studio grade microphones. I love the Blue Yeti microphone and use it regularly when I do podcasts, livestreams and interviews.
The reason I mentioned this is because the Logitech G Pro X takes a lot of its design cues from Blue i.e. black everywhere, sturdiness, heavy-ness and a premium touch. I’m a fan of all of these salient features. Having said that, the G Pro X is Logitech’s best looking headset till date. They also might be the best built, but only long term usage will prove that. So far, the signs are clearly there. One thing that is noteworthy is mention is that wireless users might be disappointed, since both the G Pro and G Pro X are wired. There could be many reasons why Logitech hasn’t released a wireless version of the G Pro headset line. This is targeted toward esports and most pro-gamers prefer wired gear rather wireless (just watch the Dota TI19 finals), including myself. For gamers, wireless headsets can get laggy which might cause a microsecond delay in the sound which can in-turn make or break a competitive match. For audiophiles, going wireless means some level of compression in the sound delivered to the headphones. Still, I would love it if Logitech released a wireless version of the G Pro headset, only because the design is so good. I would love to carry this when I’m on a plane, when I’m in commuting etc.
In the package of the Logitech G Pro X you get extra padding like I mentioned before, two cables with in-line controls, a USB-DAC, a microphone and a carry case. I felt that Logitech could have done better in quality terms with the in-line controls on the cables. They work fine, just, they don’t feel premium like how the headset and the microphone does.
Crank it up
I’ve tested tons of gaming headsets, and I own a dozen audiophile headsets. Let’s just say that the Logitech G Pro X destroys all the gaming headsets, except maybe the HyperX Cloud Alpha ones (they are both really close), and holds its own against audiophile cans. I’ve spent hours and hours with headphones from Audeze, Sennheiser, Shure, HiFiMan, and listening to the Logitech G Pro X I never felt they were falling sonically short. These are a great sounding pair of cans. They handle the fundamentals pretty well, without going over-the-top.
Also, while Logitech has targeted the G Pro X towards gamers, I think these are great crossover headphones with their 50mm Pro G drivers. They do really well with music. I first played Alanis Morisette’s grungy You Oughta Know (I know, I know), and I was taken aback because I wasn’t expecting this level of performance. You got me there Logitech!
I have one word for you. Imaging. These headphones have a great sense of imaging, which means the instruments and vocals are so flawlessly separated that you can actually pinpoint them at their respective directions. They remind me of the Shure SRH1540, which costs three times more. I was mind-blown by the Shure’s imaging just like by the G Pro X’s imaging.
And I didn’t find any sonic element lacking. Yes, they could be better, but they’re not lacking. Headsets and sound equipment is such that even covering the basics well is a feat to be applauded, and the G Pros do that. The bass extends towards the lowest end of the frequency spectrum, giving you the deep vibrational bassy sound that fills your ears. Some listeners might feel that they could do with a little more “oomph” factor, a little more “thud”, but I am nitpicking here. On the high-end too, they don’t have the sparkle and excitement like the HyperX Cloud Alpha, but again, it’s not like the treble is lacking. It is just, neutral. And neutral is enough for most cases.
Alanis’ screaming on You Oughta Know sounds very natural, and her shrieks crystal clear. This, coupled with a spacious soundspace makes for a beautiful and peaceful listening experience, really easy and relaxing on the ears (and the soul). Even my Shure SE846 in-ears, which I purchased for ₹ 80,000 don’t feel as easy-going. This doesn’t disregard the Se846 in any sense, they’re still an excellent pair of in-ears , but they can get tiring, which the Logitech G Pro doesn’t get. Smooth is the word for the Logitech G Pro X. Most gaming headphones change the signature of sound to something very unnatural, while the G Pro X maintains the audio’s genuinity without tampering with the frequencies to achieve fads like “boosting the bass” etc. I’m a fan of that purist mindset. So if you’re looking for an “exciting”, “head banging” and “sparkling” sound, the Logitech G Pro X isn’t really for you, but if you’re looking for something on the natural side, this is a good choice.
Another thing that makes these great crossover headphones is that they sound great even without the USB DAC, which means that they are suitable to use with smartphones and MP3 players.
I connected them to my iPhone 8 and they sounded good, and there’s plenty of volume which is great too. If I connected the Sennheiser HD650 to my phone, it would give me good sound but not enough volume. That didn’t happen with the Logitech G Pro X and it is something I didn’t expect. Driving 50mm drivers can be hard for phones, but the G Pro X held its own. This makes the G Pro even fit for travelling.
Since these headphones have superb imaging, they’re great for games. This level of imaging means that when you’re playing Dark Souls, you can pinpoint the footsteps of the undead walking a level above you, the fire-cracking from a bonfire ahead somewhere, the deep breaths of fire-breathing dragon in the vicinity. I know I am saying it again, but Logitech has really made a great all-round set of headphones.
Mic Check One-Two
Blue knows how to make amazing microphones. Full stop. That pretty much sums up the microphone on the Logitech G Pro X. With most headsets that we review, we usually dedicate just a paragraph to microphone and summarise it with a cheeky “it works.” The story is a little different here.
The microphone unit is hands down the best built mic I have seem lately. It is covered with a braided metal like jacket, that adjusts well and stays protected.
The Blue enhancements on the Logitech G Pro X aren’t hardware based. I was let down initially by this intially, expecting an actual Blue mic. I use a Blue Yeti desk-microphone for podcasts and interviews and I absolutely love it. I think it is an essential podcast mic, a must-have among the fraternity. Coming back to the G Pro X, most of Blue enhancements are software based.
After getting over my initial disappointment, I was actually shocked out of my seat seeing the level of software enhancements this mic supports via Logitech’s G Pro Hub software. While I won’t say that they match the Blue Yeti’s performance, a mic that can fit in thirty Logitech G Pro X mics, they will get the job done, and that’s what they’re meant to do, right? For a headset microphone, you can’t really do better than the G Pro X.
I wouldn’t exclusively recommend them for podcasts or other production work, but, if you didn’t have a choice, just play around with the settings in the G Pro Hub software, and you will get the desired result, almost. Blue has also put in a number of preset settings, like “Broadcaster”, “FM Radio”, “AM Radio.” Choose the desired preset and watch (or, listen) how the voice recording transforms.
The number of microphone settings in G Pro Hub is overwhelming, but very coherently placed and well explained. You don’t need to be an audio engineer to play around with them, they’re pretty straight forward and effects of the sliders are explained in simple layman terms. You can do a lot of things with the settings, For example, you can remove background noises like traffic noise, engine humming, crickets creeking etc. I tested the setting with a running water-motor. If you haven’t heard those, lucky you. They sound incredibly high pitched and are really annoying. I cranked up the slider on the Blue page to silence the motor and recorded my voice. When I heard the recording, I was smiling like a six year old kid who just reveived a hoverboard on his birthday. Ninety percent of the motor’s sound was silenced, without really changing my phlegm-ridden voice (I have a bad cold, sigh).
The Line at the Bottom
The Logitech G Pro X is the best headset Logitech has ever made, and not just in terms of sound, but also as a complete package. Logitech’s takeover of Blue Microphones, for which it paid a lot of money (a whopping $117 million dollars) is paying its dividends. The G Pro X’s microphone is the best headset-mic we’ve tested ever.
The Logitech G Pro X isn’t your typical gaming headset. It is a brilliant crossover headset that shines in music just like it does in games. It works on the PC, on phones, PS4, Xbox One, you name it. It is also one of the most comfortable headphones I’ve tested, add to that the included leatherette and microfibre pads. Even three hour gaming sessions didn’t make my ears break a single droplet of sweat. The headphones are exquisitely built too, meant to last long. A gaming cafe owner recently told me how he replaced all their headphones with Logitech G Pro X simply because not only do they sound great, they take the abuse gamers throw at it during long sessions.
Priced at ₹13,995, the Logitech G Pro X don’t come cheap, but we highly recommend them if you’re simply looking for a great pair of headphones to use to consume media, play games, live stream, voice-chat, do voiceovers, listen to music; just about anything. If you can do without the extra pads, carry case and Blue’s mic enhancement, the Logitech G Pro is exactly the same headset that costs ₹9,995, making it an excellent proposition below ₹10,000.
