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Logitech has a strong headset game, especially in the high-end PC space where their Pro X headsets stand out for their audio quality, comfortable velour ear cups and reliable Lightspeed wireless. I've tested these since the first generation in 2020, but the last-gen X2 model had its share of problems - most notably poor mic quality and battery life that was limited to just 50 hours. The new £229/$250 Pro X3 redresses those shortcomings comprehensively, so does it measure up to the best high-end gaming headsets on the market - like the SteelSeries Nova Omni, Turtle Beach Stealth Pro 2 or Asus ROG Kithara?
Not to spoil the rest of the review, but I'd say Logitech's latest is definitely in the conversation - but for UK buyers, I'd still recommend the older X2 model, which has its flaws but costs a huge £80 less at £149. Over in the US, the old model is $220, pricing which makes the X3 much easier to argue for.
When it comes to the design work, the X3 looks and feels like a premium headset, with prominent metal components and a sturdy countenance. The headband perforations, clamping force and ear cushion depth are perfectly calculated, while the choice of velour and leatherette cushions let you prioritise comfort while wearing glasses (velour) or better bass response (leatherette). Headset adjustability is easy, with swiveling earcups and telescoping yokes, and the controls are well laid out and distinguishable by feel - with the volume wheel on the left ear cup being particularly easy to operate. The microphone isn't a fancy flipping or retracting style, but does detach in case you want to use a proper USB or XLR microphone instead. There are three colours available here: black, white and magenta.
Inside, the same 50mm graphene drivers as those on the X2 return, albeit with a faintly warmer sound signature. Detail and stereo separation is still excellent, making it easier to distinguish individual instruments in a song or the location of footsteps in a tactical FPS, without the fatiguing treble boost used by some gaming headsets. There's a little more low-end shove here too, which is nice for single-player games and movies.
If you prefer the more neutral tuning of the X2 - or indeed, a different sound entirely - the addition of a parametric EQ means that tuning possibilities are considerable. Note that the default leatherette pads sound much bassier than the velour ones with the default EQ, so if you want the extra spectacled comfort of the velour pads, it's worth using some custom EQs that are designed with those pads in mind (eg those from GadgetryTech).
While the audio changes are an evolution, the microphone is more of a revolution - it's clear that Logitech took the criticism of the X2 to heart and made some substantial changes to fix things with the X3. The new mic has a broader frequency response, from 75Hz to 20kHz, versus 100Hz to 10KHz for the old mic; it also uses a 16-bit/48kHz wireless link versus 16-bit/16kHz on the X2. The difference is night and day - where the X2 was extremely flat, reedy and frankly annoying to listen to, the X3 sounds like a much bigger and better microphone - and it is. The mic can also be tuned with a parametric equaliser, and you'll notice a better result overall running the software on PC versus on PlayStation or other platforms where you're using the default tuning.
It's worth mentioning the PC software here. The overall layout is familiar to anyone that has used it before, and not too difficult to get to grasps with on your first go-around. Again, I have to give props to Logitech for actually introducing the special features of the X3 when you first plug it in, which other manufacturers rarely do in software. For the X3, there's nothing absolutely crazy - like the X3 Superstrike's innovative clicks - but there are options to download community EQs, which is appreciated.
I also have to mention - again - that the Chinese sound samples in the sampler are just flat-out wrong if they're meant to be Mandarin, with a sound effect labelled "hi" actually saying "how are you", and the pronunciation on "goodbye" and "what" sounding computer generated to my ears. This was already a problem with the X2 and should be fixed.
There is also a mobile app, which allows you to change between presets for console gaming, which works fine.
Battery life was one of the two major fixes here, and after 60 hours of usage I still have an estimated 20 percent battery life remaining - so the 70 hours total figure feels achievable. This is far from the longest-lasting headset, especially compared to dual-battery rivals and those that just pack in absolutely massive batteries, but with USB-C recharging being quick and painless, it's more than enough.
Versus other flagship headsets, there are some missing features here. There's no swappable battery system, like the SteelSeries Omni possesses, nor is there the ability to connect to multiple systems simultaneously. In fact, while the headset supports Bluetooth and 2.4GHz, you can't have both connections active at the same time, which is another restriction. ANC is another feature that a lot of high-end gaming headsets have adopted to appeal to a more universal "lifestyle" crowd - with genuine gaming usefulness, I might add - that is not featured here. Finally, there's no second dial for mixing game and chat volume, which I know some people really like to have.
Despite this, the Pro X3 makes a good case for itself as a focused PC gaming headset designed for use with a single system, backed with software and optimised for esports success - without completely sacrificing usability elsewhere, as the warm tuning, long-term comfort and Bluetooth support ensure. The build quality, microphone and usability are all top-notch, and stand out well against the competition from Razer, SteelSeries and HyperX at this price point.
However, this also feels like the logical endpoint of the Pro design, and I'm curious to see where Logitech go from here now that the most obvious flaws have been comprehensively addressed.