| Price | Driver | Battery | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
|
$89 |
2BA + 1DD |
10+70h |
TWS |
Introduction
The Lypertek Z7 has been reduced from $199 to $89, hence we’ve decided to update the review and relaunch it, as this is an even better deal now, and by a lot.
Lypertek is one of the new wave brands from China. Their mother company Sound Innovation Co. Limited was founded in 2013 and had a lot of success under the brand ORIVETI. After accumulating enough experience and technological background they formed Lypertek in 2017. Its goal is to operate on the portable, wireless market where they seek to provide very high quality at a reasonable cost. As always it’s both commendable and something Chinese-born companies got us used to. What I find very appealing is that Lypertek has a very small product portfolio, which makes me think that they focus on fewer, but better products. If that is the case, we will see it in this review.
Packaging
Build Quality and comfort
The Packaging is elegant and simple and so is the product itself. The case is finished with some nice, warm-to-touch material. It’s kinda bulky though, so it may not be a nice fit with slim jeans. Is that a TWS case, or are you happy to see me? Earpieces themself are made of very solid feeling plastic, it doesn’t scratch when put on some rough surfaces. Each earphone has a button that is used to control additional functions like volume, answering calls, and skipping tracks. Those are tactile switches that require some pressure to work and I’ve found that I need to hold the earpiece with one finger while pressing them with the other one. If not it kinda turns into crude lobotomy as the earphone is forced inside my ear. A minor inconvenience, but it’s a premium product so I expect a premium feel.
It’s great news that Z7s are waterproof with IPX5 standard. They will survive being sweated on when exercising and might even survive being accidentally dropped into a washing machine. Don’t ask why it’s important to me. There is one more thing to talk about, which is the control app. It takes few seconds to connect to Z7s, yet it opens a whole lot of options to the user. First, it shows how much power is left in phones. Secondly, it allows you to tailor the sound through LDX enhancement system, proprietary of Lypertec, or with some old-school graphic EQ. The latter allows to tune 7 different frequencies: 80 Hz, 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1k Hz, 3 kHz, 7k Hz, and 10k Hz. There are also some presets to get you going.
A nice touch is a hear-through option that lets sound from around you to get mixed with the music. It gives you more awareness which is extremely helpful when for example cycling. Thanks to the app you can also update the software of the earphones, customize (just a bit) their buttons functions and it can help you find the phones.
Tech
Let’s take a look at what makes Z7s tick! Starting with drivers and oh boy, do we have a few here. Just don’t laugh at me, I’m still getting used to having so many in an earphone. In each unit, we have 3 drivers: one dynamic for bass and two balanced armatures for mids and highs (I presume that). It’s worth noting that DD and one of BA form a coaxial driver. I like them in loudspeakers and as I’ve found out I like them in headphones. About that later on.
So the base for sound is solid, what about connectivity? Lypertek employed Qualcomm QCC3040 chipset for Bluetooth 5.2 including TrueWireless Mirroring™ and adaptive aptX codec. The last one is the newest addition to aptX family, a very neat compromise between latency, stability, and audio quality. I’ve had no issues with connection for the whole time of using those earphones. Also, it’s great for battery life. Z7s can go for up to 80 hours of playback, at least according to the Lyperteks website. Earphones themselves can go for 10 h and case provides seven times full charge to them. I can wholeheartedly confirm, that those headphones have insane battery life! One time I was actually surprised when they turned off, for me, they felt like wired phones in that regard. For lazy people like myself, there is one option that can improve your quality of life. Wireless charging station for the case. Just place it on it and forget about ever looking for a free USB-C charger. While available separately, I believe it is worth a buy. Just to get the last bit of comfort in this lifestyle product. Overall it’s packed full of nice tech and I love it.
Sound
Well, how does all that translates into sound? In standard, no EQ, no LDX they have a slight focus on mids. The soundstage is rather close, altogether it gives that intimate feeling, especially when you listen to some vocal-heavy music. Diana Krall is sitting on your lap and all that…
The Bass is where the energy in music lives. Despite a slight focus on mids, Z7s have a nice authority in that range. Dynamic driver in them really pushes some air back and forth, and I really like it. It has that nice fullness, thickness, and drive. It might not be the fastest and most resolving bass ever but it has that very nice fun factor. Play some hard-hitting tunes like Blastoyz – Mandala and you will be pleasantly surprised how much joy it can bring.
The midrange is as I mentioned earlier the focus here. I had to say that passage from lows is crafted very well. Incredibly smooth, which I suppose is thanks to the coaxial driver. The first word that comes to my mind about mids is neat. Lypertek provides a nice dose of resolution here, they give you a very good look into this part of the recording. Vocals, guitars, brass, all sound effortless and easygoing. Whether you listen to Roger Waters signature dry voice or some guitar acrobatics thanks to Nils Lofgren, it all sounds relaxing and enjoyable. Like a smooth, afternoon ride.
Highs play a suport role in Z7s. They are a bit rolled off at the top, to give a safe sound. Even things recorded so poorly and brightly like The Pretty Reckless – My Medicine hasn’t bothered me. This range has that soothing quality, whatever happens, your experience will be a pleasant one. On the other hand, this characteristic is one of the reasons that those earphones don’t have the widest nor deepest soundstage. Highs play a big role in creating that impression of space and directivity. Well, it is a compromise that was chosen by an engineer. So in the end it does sound smooth and has a nice quality to it, we just don’t get too much of it. But there is nothing we can’t fix, so stay tuned.
Overall they sound a bit shy like Lyperteks engineers wanted to play a bit too safe. It has nice detail, resolution, and a pleasant tone. It makes your feet tap when listening to your favorite bands. This kind of sound works perfectly with contemporary released music. Wanna roll to Post Malones – rockstar? There you go. Wanna bust it along with Beyonce in All the single ladies? You go, girl! Also, it get’s really good as you crank the volume up. The sound really opens up and gets more dynamic, involving. Feels like your thing? Good! If not, then don’t feel let down. There are some nice options to tune those earphones to your liking. Let’s start with Lyperteks idea of how they should be heard: LDX Audio. I have a feeling that it’s an EQ mixed with some crossfeed. It does feel not only more punchy but at the same time more relaxed, with a more open presentation. It stays true to the relaxing tuning of the earphones, but really brings out the spirit and emotion of music. I recommend checking it out! Lastly, we can always go the old-school way and mess around with graphic EQ. That is what I did and found the most satisfying preset, that I use daily now. What I did was to boost both bass and highs, while retaining mids untouched. For me, the sound really started to shine then. It gave it way more scale and it got much more involving. I feel that it really allowed the used drivers to shine and honestly, it sounds so nice that I don’t feel any need to upgrade for better phones.
There is one big con for me about the sound. Maybe not exactly only about the sound. Like all the other TWS, Lypertek Z7s are not the best at handling calls. The mics don’t cut it for me. When it’s quiet around they do fine, but any outside noise and you have to switch to your phone. It is what it is.
Summary
What I like about Lypertek Z7s is that they are a product that has a lot of thought put into it. For me, they have it all, that a TWS at this price range should have. They are well built and are waterproof. There is a lot of nice and useful tech under the hood. The stock sound is nice, but it can be tweaked to be amazing, there is a lot of potential in the drivers used. Also, they last on their battery for so long you might forget that they need charging as I did. After using them for a month, besides the poor headset feature, there are small things to point out, but nothing deal-breaking. The buttons feel too heavy to press without supporting and the case is pretty large, so sometimes I just skip it and drop them in my pocket. With around 10 h of playtime (more like 7 when listening louder and with some nicer quality), you won’t need the case anyway. That’s really it for me, so what I can do now is to give Lypertek Z7 a recommendation. My first TWS that will stay for a long time.
Recommended!
I can really say “been there, done that” in regard to audio. Designing, building, fixing, reviewing, selling. All of that for big boy stereo. Headphones are something new and fresh for me. We all need something exciting now and then, so join me in my quest of discovering this cool world. We will listen to, drink and WE WILL bring the balance to the force. Oh, I like beer.
