Lypertek Z7 Review – One Great Leap

Usability –

Connectivity

With Qualcomm’s signature QC3040 chipset, expect a familiar experience coming from other TWS earbuds. On first power up they enter pairing mode and subsequently auto reconnect to the last paired device. If no device is detected, they automatically enter pairing mode after a few seconds and holding the faceplate buttons can manually start this process if required. In addition, they offer full operation in mono and can resume stereo operation automatically if the other earbud is removed from the case later. Connected to my Sony Xperia 5 II over aptX adaptive, I experienced a rock-solid connection with no intermittency or artefacts. Range was above average, stretching across 2 and a half rooms with double brick wall before the signal become intermittent, this will be much further with LOS. Latency is similar to other 3040 earphones, being noticeable but not obtrusive, and very consistent. This makes them suitable for multi-media consumption and casual gaming.

Codec Support

While aptX adaptive is the highlight here, they do also support AAC on Apple devices and SBC for older or less sophisticated sources. This is not the same as regular aptX or its derivations, what Qualcomm have done is integrate all of them into one. This is where the adaptive comes in, as the codec is able to dynamically scale latency and bitrate in addition to having bit-error resilience to prevent artefacts in challenging RF environments. This perhaps explains why I received such a consistent latency and quality during my testing but also a consistently higher latency as it is rated at approx. 80ms whereas regular aptX is rated at 40-70ms. Qualcomm mention the bitrate can be as high as 420kbps but surely the quality is not as good as a wired source and it is difficult to tell whether the codec or the miniaturized electronics are the limiting factor in these all-in-one designs.

Battery Life

Lypertek quote a 10hr battery life over an SBC connection at 50% volume. I am a low volume listener, so has content with setting 5/30 but using the more processor intensive aptX Adaptive codec. Under these circumstances, I was seeing around 8 hours of battery life before the low battery chime came in. That means you can eek out a little more. As the case has a large 700mAh cell, it offers an additional 70 hours of runtime, or 7 full charge cycles which will easily get regular users through the week. The combination of excellent battery life on the earbuds themselves in addition to generous case capacity makes this a great choice for shift workers who want an isolating earphone that will last all day and all week. It also means you have more headroom when considering battery degradation over time and higher listening volumes.

Call Quality

Recipients reported improved call quality over the TEVI but still fairly average quality especially compared to more lifestyle orientated consumer earphones such as the Freebuds 3 and Apple Airpods line. In particular, my voice was clear and immediate but thin, background noise is suppressed to some degree, but they do struggle a lot more than class leaders in loud environments. Still, fine for calls in a pinch and they pick up quiet sounds quite well too.

Pure Control App

Like a few others, Lypertek have been responsive to user feedback and now offer a supporting app to further enhance control over the user experience. The Pure Control app is one of the best out there too, there’s no weirdness with the pairing process, it connects reliably every time and also offers all the features you’d want as an enthusiast. It is shocking that this is one of the only apps that has a fully-fledged eQ system with 8-presets and 7-band granular control – well done Lypertek! There are 2 auto-saving custom eQ presets you can adjust yourself. What’s more, the earphones remember the setting, you can delete the app or pair with different devices and the setting sticks.

Otherwise, you get the usual; remaining charge to the percent, a hear-through toggle that lets in sound via the mics for spatial awareness and OTA firmware updates – as of this review, the Z7 is on its 4^th firmware revision. You also get a handy find my earbuds function which has an actual GPS tag taken during the last disconnection which is very smart as it will function if your earphones are out of BT range. There’s also an LDX audio mode toggle that I will expand upon in the sound section.

I have two main gripes here, that said. To nit-pick, firmware updates are more convoluted than some competitors, requiring the users to unpair and repair the earphones. They are fast, only taking a few minutes, however. In addition, though you can adjust the double and triple click controls, you only have set presets here, limiting the level of customisation. For instance, I’d have liked to set hear-through mode to double click for faster activation as it requires a 3s hold from standard. Overall though, still one of the best apps on the market, my complaints are very minor. On a side note, it does not work with the TEVI and S20.

Hear Through Mode

Aware mode is such a handy feature that it’s a surprise so few models support it. This is frustrating because any earphone with the QC3040 chipset and mic should support this feature (even if they lack ANC). In turn, I am very happy that Lypertek has started including this feature on their newer models. Though not the best or most natural implementation, it is good enough to converse and hear voices. The hear through mode on the Z7 sounds much better than that on the S20. It is somewhat muffled and not the loudest, but again, good enough in a pinch. As above, I would have liked a quicker gesture activation or the ability to customise the gesture in the app as the 3s hold means you can miss quick announcements.

Next Page: Sound Breakdown