Lypertek Z7 Review – One Great Leap

Comparisons –

Lypertek TEVI/Z3 ($109): The TEVI offers a more linear and neutral sound but is also thinner and less detailed. The Z7 is slightly more bass forward and it has more power in the mid-bass especially. It has better extension, being more dynamic. Despite being fuller, it is noticeably more textured as it also has higher driver quality. The TEVI has a cleaner and more accurate midrange. The Z7 is warmer and fuller but not hugely more so, mostly it is more laid-back. Both are smoothly articulated, the Z7 is a little more articulate but the TEVI remains clearer and more separated due to its greater cleanliness.

The treble tells a different story, however. The TEVI is a bit brighter here but lacks the note definition of the Z7. The Z7 is much more detailed in turn. It also has better extension with more background detail and headroom above that is completely lacking on the TEVI. This means the soundstage is noticeably larger and more layered on the Z7. It has sharper localisation and more depth and scale. The TEVI has better separation throughout. While a case can be made for both from a tonal POV, the Z7 is a good step up technically.

Moondrop Sparks ($89): A single Be-Plated DD TWS earphone with same chipset and Moondrop’s infamous VDSF tuning. It sounds closer to the TEVI than the Z7 with a more DF-neutral inspired sound. However, it trades the sub-bass emphasis for a mid-bass hump, granting a warmer tonality. The Sparks doesn’t have the same extension, it has good control and separation, less bass overall. The Z7 has similar driver control, but more sub-bass, it is more dynamic with more slam and a bit more texture at the cost of separation. The midrange is naturally voiced and similarly tuned on both. The Sparks is slightly more vocal forward and a touch thin counterbalanced by a hint of warmth.

The Z7 sounds fuller but not warmer, with greater bass presence but also a larger upper-bass dip. The Sparks is a bit clearer and cleaner while the Z7 is more coherent and a bit more laid-back. The Sparks has a smoother lower-treble and a bit more middle-treble energy granting it more air and shimmer. The Z7 is the opposite with a sharper, cleaner leading edge and a bit more texture, granting it a more focused, detail dense presentation. The Sparks also has an impressive soundstage for an TWS earphone. The Z7 has a slight edge on dimensions but the Sparks has better separation and slightly sharper directional cues.

ADV. M5 TWS ($149): The M5 offers a Harman-derived sound but is brighter leaning to my ears, in the lower-treble especially. It is one step more revealing than the TEVI and good for those prioritising clarity. Its bass is similarly voiced but falls off sooner through the mid-bass, giving it a cleaner voicing. It has less bass emphasis but also less bass extension. The Z7 offers more extension and slam. The M5 decays a bit faster, aided by its better separation. The Z7 has slightly higher control with bigger but more defined notes, returning greater texture. The midrange is noticeably clearer but thinner on the M5. It is more revealing and articulate but also a little sharp in terms of articulation due to the forward upper-mids combined with the forward lower-treble.

The Z7 is more refined, its voicing is a bit more natural, it is smoother and more coherent but also a lot less separated and clear so it depends what you’re looking for. The lower-treble is brighter and more aggressive on the M5, giving it a crisper sound. The Z7 is more linear and laid-back, it has more note body and a bit more fine detail retrieval, but the M5 would sound more detailed to most due to its brightness. The M5 also has a bit more air while the Z7 extends a little more albeit in a less obvious manner. The soundstage is wide on both, the Z7 has a bit more depth while the M5 has better separation throughout.

1More ANC TWS ($179): A hybrid competitor, it has a dual driver configuration and THX smarts inside working to enhance its ANC performance – I will compare with ANC off as it sounds more balanced in this configuration. Despite this, the 1More is still noticeably more V-shaped. It has a similar bass tuning but slightly greater emphasis with more mid-bass hump. It doesn’t have the control and texture of the Z7 but still offers good dynamics and thumb for bass lovers. The 1More has a more forward upper-midrange that gives it a higher contrast sound.

The Z7 is more even through the midrange and it sounds a little more balanced as its bass isn’t so forward. In turn, the Z7 has a more natural voicing and higher coherence. The 1More has more vocal clarity and is more articulate, a more engaging sound. The 1More has a slightly crisper treble too while the Z7 is once again more linear. Despite this, the Z7 sounds quite a bit more detailed as the 1More has a sharp leading edge but a thin note body that saps texture. Both have wide soundstages for wireless earphones, the Z7 has a bit more depth.

Grado GT220 ($269): The GT220 offers a similar style of sound with even higher contrast. It has more bass with a deep-bass focus but more sub-bass roll-off than the Z7. The Z7 has a more linear voicing while the Grado has more thump and greater rumble. The Z7 has better driver quality all around, being tighter, more controlled and more textured. The Grado has a similarly positioned midrange being neither more forward nor more recessed. However, the voicing is different. Both are natural, but the Grado is clearer with much higher contrast. It has a warmer tone but less body, though it is thinner, it is also more delicate and articulate.

The Z7 is fuller and less defined. It has a slightly more natural voicing and less strain on poorly mastered tracks. It has higher coherence but doesn’t sound as open and textured. The Grado also has a crisper lower-treble with a moderate peak at 6k. The Z7 is smoother and more even, it has more note body and better detail retrieval. The Grado is more energetic and detail-forward so the difference in technical ability can be hard to appreciate at first. The Grado rolls off sooner and its soundstage is much more intimate, offset by its higher separation.

Verdict –

While I was initially intrigued by the TWS form factor and lenient to their shortcomings, I have been quite disappointed with the majority of options from a holistic POV. Enthusiast-focused models can be ergonomically frustrating and often lack customisation and lifestyle features such as aware mode. Meanwhile, consumer models make too many concessions when it comes to sound tuning and often quality too. The Z7 bucks this trend. This is a feature rich earphone that ticks all the boxes, and Lypertek have coded a great accompanying app on top with flexible eQ thjat can be used to append most of my complaints with tonality too. The great noise isolation means ANC isn’t missed, they’re water resistant and have excellent battery life. The case is reliable and can wirelessly charge. Lifestyle features such as aware mode and the call quality may not be the best, but is easily good enough not to irk.

In addition, the step up in build quality is immediately evident coming from the TEVI and the sound is more technically proficient. Purists will still be better served by the TEVI or Moondrop Sparks, which both offer cleaner and more balanced sounds. But the overall package of the Z7 is appealing enough to me that I would recommend investing the time to perfect the tonality with the included eQ. I’m not a fan of all of Lypertek’s tuning decisions. You get solid tuning out of the box but this can be taken to a high level with eQ; it’s a plus too that settings save to the earphones so you a consistent sound from all sources. So there really isn’t much to criticise about the Z7; this is one of the most well-rounded TWS earphones and is my current daily driver – which should speak volumes. Lypertek has created one of the best TWS models on the market whilst retaining a sensible price on top.

The Z7 can be purchased from Lypertek for $199 USD at the time of review. I am not affiliated with Lypertek and receive no earnings from purchases through this link.

Track List –

AKMU – SAILING

Billy Joel – The Stranger

Bob Seger – Night Moves

Cream – Wheels of Fire

Crush – OHIO

Daryl Hall & John Oates – Voices

Dire Straits – Communique

Dirty Loops – Next To You

Eagles – Hotel California

Fleetwood Mac – Rumours

H.E.R – I Used To Know Her

Joji – Sanctuary

Kanye West – Ye

Radiohead – OK Computer

TALA – ain’t leavin` without you

The Beatles – Abbey Road

The weeknd – After Hours