Lypertek Z5 Review – Better

Sound –

Tonality –

Upon first listen, the Z5 simply sounds nice. This is not a reference earphone and not stringently balanced like the TEVI but a solid, well-rounded sound that will please many. It sits somewhere between the Z7 and TEVI, in fact, neither being as lean as the latter nor as warm and smooth as the former. It actually reflects the Z7 post-eQ as detailed in my review of that earphone but with a more prominent top-end. Given that there are no BA drivers on offer here, the net result doesn’t strike as too bright. Overall, a bass bump is noticeable but hardly overbearing. There’s an uptick of warmth counterbalanced by an uptick of clarity in the upper midrange. I can tell that the intention of this tuning was to deliver an enhanced bass but also keep the midrange as clean and clear as possible. Above, treble enjoys 5 and 7Khz emphasis providing a crisp note presentation with good presence. Avoiding the 6 and 8kHz ranges, I also don’t find sharpness to be an issue here, albeit everyone’s ears will be sensitive to different frequency ranges so do get to know your likes and dislikes and take my comments accordingly. With all that said, I’d say Lypertek has delivered well on what they set out to achieve. This is a nicely balanced and versatile sound that works well with moist genres of music and has great vocal clarity for multi-media without fatiguing over time.

LDX

This is Lypertek’s own sound mode that was first seen on the Z7. On the Z5, it’s a more subtle adjustment and something you can comfortably leave on without too much weirdness. It offers a small bass boost, especially sub-bass giving the earphones more rumble and weight. The midrange receives a small clarity bump as does treble giving the earphones more of a V-shaped sound. It isn’t a huge difference but noticeable when ABed. There also appears to be some level of surround sound processing to my ears as vocals appear less centred and get pushed laterally. It’s again subtle and not too weird unlike some competitors. I did still personally find the default mode to be more natural sounding to my ears and this is what I used during the rest of the review.

Bass –

The Z5 enjoys a linear bass shelf with equal parts sub and mid-bass quantity. As human hearing isn’t linear, this comes across as a modest bass emphasis with a slightly warm, mid bass biased character. Still, notes aren’t rounded but slightly emboldened and well structured. There’s a good amount of punch and a defined, well-present rumble at the bottom sitting just behind. Bass is well present and sits in good balance with the rest of the sound. This has no doubt been enabled by the effective ANC implementation that means bass can be more modest without being drowned out by ambient noise. The slightly punchier character gives them an engaging quality overall and bass never overwhelms or meanders into loose, muddy territory. However, do note I mention punchy as note attack is a little softer than some competitors leading to a reduction in dynamics.

While the tuning is pleasing, driver quality is not the best I’ve heard and even coming from the TEVI, the bass sounds a little soft around the edges. Still, the overall presentation offers good resolving power of macro detail through the entire bass range which puts it ahead of your average TWS earphone. This is especially so considering the added burden of wireless and ANC which, upon activation, causes a slightly fuzzier and longer decay. Despite this, bass is never muddy or bloated and overall definition is easily ample. The modest tuning means separation remains above average, so details aren’t smeared or overshadowed by other regions of the bass. While not the most discerning and responsive, the tuning is enjoyable, and the quality is good enough for most genres and mastering styles. All core details are present they just aren’t as clearly presented as on a higher-end DD earphone.

Mids –

Lypertek has always impressed me with their midrange tuning, especially the TEVI which can be considered almost reference-class. The Z7 was a more musical take on this and the Z5 sits comfortably between the two. This was a sensible move as the Z5 manages to be engaging but I was also perfectly happy with the balance and overall listening experience sans eQ. Immediately, the midrange offers good tonal cleanliness and a natural voicing. It also has a slight revealing character and vocal forwardness. In the context of the moderate bass boost, the net result is a mostly balanced presentation depending on track. Note body is just a touch thin but not dry. Room is notably reduced, giving the earphone a more contrasted character between bass and midrange. This same quality is also responsible for the added separation and minimal ingress of bass warmth into the midrange.

Vocals are well-present and nicely sized with minimal strain or stridence. Despite an uptick of 4kHz presence, there is sufficient body and bass presence to mitigate excessive intimacy. The midrange does have a slightly vivid character and lacks density and coherence relative to more balanced earphones such as the TEVI or the warmer Z7. At the same time, listeners will enjoy the clarity and extension on display which provides the impression of greater resolving power than is actually available. Small details are all brought to the fore and it is a notably articulate sound. As always, Lypertek has coloured the sound but subjectively tastefully and not excessively. This means genre versatility and balance remain very respectable which gives the Z5 an advantage over many competitors, especially amongst cheaper ANC models.

Highs –

As expected, the top-end is clear and crisp with a good presence equivalent to the bass. Lower-treble details are well present and smaller background details are also pushed forwards if at the expense of background cleanliness. The Z5 has a slightly thinner note body and an energetic character consistent with the midrange. What mires is the quality of the note presentation which has a distinct lack of initial bite. This could be due to the tuning missing the 6 and 8kHz ranges usually responsible for sharpness but I would suggest it’s more a repercussion of wireless combined with a mediocre driver. It’s not a poor performance but you can easily hear the jump in resolving power when moving to the Z7 for example.

Premium dynamic driver models like the Sony WF-1000XM4 also have a notable advantage in this respect. Still, top-tier treble resolution and extension isn’t’ exactly what one expects from a budget ANC wireless earphone. The Z5 isn’t mushy nor is it too soft and lower-treble detail presentation is ample. Technical performance leaves to be desired but the tuning is balanced and pleasant. The smooth note presentation also mitigates fatigue to some degree. There is a total lack of sharpness even on brighter tracks such as Tina Arena’s “Sorrento Moon”, the Z5 takes the bite off the percussion whilst retaining a nice sense of air and presence.

Soundstage –

The soundstage is not large but stretches to the periphery of the head. Width and depth offer equal extension providing the impression of a more three-dimensional stage. Imaging performs well that said. The presentation has good coherence and directionality. Vocals are focused and well-centred, there are also clear background and foreground layers. For whatever reason, layers are more defined when turning LDX on but you do lose that centre image as aforementioned. Separation is also good, the midrange is very clean as is the treble. Though notes are especially well-defined throughout, the balanced tuning keeps things in check and even permits some space between each element. I do feel that Lypertek has made the best of the hardware in this respect.

Next Page: Comparisons & Verdict