Lypertek Z5 Review – Better

Comparisons –

Earfun Air Pro ($79): The Air Pro offers a similar design and feature set for even less. In terms of build and fit, I do slightly prefer the Air Pro, however, the Z5 offers superior ANC and Aware quality. Sonically, the Z5 is also more versatile due to its more balanced tuning. The Air Pro isn’t bad at all, but is a clearly fun and bassy earphone. It has a nice lower-treble bump balancing this out and a natural albeit laid-back midrange.

The Z5 has a cleaner bass with less warmth and it has better definition. The Air Pro has more punch but also rounder, less controlled notes. The Z5 has a much cleaner and clearer midrange that also sits in better balance. The Air Pro is warmer and fuller with a smoother, more coherent character. The Z5 has a more extended treble response with better detail retrieval. Neither will win awards but the Z5 clearly has the upper hand on driver quality.

Lypertek TEVI ($99): The TEVI is a much older model with a simpler approach that reflects. It is smaller and has a less stable fit. It lacks any app integration or noise cancellation, being very much audio focused. The tuning is leaner in the bass but immaculately clean and natural. The bass is more sub-bass focused and the mid-bass has a perfectly clean tone. It has better separation and bass definition. The Z5 is more coloured and regular listeners are likely to appreciate its warmer and more vibrant bass response even if you lose a little resolving power.

The midrange is more present on the TEVI but both sound nicely balanced. The TEVI has a flatter sound profile once again with a bit more body and the lower mids and greater density in the upper midrange. The Z5 sounds more vivid with greater contrast and clarity which makes it sound more appealing in direct comparison. The treble is where I prefer the Z5 for though it is no more defined, it has more presence and better extension. The TEVI peters off above the lower treble where the Z5 sustains with superior background detail retrieval and headroom, it has a crisper and more present treble in general too.

1More EVO ($169): The EVO is a slightly pricier model that can be found for a similar price on sale – albeit Lypertek also hosts frequent sales on their models. It is smaller and has much better build quality, the ANC is slightly better and more refined on the EVO. The EVO has a more coherent, warmer sounds signature though both are warm and nicely balanced overall. I did note that the EVO has a good bump in driver quality similar to my impression with the Z7, and this persists even with ANC on. Bass is better extended, and much more textured, sub-bass has greater slam and rumble. The Z5 has a slightly cleaner tuning but it lacks the same definition. The midrange is warmer and more laid-back on the EVO giving it a U-shaped character.

It has less clarity but well sized vocals all the same. The Z5 has notably better balance here and a cleaner tone. Though it is less resolving, without eQ, I do prefer the Z5’s raw tuning. The treble tells a similar story. The EVO has good lower-treble presence but skews slightly dark out of the box. The Z5 has a more balanced presence with better air. The EVO has substantially higher note definition that said due to its hybrid driver setup. It resolves small details with noticeably greater resolution and extends further even if the background is darker. As much as I love the Z5, this does make the EVO a more responsive platform to eQ, of course, within the restraints of the mobile app.

Lypertek Z7 ($199): The Z7 is the Z5’s bigger brother but given time for price cuts actually comes in at a similar price. It offers no ANC but a hybrid driver setup and aware mode alongside a smaller shell. The Z7 has a more contrasted sound with bigger bass but also a more prominent midrange. This gives it a more coloured sound. Both can be adjusted with eQ but, for the sake of comparison, I listened to both on their stock settings. The Z7 immediately has more bass. While it isn’t a clean as either the TEVI or the Z5, the Z7 has the best driver quality with superior control and dynamics. The Z5 sounds cleaner and more separate that said but lacks the same definition and texture.

The midrange is warmer on the Z7 due to its bigger bass and cleaner and clearer on the Z5. The Z7 sounds a bit too contrasted due to its large lower-mid dip, it can sound unbalanced from male to female vocals. The Z5 suffers from this to a much lesser degree sounding more balanced and tonally clean. The top-end is more present on the Z5 but much more detailed on the Z7. It has much higher note definition, especially in the lower-treble despite not being as bright. Notes are more defined and fine details are far more clearly resolved. The Z5 is brighter and a bit airier but lacks the same technical ability.

Verdict –

This was definitely one release I was less excited for. There are simply so many generic TWS offerings out there and I generally don’t have high expectations for audio-focused companies tackling lifestyle, ANC touting designs. In summary, this attitude is a discredit to Lypertek who have proven themselves a reliable and highly knowledgeable company. The Z5 cancels noise and cancels it well. It offers a balanced sound signature that returning customers will enjoy. While the driver quality is arguably the worst of their releases excluding maybe the S20, the step up in convenience features is huge. Not only are these features useable, they are very competent and better than many name brand offerings. They aren’t the best on the market but are one of the cheapest. The Z5 faces tough competition, even internally from Lypertek’s own line-up however, to balance sound quality and lifestyle features with such aplomb must be recognised.  

The Z5 can be purchased from Lypertek for $99 USD at the time of review. I am not affiliated with Lypertek or KS Distribution and receive no earnings from purchases through this link.

Track List –

Billie Eilish – dont smile at me

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

Elton John – Honky Chateau

Fleetwood Mac – Rumours

H.E.R – I Used To Know Her

Jaden – BYE

Jeff Cascaro – The Other Man

Kanye West – Ye

Radiohead – Pablo Honey

The Beatles – Abbey Road

The weeknd – After Hours

TOOL – Lateralus