The Pureplay Z7 is the most recent pair of wi-fi earbuds from the Chinese language producer Lypertek. The corporate got here into the limelight after the launch of its wonderful Tevi mannequin, which has since then been changed with the largely an identical Pureplay Z3.
I reviewed the Tevi and likewise the newer Levi fashions final yr and located them to be a number of the finest wi-fi earbuds of their worth vary. In comparison with most different manufacturers of their worth vary, the Lypertek merchandise had extra concentrate on audio high quality over superficial options and to today stay two of my favourite wi-fi merchandise that I’ve reviewed.
The Pureplay Z7 is a extra premium entry within the sequence, superseding all earlier fashions. This one claims to have an improved audio high quality expertise, with the addition of a triple-driver setup. The Pureplay Z7 additionally options Bluetooth 5.2 and Qualcomm aptX Adaptive codec.
At a price ticket of $200, the Pureplay Z7 are a cool $110 dearer than the second-in-line $90 Pureplay Z3 mannequin. In reality, they price virtually as a lot as all different Lypertek fashions mixed. That is fairly a premium from what continues to be a comparatively unknown model, as you may get the Samsung Galaxy Buds Professional for much less.
It appears then that the Pureplay Z7 have a somewhat arduous process in entrance of them. Let’s have a look at how nicely they carry out.
Packaging
The Pureplay Z7 have principally primary packaging. Other than the earbuds and the standard three units of silicone ear ideas, the one different attention-grabbing bits are the three pairs of froth ideas and three pairs of substitute mud covers for the speaker ports.
Sadly, there was a somewhat alarming problem with my packaging. For no matter cause, the froth ideas that I acquired have been too small to suit. The Pureplay Z7 has a wider than standard speaker port, which is not an excessive amount of of a trouble for the silicone tricks to unfold over the small rubber insert inside the froth ideas merely couldn’t. I attempted for a good bit of time to attempt to connect them and it was solely when it appeared that it was much more seemingly that I will rip the information than get them on did I let it go.
This looks as if a high quality management problem as there was one other drawback, of types, with the packaging. The field had one other three units of silicone ideas in a bag that weren’t speculated to be there. Nowhere does Lypertek point out that the Z7 include six pairs of silicone ideas, with every having an an identical copy. It needs to be an error on the manufacturing facility, simply because it was an error to place the fallacious measurement foam ideas within the field.
Design
The Pureplay Z7 have the identical chubby earplug type design because the Pureplay Z3, née Tevi. It tends to stay out far an excessive amount of out of your ears and can also be a good bit heavy.
The skin of the earbuds has a bodily button for controlling playback. I’m not a fan of this design, because it requires urgent the earbud deeper into your ears each time you press the button, which may get fairly uncomfortable. As such, I virtually by no means used them.
The tube jutting out of the earbuds is thicker than standard as apart from serving as the driving force port it additionally helps anchor the earbuds in your ears.
Sadly, due to the mechanism by which they sit in your ears and the burden of the earbuds, the Pureplay Z7 generate a kind of pendulum impact, which causes them to bounce in your ears as you stroll. This tends to sound like audible shocks in your ears each time your heel touches the bottom.
The earbuds are IPX5 waterproof, so they need to survive sweat, rain, and the occasional splash of water.
As for the case, it has the same look to that of the Pureplay Z3 case. The plastic physique is roofed in a cloth layer, which has an attention-grabbing look and texture, though from expertise I do know can stain over time.
This case, for some cause, replaces the multi-LED on the Pureplay Z3 case with a single, much less helpful one and the earbuds inside are positioned the other way up. Other than that, there’s nothing significantly noteworthy about it.
Consolation
The Pureplay Z7 have been comfy to put on over prolonged intervals for me. The speaker tube goes deeper than standard contained in the ears however I did not thoughts it a lot because it additionally will get a superb seal within the course of. I may put on these for hours — and I did.
The difficulty, as talked about earlier than, is whereas strolling. The fixed oscillation of the earbuds within the ear makes for a somewhat disagreeable expertise the place there are audible shocks within the ear each time you are taking a step. I merely can’t see myself utilizing them whereas strolling round, which is a somewhat massive problem for a pair of wi-fi earbuds.
{Hardware}
The Pureplay Z7 make the most of a triple driver setup, consisting of twin balanced-armature drivers and a single dynamic driver of unspecified measurement. The dynamic drive makes use of mylar movie and excessive purity PPF titanium plating with N52 neodymium magnets. The BA drivers have had their nozzles eliminated to suit throughout the confines of the earbuds and the tuning has been adjusted to compensate.
The Pureplay Z7 use Qualcomm’s QCC3040, which is designed for low-power use in TWS earbuds. The chip helps Bluetooth 5.2 and Qualcomm TrueWireless Mirroring expertise. It additionally helps Google Quick Pair however the function has not been enabled on the Pureplay Z7.
The Pureplay Z7 help SBC, AAC, and aptX Adaptive codec. The final one helps 24-bit, 48kHz audio at a variable bitrate of 279kbps to 420kbps relying upon connection power and RF interference.
The Pureplay Z7 don’t help lively noise cancellation. There may be, nevertheless, a transparency mode obtainable, which might be enabled via the app.
Software program
The Pureplay Z7 have a appropriate app for iOS and Android. The app is fairly easy, letting you alter the EQ, controls, LDX Audio mode, and replace the firmware.
The EQ function features a seven-band equalizer with two customized profiles and eight presets.
The LDX Audio mode would not actually do a lot. I observed a barely deeper bass and treble response however it’s so refined it is arduous to inform if it is on or off.
Lypertek PureControl app
There may be additionally a discover my earbuds function however it would not really make the earbuds beep. Somewhat, you possibly can solely see them on a map primarily based on once they final interfaced with the app.
Efficiency
Audio high quality
The Pureplay Z7 have a laidback, mellow sound that emphasizes the bass and mid-range with a dialed again treble response. It is fairly the antithesis from what you usually count on from balanced armature drivers and likewise very completely different from the sound signature of the a lot brighter and extra balanced Pureplay Z3.
The bass response on the Z7 has a pleasant punch to it with out getting all in your face. The low bass is boosted however nonetheless feels well-defined with nice heat and thump. The mid and higher bass intensify the heat additional, which introduces some muddiness to the sound.
The mid-range appears to journey this wave of frequency enhance because the decrease and mid-mids are fairly ahead within the combine. There’s a slight honk to the mid-range and in consequence, male vocals sound barely nasal and the percussion devices sound equally unnatural. However in the event you like your mid-range you then may not thoughts this a lot.
Previous that, the frequency response kind of goes downhill. It appears Lypertek went a bit too far whereas attempting to rein within the typical BA tonality and traits, particularly since additionally they chopped off their ideas, which ought to have made them insufferable. However the results of that is that the treble is now pushed fairly far again into the combo.
The Pureplay Z7 have a reasonably darkish tonality. Treble element is respectable however quantity is dialed far again, which makes the sound fairly murky. You are inclined to get used to it after some time however swap forwards and backwards between these and a extra balanced pair of earbuds and the distinction is evening and day.
The general mellow tonality of the Pureplay Z7 could also be to some tastes, particularly individuals who regardless of brilliant, shouty audio signatures. It makes for a easy, stress-free sound which you could take heed to for hours with out a lot fatigue. Nevertheless, it is not essentially the most balanced or impartial audio signature and people searching for such will certainly be upset.
By way of technical efficiency, the extent of element within the sound is respectable. Nevertheless, the dialed again treble takes the sting off the sound and makes it softer and unfocused. Imaging efficiency is common, and the soundstage is unremarkable.
One somewhat critical problem with the sound is the background noise. When the earbuds are powered on, the DAC/amp circuitry is engaged solely when there may be audio enjoying and powers down after a while of no audio. Nevertheless, this circuitry provides a ton of very audible background noise to the system, which might be heard even once you’re in comparatively noisy environments. It is particularly noticeable when it turns off after some time of no audio enjoying when issues all of a sudden get quieter.
Microphone
The Pureplay Z7 has below-average microphone efficiency. Voices sound quiet and vague. The earbuds can also’t deal nicely with background noise and it solely makes the voices tougher to listen to.
Latency
The Pureplay Z7 have nice latency efficiency for video. Whereas watching movies, it was arduous to make out any latency within the audio and the expertise was practically indistinguishable from utilizing wired headsets.
The latency throughout gaming was extra noticeable however nonetheless completely enough for informal gaming. Nevertheless, for aggressive titles, it is nonetheless really useful to make use of a wired headset with a built-in microphone.
Connection
The Pureplay Z7 had dependable connection efficiency throughout testing. Not as soon as did the earbuds drop connection or did any kind of unusual enterprise that may warrant mentioning. They beautiful a lot labored as they need to.
Noise cancellation and transparency
The Pureplay Z7 don’t have any lively noise canceling system. Nevertheless, the earbud design supplies a superb seal creating an excellent passive isolation impact.
The Pureplay Z7 do have a transparency mode that may be enabled via the app. Nevertheless, it sounds very robotic and unnatural. Having stated that, you should still wish to use it as a result of the passive isolation is basically fairly efficient.
Battery Life
The Pureplay Z7 have a rated battery lifetime of 10 hours when utilizing the SBC codec. In addition they declare to final 2 hours after a 15-minute cost.
Throughout my testing, I acquired 8 hours of steady playback when testing with aptX Adaptive. Whereas it is a bit off the mark, 8 hours continues to be very spectacular. Additionally, a 15-minute cost really went on for the claimed 2 hours, which can also be fairly good.
The case helps Qi wi-fi charging, together with the usual USB-C connection.
Conclusion
The Lypertek Pureplay Z7 are deeply unimpressive wi-fi earbuds on the $200 asking worth. They’ve a lackluster function set, with staple items like in-ear detection being unavailable. In addition they miss out on different stuff equivalent to lively noise-cancellation that one expects at this worth level.
If the efficiency was streets forward of the others, then a number of the shortcomings may have been ignored. However the audio high quality is barely respectable and stricken by points such because the background noise. The microphone efficiency can also be poor and so they have been additionally uncomfortable to put on whereas strolling, which is only a deal-breaker for wi-fi earbuds.
There are additionally some simple high quality management points right here, from the non-fitting foam ideas, an additional pair of silicone ideas that should not be there, to the aforementioned background noise problem.
The one good issues concerning the Pureplay Z7 are the battery life, the latency efficiency, and the consolation once you’re simply sitting. These, nevertheless, are ancillary issues and should not ok to save lots of these earbuds.
Total, I might advocate patrons persist with the less expensive Pureplay Z3 as they’re vastly superior in virtually each approach.
Professionals
- First rate audio high quality
- Nice battery life
- Good latency efficiency
- IPX5 rated
- Wi-fi charging
Cons
- Uncomfortable whereas strolling
- Audible background noise throughout playback
- No in-ear detection
- No lively noise cancellation
- Poor microphone efficiency
- High quality management points
- Earbud controls are uncomfortable to make use of
