Lypertek PurePlay Z3 2.0 review: Engaging audio meets bumper battery life

As their name suggests, the Lypertek PurePlay Z3 2.0 are an update to the Chinese brand’s first true wireless earbuds, the PurePlay Z3 (previously known as the Tevi).

The new Z3 add a number of nifty new features to what was already an appealing package but you won’t be paying any more for those features, as the 2.0 model has the same £99 RRP as the original.

Battery life remains exceptional, while sound quality gets a serious boost thanks to the inclusion of Lypertek’s LDX (Lypertek Definition Expander) audio profile. Advanced features such as ANC and wear detection are absent, but the balance between price and quality makes the PurePlay Z3 2.0 a very tempting prospect.

Lypertek PurePlay Z3 2.0 review: What do you get for the money?

Like their predecessors, the Lypertek PurePlay Z3 2.0 are true wireless earbuds that possess an IPX7 rating for waterproofing. They operate over Bluetooth 5.2 (an upgrade from the 5.0 used by the Z3) and support the SBC, AAC and aptX audio codecs.

The design is near-identical to the original Z3, with drum-shaped buds and silicone ear tips offering a stable fit and decent passive noise cancellation. They’re a little chunkier than some of our other favourites in this style, such as Sony’s WF-1000XM4 or Creative’s Outlier Air V3, but don’t protrude out of your ears to the point where they look ridiculous.

Included in the box is a slim charging case coated with a soft fabric that feels more luxurious than its plastic counterparts, as well as a USB-C cable. The Z3 2.0 support both wireless charging and fast charging, with the latter netting you two hours of playback from just 15 minutes on charge.

Despite its compact nature, the case provides enough juice for six charges of the earbuds, which themselves should last for around ten hours of audio playback. Those additional charges take total battery life to an exceptional 70 hours.

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Lypertek PurePlay Z3 2.0 review: What else is new for 2.0?

The PurePlay Z3 2.0 are built around a new Qualcomm chipset that uses Bluetooth 5.2, and this resulted in a rock-solid connection during testing. The earbuds were very quick to pair with my mobile device and I experienced no audio dropouts whatsoever.

The biggest new addition to the Z3 package is PureControl, the Lypertek companion app (not to be confused with PureControl ANC, the app for the brand’s newer buds, the PurePlay Z5). Here you’ll find a seven-band equaliser that allows you to save your own configuration as one of two custom settings, while also offering eight presets for genres including rock, jazz and hip hop.

The EQ settings aren’t the only thing the app offers, however. The main menu includes some options for customising the Z3’s controls, a “find my earbuds” feature and the “Hear Through” ambient audio mode. The latter uses external microphones to filter in outside noise, giving you a better sense of your surroundings while listening to audio.

Within the app, you’ll also be able to access one of the Z3 2.0’s big selling points, the LDX (Lypertek Definition Expander) audio mode. There’ll be more on this mode shortly, but its purpose is to expand the soundstage for a greater sense of space and increased detail.

Lypertek PurePlay Z3 2.0 review: How do they sound?

The original PurePlay Z3 made their mark with great audio at a reasonable price, and on this front, very little has changed with the 2.0.

They house 6mm graphene-coated dynamic drivers that deliver audio with punch and energy, and the default profile offers decent detail in the mid-range, a relatively wide soundstage and impressive instrument separation.

The lower end can feel a little meek – Lypertek has avoided jacking up the bass to ear-shattering levels – but there’s a Bass+ profile for those that want more oomph from low-end frequencies. I found this profile a little overzealous, however, as it crowded the lower mid-range. For the best results when using this profile, I recommend dropping the lowest frequency band down a couple of notches in the EQ.

The in-app equaliser is very easy to use but most users probably won’t bother with it, as the real star of the show is LDX mode. If coming from the standard profile, the difference in LDX Audio is palpable: the doors of the soundstage are thrown wide open, giving an increased sense of depth to everything. Vocals benefit most from this without ever drifting into distracting, echoey territory.

What’s especially impressive is how much detail the LDX mode is able to articulate in higher frequencies. Even with raucous, big band swing arrangements, there was no distortion and each instrument contributing to the complex compositions was given space to shine.

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Lypertek PurePlay Z3 2.0 review: What could they do better?

If the PurePlay Z3 2.0 have one main weakness, it’s how inconsistent connecting to their companion app is. I experienced this personally and also read multiple reviews on the Apple App Store and Google Play store documenting similar issues. It’s not a dealbreaker but is definitely a frustration I could live without.

The Hear Through ambient sound mode is the other notable area for improvement. It does very little to increase your awareness of what’s going on around you – if an effective transparency mode is important to you, you’ll want to look elsewhere.

Those two issues aside, the Z3’s shortcomings relate to what they don’t do, specifically their lack of active noise cancellation and wear detection. Though not especially common among cheaper earbuds, these are features incorporated by some of the Z3’s rivals.

The Edifier TWS NB2 Pro, for instance, feature both ANC and wear detection for just £80, while the EarFun Free Pro and the Tronsmart Apollo Air include ANC and both cost less than £60.

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Lypertek PurePlay Z3 2.0 review: Should you buy them?

The PurePlay Z3 2.0 may have a more limited feature set than some of the competition, but they still deliver stellar battery life and highly impressive sound quality at a reasonable price.

Their default sound profile is balanced and impactful, and any rough spots are quickly smoothed out via the user-friendly equaliser. Engage the LDX mode and sound quality is elevated to a point where the Z3 rub shoulders with the best-sounding earbuds in their price bracket.

That sound quality ultimately outweighs the lack of ANC and wear detection and even the frustrating companion app connection issues. If advanced features aren’t top of your earbuds wishlist and you’ve got a reasonable level of patience, the PurePlay Z3 2.0 are an easy recommendation.

Should you want similar sound quality coupled with more advanced features, you’ll find options offering both on our list of the best wireless earbuds, but be prepared to pay more than the £99 the Z3 2.0 are available for.