Pairing and Customization

Pairing the Lypertek PurePlay Z5 is a piece of cake since they go into pairing mode immediately after taking them out of the case. The protocol is to initiate pairing with a previously paired device, and there is no multi-point support, making it a 1:1 device. It paired easily with both my phone and laptop, and voice prompts at various stages confirm the status of the earphones in pairing mode as well as when paired. Lypertek does not mention the exact Bluetooth chipset used with the PurePlay Z5, but the adoption of aptX Adaptive and cVc for the microphones heavily indicates the use of a Qualcomm QCC50xx series option, especially with the latest Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity and hybrid ANC on offer. As it stands, there is SBC, AAC, aptX, and aptX Adaptive for codec support, which is quite good even in the absence of LDAC and LHDC. My relatively old phone had aptX available, as did my Windows 10 PC and laptop.


The previous few Lypertek TWS earphones had app support in the form of the PureControl mobile app, which has had poor reviews with the primary complaints that the app dose not detect the earphones. Whether this is a marketing strategy to wipe the slate clean or just because of incompatibility with older products, the PurePlay Z5 is instead supported by a whole new mobile app called PurePlay ANC, available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Installation is the same as before, with it requiring the earphones to already be paired to your phone or mobile device, and it then takes a few seconds to find them before giving you the option to go through a setup assistant. I do recommend using the setup assistant since it explains the various options and allows for a modicum of customization that will by itself make the PurePlay Z5 a plug and play device, at least when plugged into your ears. You will have to give it location access to proceed though, which Lypertek should make optional for those who don't plan to use the "Find my Earbuds" feature.


The home page is a collection of several option menus and a quick visual indicator of the earphones connected to the mobile device. A render of the PurePlay Z5 shows up at the top with a volume slider below, and we see the product name and sound mode at the left, as well as the battery level on the right. Sound mode has two parts, with the first the default and what Lypertek calls Lypertek Definition Expander (LDX) as a toggle button. LDX aims to open up the soundstage for a greater sense of space, and there are specific LDX profiles for each compatible Lypertek TWS set, making this one of the better such attempts in both design and execution. Try it out and see if it's for you, but note that LDX mode rules out EQ customization, which is arguably better. There is a 7-band EQ, ranging from 80 Hz to 10 kHz, which is arguably where TWS sets tend to perform at anyway. You get 14 dB of EQ per band, with several preset options and two custom options. This means the PurePlay Z5 is customizable to your specific listening preferences, making the default tuning of the set less critical. I again appreciate the tips associated with each option, as it allows users to get a better idea of what everything does.


The second part of the sound mode indicator is for hybrid ANC, where "Normal" is the default state if it hasn't been changed during setup. Active noise cancellation and an ambient mode are also available. While self-explanatory, both still have a short blurb for those who need it. Auto-ambient is also a neat feature that automatically turns on ambient mode when there is no audio signal to and from the PurePlay Z5. This is an option that can be turned on or off at any time, and it worked without a hitch in my testing. The next set of options pertains to the onboard touch controls that can be used via taps and presses, and they can be customized using the app. By default, the controls are the same across both sides, and the pre-programmed configuration by Lypertek worked well enough not to make me want to change anything. The last two menus on the app are self-explanatory, with Find My Earbuds pulling up a map and the last known location of the PurePlay Z5 within GPS accuracy, and the settings menu allowing you to check for and update the firmware as well as go through the setup assistant again. For those interested, support and social media links are also present.