Lypertek Tevi True Wireless Earphones Review

There are plenty of big headphone and earphone makers, but sometimes the most interesting products come from brands you've probably never heard of before. Many of these small brands are manufacturers from China, and have inspired the term ‘Chi-Fi', or Chinese hi-fi. Headphones and earphones from these brands are often competitively priced and technically competent, and usually sound pretty good. There are dozens of these small brands, but once in a while something stands out enough to be noticed even here in India.

Today, I'm reviewing the Lypertek Tevi. Priced at Rs. 6,999 in India, this new true wireless headset has been getting some attention in audiophile circles for its balanced sonic signature and clinical approach to sound. Does the Lypertek Tevi indeed live up to claims that it delivers an audiophile-grade experience? Find out in our review.

The Lypertek Tevi is simple and minimalist looking, but well built

Qualcomm aptX support on the Lypertek Tevi

The Lypertek Tevi is a good-looking pair of true wireless earphones, but not in the conventional way. I quite like the largely minimalist look of the earphones, complemented by a silver ring around the button on each earphone. The rune-like Lypertek logo also gives it a splash of style, and for the most part, this is a simple but well-built pair of true wireless earphones.

Unlike some budget and mid-range options that have touch controls, the Lypertek Tevi has physical buttons. These are easy to press, and the controls are convenient. You can control playback, volume, answering calls, and invoking the default voice assistant on your paired smartphone.

There are a total of four pairs of ear tips included in the box – three silicone and one foam – along with a USB Type-C cable for charging the case. Although I usually prefer foam ear tips for a more secure and noise isolating fit, the silicone tips were better and more comfortable for me on the Lypertek Tevi. The earphones are IPX7 rated for water resistance, so you'll be able to safely use them outdoors and while working out.

The Lypertek Tevi features 6mm graphene drivers, a frequency response range of 20-20,000Hz, Bluetooth 5, and support for the SBC, AAC, and Qualcomm aptX Bluetooth codecs. Like the Creative Outlier Air, the Lypertek Tevi didn't let me choose the Bluetooth codec on an Android smartphone; instead automatically selecting the best option based on the device. This was aptX on my Android smartphone and AAC when I used the earphones with my MacBook Air. As before, I'd have liked the ability to choose, but this wasn't a big problem for me.

Apart from good looks and a USB Type-C port, the case also offers up to six recharges of the earphones

Although the earphones look simple, the charging case of the Lypertek Tevi is quite impressive, and reminded me of the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2's case. The denim-like fabric texture all around the case is quite good to look at and feel, and the case has four indicator lights at the front for the battery level. The USB Type-C port for charging is at the back, and the case is small enough to fit in your pocket. I did occasionally have issues with the earphones not disconnecting from my smartphone even after placing them in the case, because of a weak magnetic latch.

Battery life on the Lypertek Tevi is quite impressive, with a claimed figure of 10 hours per charge on the earphones and an additional six charges from the case. I was able to get 7-8 hours per charge from the earphones with mixed use across music and calls on different devices, and the case did indeed top the earphones up thrice before the indicator lights suggested that it had around 50 percent left in its own battery.

Balanced sound, great soundstage on the Lypertek Tevi

Most true wireless earphones I've reviewed across all budgets have one thing in common: V-shaped tuning. This gives the bass and treble slight bumps over the mid-range, and makes the sound a bit ‘flavoured'. The Lypertek Tevi is one of a handful of true wireless headsets I can think of with balanced sound tuning, offering an audiophile-friendly approach to true wireless listening.

I used the Lypertek Tevi primarily with my Android smartphone, but also used it with a MacBook Air for occasional listening and video calls at my work desk. The earphones sounded best on the Android smartphone thanks to the aptX codec, but the reduction in sound quality wasn't significant when using AAC on the laptop.

Starting with Human by Rag'N'Bone Man, the neutral tuning could immediately be heard in Rory Graham's baritone vocals, which sounded rich, detailed and impactful. It wasn't just the vocals; the Lypertek Tevi drew out oodles of detail across the track, including some of the fainter elements. The clapping and instruments that make up the beat for much of the track could be heard clearly and distinctly.

The buttons on the earphones are easy to press and let you control playback, volume, and your phone's voice assistant

I had the volume turned up in the early part of the track, and this was fine before things got too busy. Too many instruments and a general bump in the tone of the track made the sound a bit too shrill and piercing at anything above the 80 percent volume level. Turning the volume down brought the Tevi back to its sharp, clean sound, without the piercing shrillness.

Switching to Rainfall by Nitin Sawhney, the rich detail and excellent soundstage of the Lypertek Tevi was the highlight of my listening of this soothing Spanish guitar-centric track. The bass was far from thumping and aggressive, as I've heard on several other true wireless models such as the 1More Stylish True Wireless earphones and the Creative Outlier Air; instead it was mellow and laid-back, with just enough drive to be sensed rather than physically felt.

This was also particularly evident in Mermaid of Salinas by Basement Jaxx, where the constant synthesised rumble of the bass never overpowered the tropical instrumentals or even the peripheral vocals in the track. If anything, I heard elements that had previously been drowned out by the strong bass when using other headphones and earphones, showing just how insightful and detailed the Lypertek Tevi is. It truly is balanced, giving sounds across the frequency range their due attention.

Listening to a high-resolution version of Mountains by Hans Zimmer from the Interstellar soundtrack, the Lypertek Tevi offered up an immersive and engaging listening experience, with detailed imaging and as wide a soundstage as I've ever heard on a pair of true wireless earphones. About two minutes into the track, the earphones offered some impressive instrumental separation, giving the ticking of the clocks in the track a haunting and very real feel.

The Lypertek Tevi is an incredibly musical pair of true wireless earphones, but that doesn't mean you can't use it for other things if you want to. The earphones performed well on voice calls, during video calls, while watching movies and TV shows, and also for the occasional YouTube videos. There isn't multi-point connectivity, but you can use either earphone individually, and the connection was quite stable with even a 12-foot distance between the earphones and my smartphone.

Although very musical, the Lypertek Tevi is good for all kinds of uses, including calls and videos

Verdict

The convenience of the true wireless form factor typically doesn't overlap with audiophile listening habits, but the Lypertek Tevi has everything needed to change that. With balanced, detailed, and incredibly insightful sound, this is the most refreshing pair of true wireless earphones I've heard in a while. The level of detail is similar to what you'd get with the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 (which costs over thrice as much), while also offering mellow bass, a great soundstage, and plenty of fun. That said, this sonic signature can become a bit shrill and piercing at high volumes, and isn't as exciting as many other true wireless earphones in this price segment can be.

There's very little to complain about with the Lypertek Tevi – this is a great-sounding pair of earphones and will suit anyone looking for a more immersive and natural listening experience. Excellent battery life and stable connectivity add to the quality on offer with the Rs. 6,999 Lypertek Tevi.

Price: Rs. 6,999

Pros

IPX7 water resistance Stable connectivity, Qualcomm aptX support Excellent battery life Detailed, insightful, and musical Balanced, clean sonic signature Good for calls, videos

Cons

Shrillness at high volumes Earphones didn't always latch onto the case properly

Ratings (out of 5)

Design/ comfort: 4 Audio quality: 4.5 Battery life: 5 Value for money: 4.5 Overall: 4.5

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