In Summary
Lypertek’s Tevi was one of the most talked-about TWS of 2019. The audio performance of the Tevi drew comparisons with the Sennheiser Momentum TWS, which was much more pricey. The Tevi have now been given a slight upgrade, with a few new features and a new name – the PurePlay Z3.
From Tevi to PurePlay Z3
The reasons for the re-christening as per the announcement that came to us was: There is a bit of us going “whatever” at that marketing-speak, to be honest, but then we are sure that the decision to have a new name came from more brand-aware minds than ours. The name-changed has sparked some talk in the market of a takeover but we would recommend taking that with more than a pinch of salt. Speaking personally, we felt that “Tevi” had a very distinct and unique ring to it. PurePlay Z3 sounds more routine. But that’s another matter. The announcement also told us that the PurePlay series has an “exciting future ahead” and the product release roadmap included an ANC true wireless earphone and a hybrid-driver true wireless earphone.
Wireless charging, hear-through mode added…and a new package too
What really matters, however, is that Lypertek has added some new features to the Tevi. Yes, the design is exactly the same down to the Sennheiser Momentum clone charging case, but beneath that familiar surface are a few changes. The most notable of these is the addition of wireless charging, something that was missing in the Tevi. Then there is the support for Bluetooth 5.2, again something the Tevi lacked. Finally, there’s a hear-through mode, or what many others call a transparency mode, allowing you to hear what others are saying around you. Interestingly, both wireless charging and hear-through mode were available in the lower-priced successor to the Tevi, the Lypertek Levi (no, that has not been given a new name…yet – we are betting on PurePlay Y3). Finally, the packaging has been changed. It is no longer transparent but is a simple black box. A feature that was not mentioned in the announcement that we received but which is out there on the product page is support for Qualcomm cVc 8.0 microphone, which is supposed to offer a “reliable calling experience. ” We do not know whether this translates into “environmental noise cancellation,” but calls were not the Tevi’s strong suit so any improvement there is welcome. Perhaps we missed it earlier, but we are reasonably sure it was not mentioned for the original Tevi.
More features plus same price equals a sound investment…even now
All this, of course, adds to what is already a very very good package – superb, near-audiophile-level sound delivered through graphene drivers, aptX and AAC support, IPX7 dust and water resistance, ten hours of battery life on the buds, and sixty more on the case. We could go on but you can read out the review here. One feature from the Levi that we wish Lypertek had got on to the Tevi was the simpler control system, but then that might have been a bit too difficult. The best part? The price is unchanged. You can get the Lypertek PurePlay Z3 for Rs 6,999. And yes, we still think that they are perhaps the best TWS you can get for under Rs 10,000 in terms of sheer value for money, although the Oppo Enco X runs them very close, and the Sennheiser Momentum TWS is now available for a much lower price.
