TWS true wireless earphones - under $100
FOUR STARS - 'An audiophile-grade TWS under $100!' 'It's the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless for only a third of the price!' The Lypertek Tevi has seen much praise by reviewers and YouTubers around the net. However - while it offers fantastic clarity, it doesn't tick all boxes.
Lypertek Tevi specs:
Bluetooth 5.0 with AptX and AAC codec
IPX7 water proof (heavy rain, sweat and shower resistant)
9-10 hours listening on a full charge
Charging case can charge earpieces fully 6 times
Comes with 3 sets ear tips and a USB-C charging cable
$100 on Amazon Europe or Amazon UK - check current price!
Below this review you can find direct comparisons between the Lypertek Tevi vs Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless, Shanling MTW100 with Balanced Armature, Mpow T5/ M5, Samsung Galaxy Buds, Whizzer B6 and Bomaker Sifi.
Update February 7, 2020: Added a new sound quality review for the sound after the Android firmware update!
Design, charging and comfort
The Lypertek Tevi has the same charging case as one of the best wireless earphones under $50: the Mpow T5/ M5. When it comes to sound quality, you'll see there are some differences. But in specs, too, both of the cases aren't the same. On the Tevi, the case charges via USB-C instead of micro-USB. It comes in a grey fabric copied of the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless, and it has an attached strap.
The battery is better than the Mpow T5/ M5. That applies to the charging case, which can recharge the earpieces up to 7 times fully. But also for the earpieces itself: Tevi promises up to 10 hours on a single charge. Admittedly, you have to play on low volume to acquire it - but the playtime is better than most competitors. These survive a long car drive or an entire night of white ambient music easily.
The earpieces are a bit more square-like than the Mpow's from the outside. They stick out of your ear quite a bit, due to the long nozzle and the regular-sized rubber-tips. Because they aren't the biggest, they let through quite a bit of surrounding noise - and you can wobble them in your ears a bit. This is not very convenient in combination with the squishy touch controls - see the next piece.
Connectivity and controls
When it comes to controls and connectivity, the Lypertek Tevi leaves something to be desired. The earpieces pair and connect quickly once you take them out of the case, and you can ... easily switch between listening to one or two earpieces. Unfortunately, the Bluetooth 5.0 signal isn't the most stable. It has a few dips in areas more crowded with wireless signals, and the signal seems to be unstable even within 10 meters if there are walls between you and your device.
The control scheme on the Lypertek Tevi is logical. You play or pause with a single press, increase volume by pressing the right bud twice, and decrease volume by pressing the left bud twice. Advancing a song can be done with a long press on the right one. The left long-press returns a song. A triple tap, finally, activates your voice assistant on your phone.
This setup may be the ideal control scheme on paper, but the Tevi has actual buttons, and they are a bit squishy. Every touch makes you squeeze the earpieces deeper into your ear, right at the height of your ear canal. It's not so much painful, but it is annoying. Because the earpieces are wobbly, it's hard to press the earpieces multiple times. You'll end up regularly pausing the music instead of changing the volume, for instance. The Tevi really could have benefited from touch controls. Happily, the Tevi does give you a beep as feedback for your actions.
Calling and watching movies
Video playback is one of the strong suits of the Lypertek. Even in the challenging YouTube-app on iPhone, the audio walks in line with the video on the screen. Synchronization is proper, too, on Android phones supporting Bluetooth 5.0. There is a noticeable delay when playing games, however.
The call quality of the Lypertek Tevi is decent. Your voice comes through quite clear when you are indoors. Outside, the Tevi struggles more - with surrounding noises competing with your own voice. It can occur that your voice drops a few times. Inside quieter bits of your an office or school, you should be able to call just fine with the Tevi.
App of Lypertek Tevi: barely works
As one of the very few wireless earphones under $100, the Lypertek Tevi offers an app. For now, you can only download it from the iOS App Store. There isn't an Android app available yet.
Unfortunately, after being released just under a month on iPhone, it can't connect to the Bluetooth earpieces. Every attempt ends in a 'Connection failed' warning, even though the earpieces are setup correctly on the iPhone. And turned off and on again, as requested by the app. At this point, it's only a promise that you can change the control setup and the equalizer of the earphones.
This will be updated when the app updates/ improves/ actually works. Please inform me when you've got other experiences with the app.
Update February 7, 2020: You can install a specific app to update the earpieces from your Android smartphone. This CAN grant you access to the app on both Android and iPhone, but still doesn't work all of the time. It does change the sound however - see the newly added sound quality review.
Sound quality of Lypertek Tevi: clarity at a cost
The Lypertek Tevi has perhaps the clearest sound on any true wireless earphone under $100. The upper-mids and highs are elevated, almost creating a separate identity from the rest of the music.
Female and higher-pitched male vocals dominate the music, leaving most of the instruments to support their scores. The Tevi is a vocal-centered earphone. Cymbals and violins, too, come through with huge clarity. Happily, the highs don't overstay their welcome. They never sound harsh. What can be sudden loud, sharp sounds (like banging on cymbals in rock songs) on so many other earbuds, is kept in tone here wonderfully. The highs stay distortion-free and refrain from shouting even in more challenging songs. The Tevi sounds transparent and airy - yet not too bright.
The bass of the Lypertek Tevi plays a supportive role. The mid-bass has a gentle thump that acts quick and tight. On audiophile bass-focused songs (here's looking at you, Keith-O), it can dive deep enough as well, providing a pleasant rumble in your ears. 'Controlled' is the keyword. Never does it sound muddy or overblown.
Unfortunately, the lower-mids are a tad too recessed. Darker sounding instruments and male vocals don't enjoy the same presence of their higher-pitched counterparts. Some (user) reviews state the Tevi lack bass. It may not really be the bass though - it's the fullness in the lower-end of so many competitors (like the Whizzer B6, Mpow M5 or Bomaker Sifi for example) that the Tevi sometimes misses. Songs can sound colder on the Tevi, or even too light.
In dance and pop songs, there are moments that the presence of the higher-end comes at the cost of the lower tones. In Dance Monkey from Tones and I, vocals are crystal clear, and the bass is tight. When the two meet, however, the abundance of clarity pushes the bass away and makes the song sound shallow. If you love listening to music with powerful beats, it may be better to look elsewhere.
The sound signature of the Lypertek Tevi works great for vocal and singer-songwriter songs, classic pieces, and pop songs. It delivers class-leading clarity, an airy sound with an above-average soundstage, and lots of detail from the mids to the highs. It just doesn't work all the time.
Lypertek Tevi sound after firmware update: darker
If you have an Android smartphone, it's possible to update the firmware of the Lypertek Tevi. It's a tricky process of updating single earbuds for a few minutes each, but when you succeed, the sound of the Tevi changes noticeably.
After the update (see instructions here), the bass is boosted and the upper-mids and highs are way less elevated. The clarity that the earphones have out-of-the-box, is now heavily reduced. Vocals and upper-mids sound way more like a natural part of the music.
Male vocals can now sound just as loud (or soft) as the instruments surrounding it. Female voices are also more recessed, trading their prominent, bright profile for a more smoothed-out sound, while still maintaining detailed enough.
The bass and lower-mids, on the other hand, gained a lot of weight. The Lypertek Tevi bass after the update gives a steady thump and is capable of a good rumble in the sub-bass. Lower-mids, such as drums and darker electronic tones, are so present, the Tevi now actually sounds a bit dark.
The victim of this new sound character are the center-mids; instruments sound softer than they did before, and mostly just play a side-role next to the elevated lower-end.
The sound of the Lypertek Tevi after the update is more consumer-friendly, with more bass power and a warmer, smoother sound signature. It also sounds a bit dark, though. For many, it will be an upgrade.
Selected Comparisons
(out-of-the-box sound, without the update)
Lypertek Tevi vs Shanling MTW100
The Shanling MTW100 with Balanced Armature ($90) has more emphasis on center-mids than the Lypertek Tevi, with more details and better tonality in acoustic instruments such as guitars, pianos and in orchestral pieces. Instruments placement is more precise, making it a better choice for genres such as blues, jazz, rock, and classic. Vocals can sound a little tinnier and more harsh on the MTW100, though. The Tevi has a cleaner and smoother sound, crisper vocals, and tighter bass - but both lack power in the lower frequencies. The winner depends on your preferences in musical genres.
Lypertek Tevi vs Mpow M5/ T5
The excellent $50 Mpow T5/ M5 has the same design charging case (although on micro-USB instead of USB-C) and almost the same design of earpieces. The sound tuning is different, however. The T5/ M5 has more emphasis on lower-mids and bass, which is fatter but also a bit muddier than on the Tevi. The Tevi extends upper-mids and highs further, making the sound more bright and the top-end airier. The Mpow has better instrument placement within its soundstage. If you like a steady bass quantity, the Mpow may be the better choice for you.
Lypertek Tevi vs Sennheiser Momentum TW
The Lypertek Tevi has been compared directly to the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless ($250) by many YouTubers, but in fact, there's quite a difference in the sound signature. The Sennheiser sounds fuller due to more emphasis on the lower-mids, while the Lypertek Tevi extends highs further and sounds brighter. In regular pop and dance songs, the fuller body gives music on the Sennheiser a heftier, round sound than on the Tevi. Happily, comfort and battery life are way better on the Lypertek.
No review - buy Sennheiser MTW on Amazon US/ Amazon Europe/ UK
Lypertek Tevi vs Samsung Galaxy Buds
Like the Shanling, the Samsung Galaxy Buds ($125) offers more weight in the mids. Tonality is also better. Vocals are fuller, and instruments like drums and guitars sound more natural. The 'Gbuds' also has more definition in the (sub)-bass - even while it's accused of being bass-shy by many, it offers a more prominent bass than the Tevi. The upper-mids and highs of the Lypertek are more opened up, however, giving brighter/ female vocals more room to breathe.
Samsung Galaxy Buds review here
Lypertek Tevi vs Whizzer B6
The often-overlooked Whizzer B6 ($70) has a sweeter, more engaging balance between lows and highs. It delivers heftier bass and more full-sounding lower-mids, combined with clear and forward vocals. The B6 resolves more detail in the bass-area, the Tevi sounds airier and delivers more microdetail from drums, cymbals, and guitars. If you like a clear sound with a steady bass, the Whizzer B6 may be the perfect alternative for the Tevi.
Lypertek Tevi vs Bomaker Sifi
Crowned the 2019-best true wireless earphones under $50 on this very site, the Bomaker Sifi doesn't offer the same airy sound and controlled highs as the Tevi, but it does offer a more balanced mix of lows and highs. Its bass strikes harder, and the Sifi also provides more body and more detail in instruments like cellos or bass-guitars. Highs on the Tevi extend further, presenting vocals more clear and clean than on the Sifi.
Verdict
The Lypertek Tevi defines clarity in the league of true wireless earphones under $100. It sounds clear, detailed, and pure - although it could use more presence in the lower frequencies.
If you achieve the Android update, the sound becomes darker and more pleasant, with smoother vocals and a boosted bass.
No matter which sound profile your Tevi has - the battery life and video qualities always make this a convincing package.
Four STARS - very good
Buy Lypertek Tevi/ check current price:
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Currently unavailable on Amazon US
I bought the Lypertek Tevi for testing and reviewing purposes myself. I test and review all audio products equally honest - read about it here.
Consider buying this earphone? I'd really appreciate it if you use the links in this article. It won't cost you extra, yet it will financially support me a bit in my ongoing quest for great affordable audio. <3
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