ZAOPIN Z2 – Review


ZAOPIN Z2
ZAOPIN Z2

ZAOPIN Z2

| Gaming Mouse | Hot-Swappable | 4000Hz Polling Rate | Wired/Wireless |


ZAOPIN Z2, the newest mouse of the Z series from ZAOPIN.

ZAOPIN might not have the popularity of mainstream brands but it has gained a widespread love by mouse-enthusiasts over the recent times thanks to models such as the ZAOPIN Z1 PRO.

The ZAOPIN Z2 is the brand new model of the line with some inherited qualities and some other innovative new ones.

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ZAOPIN Z2 Review

Tests & Scores


Scores Scores

ZAOPIN Z2 Scores

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A

ACCESSORIES & PACKAGING
gramophone-256604.5/5

The ZAOPIN Z2 comes inside a dark box with fairly rugged build to arrive safely to your home.





Inside you will get:

• 2 sets of mouse feet/skates
• 3 sets of mouse grip tapes
• Braided cable
• Dongle
• USB adapter
• Soft pouch
• Screwdriver


W

WEIGHT

ZAOPIN Z2 weight in grams and ZAOPIN Z2 weight in ounces


D

DESIGN
gramophone-256604.5/5

Size-wise, the Zaopin Z2 is a larger mouse than the Zaopin Z1 Pro as the new Z2 has adopted an ergo-styled form factor, leaving behind the egg-shaped style of the Z1 Pro.

The ZAOPIN Z2 is available in 5 different colors:

• ZAOPIN Z2 red
• ZAOPIN Z2 black
• ZAOPIN Z2 orange
• ZAOPIN Z2 white-black
• ZAOPIN Z2 white-grey

The shell of the ZAOPIN Z2 is made of the same plastic quality found on the Z1 PRO but when directly testing the ZAOPIN Z2 vs ZAOPIN Z1 PRO, you will notice that the finish of the shells has a smoother surface on the ZAOPIN Z2 with any of the “grainy/sandy” feel that the ZAOPIN Z1 PRO had.

Despite the bigger body than the older sibling, the Zaopin Z2 still weighs only 65 grams and measures 123x64x39.5mm.

Aesthetically, the red version, has a full red-colored shell with only being black the buttons, encoder and the bottom section of the case.

Through the lower section of the gap between the main clickers there is a hidden colored LED light that serves as status info for DPI presets, battery and connection mode.


 

E

ERGONOMICS
gramophone-256604.75/5

The ergo form factor of the ZAOPIN Z2 makes it bigger than the egg-shaped Zaopin Z1 PRO, yet we consider the larger size and ergo-shaped to be better adapted to fit a wider audience.

In our opinion, the ergo style makes it more versatile to cover the needs of both users looking for a small or mid-sized mouse and more efficient to fulfill the preference of claw and full-grip styles.

The finish of the plastics are not slippery despite no specific grippy nor “rougher” sections and, also, you can exponentially increase its gripness by adding the included mouse grip tapes.


CB

CONSTRUCTION & BUILD
gramophone-256604.5/5

Before going any further with the review, it is worth highlighting the “star” spec of the ZAOPIN Z2; this is a hot-swappable board.

Seeing a hot-swappable mouse is not that common but it is quite revolutionary to find it in a mouse with the price-tag of the ZAOPIN Z2.

In case, that you do not know what the “hot-swappable” means; this allows the mouse to be opened and replace the switches without any soldering involved – as a matter of fact, the tiny screwdriver that comes included with the mouse is there to help you remove the 3 screws that are needed to open the case and access the board and switches.

Overall, the Z2 feels well-constructed for a plastic mouse with no signs of flex nor noises such as screaking or rattling.

Internally, the ZAOPIN Z2 carries high-quality components such as a PIXART PAW3395 sensor, NORDIC 52840 chipset and NORDIC 52810 chipset for the dongle.


 

SW

SWITCHES
gramophone-25660
4.75/5

In total, the ZAOPIN Z2 has 6 buttons,; 3 on the top case, 2 on the side and 1 on the bottom.

The main clickers use TTC Gold Micro Motion switches (hot-swappable) while the wheel encoder is a E-Sports TTC Golden one.



The hot-swappable nature of the Zaopin Z2 allows to use different switches than the stock ones in case of any switches preference and/or to replace them if they break, start malfunctioning or have reached their EoL (60 million clicks)
The stock switches present defined audible and tactile feedback per click and nearly no pre-travel, giving users instant response to inputs without delay.

The side buttons have a more springy feel and some pre-travel but are easy to activate and reach.

The scroll wheel movement has almost identical tuning as the one of the Zaopin Z1 PRO with the same resistance and smoothness balance seen on the previous model.


CON

CONNECTIVITY
gramophone-256605/5

A detail that some users might not be aware of is the fact that the ZAOPIN Z2 is now also a Bluetooth mouse – which the Z1 PRO lacked.

Of course, it is not Bluetooth-only, the Z2 can also connect wirelessly through a 2.4G dongle or wired with a detachable USB-C cable.

With the 2.4G wireless dongle, the Zaopin Z2 can reach up to 4000Hz of polling rate.

To select the connection mode you need to set the 3-position switch on the bottom case to the desired mode.

It is important to highlight that when purchasing your ZAOPIN Z2 you should be careful to choose the precise one that you prefer as the mouse can be chosen in 1K or 4K versions.



P&E

PERFORMANCE & USE

GAMING
5/5

The Zaopin Z2 is born as a gaming mouse and its specs and features surely confirm it.

Gamers will be glad to find features like:

• 4000Hz polling rate
• Wired and 2.4G wireless
• 65g of weight
• Quality switches
• Hot-swappable
• Stable connection
• Software programming/macros

PRODUCTIVITY
4.25/5



With 6 programmable buttons, an ergo shape and both wired and wireless connection; the Zaopin Z2 is a well-adapted mouse for productivity, office tasks and/or as a mainstream daily driver.

TABLET/MOBILE
4.75/5

The Z2 now includes a Bluetooth connection, making it compatible with mobile devices.

On top of that, the light and small size/weight combine to offer a full package for portability.


 

S

SOUND
gramophone-256604.25/5

Most probably the best way to describe the sound profile of the Z2 is by comparing it with the Z1 PRO.

In fact, the ZAOPIN Z1 PRO vs ZAOPIN Z2 have a noticeably different sound flavor, with the ZAOPIN Z2 showing louder and higher pitched main clickers but lower-pitched side buttons.

On the other hand, the wheel of the ZAOPIN Z1 PRO is louder than on the ZAOPIN Z2, while the encoder button much quieter sound.

This rotary encoder offers a subtle sound feedback per notch and a defined tactile one on each rotational step.

Overall, we can define the Zaopin Z2 as a mouse with clearer feedback than the Z1 Pro, which might be what some users prefer, over the stealthier personality of the Z1 Pro.

None is better over the other one, they are just different.


P

PERFORMANCE
gramophone-256605/5

If you do not specifically select the 4K version, the Zaopin Z2 will reach 1000Hz of polling rate. Instead, if you purchase the 4K model, you will get up to 4000Hz of polling rate with your Zaopin Z2 when using it on wireless 2.4G mode (wired it also runs at max. 1000Hz)

In addition to this, the ZAOPIN Z2 is a blazing fast mouse that provides 650 inches-per-second of tracking speed and a max. acceleration of 50G (this is 30% faster than something like the Logitech G Pro)

As a point of comparison, when tested with the same pushing force, the ZAOPIN Z2 vs ZAOPIN Z1 PRO; the ZAOPIN Z2 was surprisingly more efficient traveling at least 25% more distance than the Zaopin Z1 Pro.

When properly defining DPI and polling rate settings for each task, the Zaopin Z2 showed pristine accuracy and extremely fast response to input clicks and tracking.

The 4K polling rate, premium switches and inner guts of the Z2, allowed it to perform flawlessly on intensive online FPS gaming and go nuts with spam clicking whenever needed.


SW

SOFTWARE
gramophone-256604.25/5

Unfortunately, there is no unified software HUB for all Zaopin mouses; this means that you will have to install a separate software for each Zaopin model.

The software from ZAOPIN allows:
• Button remapping
• Key response time
• Macros
• DPI stages
• Polling rate
• Sensor settings
• Pairing configuration
• Firmware OTA updates
• Software updates
Profile creations


B

BATTERY
gramophone-256604.75/5

Zaopin does not names the specifics of the internal battery on online listings but the user manual says it has a 500mAh batter. After disassembly it, we can confirm with confidence that the ZAOPIN Z2 has a 3.7V 500mAh rechargeable battery.

This makes it a good size for longer runtimes yet, a lightweight balance.


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Specifications

ZAOPIN Z2 Technical Specifications

Model
ZAOPIN Z2

Connectivity

Strikespeed Wireless, BT, Wired
Sensor Type

Optical
Sensor

PixArt 3395 High-end Sensor
Adjustable LOD

Yes
Resolution

400-26,000 DPI
IPS

650
Acceleration

50G
Polling Rate

Up to 4K
On-board Memory

Yes

Back Cover Material

UV Matte Finish
Core Construction

ABS Plastic
Shape

Ambidextrous
Total Button

6
Switch Type & Lifetime

100 Million Clicks
Illumination

N/A
Weight

55 Grams Ultra Lightweight
Dimension

120*64*38.3mm
Cable

1.8M Paracord


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ZAOPIN Z2

9.2

SCORE

9.2/10