Closer Examination

I do like the cable that ships with the XENNS Mangird Top. It's a modular cable clearly in that you can remove the 3.5 mm single-ended TRS plug that is already on the source side and then use the 4.4 mm balanced TRRS plug if you prefer it. The aluminium housing is low enough in profile to where I would be hard pressed to identify this as a modular cable compared to others that tend to be thicker and longer. On the flip side, this is because there isn't a locking mechanism in place aside from a friction fit itself. The knurled gunmetal gray housing is otherwise easy to grip and it then leads to a silver-plated 6N (99.9999% pure) OCC copper conductor to make for a pretty looking cable. It's a 4-strand cable that can be easily reshaped and does not kink up. There aren't any microphonics in use either so this is already on the better side of average. The splitter is similarly low in profile although I would have liked to see the cable cinch be smaller in size, given it is quite loose and doesn't remain in place on the IEMs side. We then get a transparent sheath over the two-strands per channel leading to pre-formed ear hooks. The cable terminates in 0.78 mm 2-pin plugs that get L/R markings on the housing to help identify the left and right channels, respectively. There is a slight extension which makes this cable more conducive for use with recessed connectors on the IEMs themselves. The various metal plugs are gold-plated for oxidation resistance.


XENNS has typically gone with resin shells and this working formula continues with the Mangird Top. The company boasts about the use of German medical-grade resin that is specifically molded into an ergonomic design to best fit the human ear. These are paired to a metal nozzle for durability—IEMs dropped onto a hard floor can result in cracked nozzles if made of resin. The face plates are glued onto the shells such that you can barely see any signs of this. The translucent black shells help but so does the extensive polishing and higher degree of hand assembly done to each of the shells.


The Mangird Top also gets hand-created face plates that look spectacular in person and I can only hope these photos give you a good sense of what to expect. The green and gold colors from the accessories now make complete sense, although it does result in flashy-looking IEMs if you'd rather not draw attention to yourself. The same Mangird writing is present here for branding as on the keychain and a look from the sides provide a teaser of the drivers inside in addition to confirming the use of flush-mounted cable connectors. On the top side is a vent for the dynamic driver and note also the ridge that may or may not appeal to you when it comes to fitting in the antitragus portion of the concha. I mentioned the metal nozzle before and note how it's on the stubbier side relative to the size and shape of the shells. It's ~6.1 mm at the widest point, is fairly perpendicular to the face plate, and has a notch to help keep the ear tips in place. There is also a metal filter on the end to prevent contaminants from entering the acoustic chamber.


Fitting the different ear tips will require you to slightly stretch the inner bore to fit over the nozzle before pushing them in and going around to ensure they are not at an angle. The retaining notch further helps prevent them from coming loose in the ears, and seen above are each of the included size M silicone and foam ear tips installed on the Mangird Top—the foam is quite easy to get out of shape and was not my favorite from a usability stand point since it also took a long time to come back to shape. Try out the various tips and sizes, and keep in mind that both ear canals don't need to have the best seal with the same size or set, either. Regardless of which tips you pick, the next step is to re-connect the cable by carefully identifying the matching channels and orienting the ear hooks around your ear when connecting the IEMs. Doing so is simple, as you just push the 2-pin connectors in place and they remain there via a friction fit. The 4.4 mm connection, if you chose that route, necessitates a decent source with balanced output and I found myself using this set on the go mostly paired with the excellent Questyle M15 or the FiiO Q7.