Xenns Top Pro VS Ziigaat Odyssey 2

Positioned at $500, the Xenns Top Pro gets stacked against the Subtonic Storm at around $5,400—a full 10× price gap that shouldn’t be glossed over. Level-matched listening shows the two land surprisingly close in overall technical performance, with differences in DDs/ESTs and driver counts mattering less than expected. What stands out more is transparency: the Top Pro is upfront about its internals and branded components, while the Summit-Fi piece plays things closer to the vest—par for the course at that tier.

In back-to-back A/B, the Top Pro’s mid-forward balance proves the hook. Instead of leaning on a mid-bass lift for “note weight,” it nudges the mids, keeping vocals, guitars, and cymbals clean and engaging without tipping thin or brittle. Anchored at the same SPL, track after track, the choice often becomes a coin flip—and many listeners would likely pick the more affordable set on tuning alone, because it’s simply more immediately musical across genres while holding its own technically.

This is diminishing returns in the palm of a hand. Slotting the Top Pro into a ranking even risks crowding out pricier neighbors, because its value sits uncomfortably high for its bracket. If the shells were disguised and the price tags hidden, the pick rate would tell the story: a “top-of-the-line” listen without the Summit-Fi tax, driven by smart tuning rather than spec sheet theatrics.

The Xenns Top Pro boasts an exceedingly comfortable, vented resin shell with a metal nozzle, praised as one of the better shells out there. It's light, isolates well, and features a flat two-pin connector. The included case feels extremely premium, matching cases found on more expensive IEMs. Accessories are generous, including a 4.4mm cable, 6.3mm adapter, three sets of tips, a pouch, and a shirt clip. The cable itself is appropriate for the price, described as plush and nice with a Dunu-style locking system, though the chin slider feels slightly loose.

Sonically, the Top Pro presents an interesting and effective mild V-shaped tuning that aligns perfectly with the reviewer's preferences. It features slightly elevated bass and mids with a hint of darkness, delivering clean, pristine mids and great treble extension and air without sibilance. Technical performance is strong across imaging, note weight, and detail. Graph comparisons show similarities to sets like the Dusk DSP and Annihilator, but the Top Pro distinguishes itself with better bass impact than its metallic-shelled sibling (the Tea Pro) and a more comfortable, all-day listen compared to the ultra-detailed but potentially fatiguing AFUL Cantor. It holds its own against flagships like the Monarch MkIII (offering potentially better bass) and the Astral (with minor tonal differences), proving highly competitive in the $400-$900 range.

Ultimately, the Xenns Top Pro emerges as a standout offering from the brand and a top contender at its $500 price point. It hits a sweet spot with very few faults, combining a world-class comfortable shell, generous premium accessories, and a cohesive, engaging sound signature. It delivers nice everything – impactful bass, clean mids, well-extended treble, and strong technicals – making it an easy all-day listen and a set that's hard to beat for this specific tuning philosophy. While responsible purchasing and demos are always advised, it earns a full recommendation as an excellent all-rounder.

The Xenns Top Pro establishes itself as a formidable $500 benchmark, delivering a dynamic, balanced, and clear sound signature. Its standout feature is the crispy, clear, and highly resolving treble that avoids artificial sharpness or fatigue, contributing to a refined hi-fi presentation. This treble clarity particularly enhances female vocals, rendering them sweet and angelic without huskiness, perfectly distanced, and non-shouty at normal volumes due to intelligent tuning cuts and gains.

Technically, the Top Pro punches above its price, competing with models around the $1,000 mark and reaching near Monarch level performance. While a direct upgrade to the original Top, Astral, and Meta models—offering more detail, less sharpness, and increased sparkle—it isn't a massive leap. Its value-to-performance ratio is exceptional. Compared to the Monarch Mk III, it trades some bass impact and texture (making it mid-bass light for genres like rock or metal) for superior layering, separation, and a more dynamic, contrasty, and crispy treble presentation. The bass, while sufficient, can feel disengaged in bass-heavy genres, making sets like the Astral or Odyssey preferable there.

Scaling depends on volume and genre: energetic tracks with treble emphasis suit mid volumes (~65dB), while slower artists like Frank Ocean shine at higher volumes (~75-80dB). Balanced eartips are recommended to maintain its excellent treble balance. Against competitors, the Top Pro is more technical and resolving than the Arcanis (though the Arcanis offers more unique, intimate vocals), more energetic and dynamic than the Volare (which has smoother treble and better mid-bass), and cleaner with better layering than the Oracle Mk III (which boasts better bass texture). Ultimately, the Top Pro is a highly recommended all-rounder, delivering near Monarch-level performance at half the cost with great accessories, making it arguably the best $500 upgrade option for most.

Z-Reviews expresses immediate and strong enthusiasm for the Xenns Top Pro, a $500 IEM featuring a 10-driver configuration (8 balanced armatures + 2 dynamic drivers). He notes their exceptional build quality and stunning visual design, describing them as one of the "prettiest IEMs that has ever existed" with a "color explosion" on the back. The accessories impress him, particularly the thoughtful custom foam insert in the case to protect the zipper, a soft padded case, a high-quality "196-core copper silver cable", and uniquely presented tip sets housed in pre-numbered, multicolored boxes. He finds the large nozzle comfortable enough for extended listening sessions, even though his arms fell asleep during one.

The core of the review focuses on the outstanding sound quality. Z-Reviews describes the sound as "smooth magical things" to his ears, emphasizing its non-fatiguing nature despite excellent detail retrieval: "clear as a whistle but not painful". He highlights the exceptional bass performance, which creates a unique physical sensation, fooling his body into feeling sub-bass pressure like a subwoofer was nearby, without being overpowering or unnatural. The treble is detailed and sharp without causing discomfort. The overall presentation is cohesive, "substantial", and immersive, making him want to listen track after track. He compares the experience favorably to much more expensive IEMs like the $1,500 FIO FX17.

Z-Reviews concludes with a strong recommendation, declaring the Xenns Top Pro "100% worth their $500 price tag". He states they do "everything I want a $500 IEM to do" and outperform his own collaborations like the Defiant, attributing this to the superior driver count and implementation ("there's no replacement for displacement"). Minor critiques include the large nozzle size and the lack of a plastic stand, but these are insignificant compared to the overall performance. His final verdict is that they are a "great" IEM that justifies their price through exceptional sound, build, and accessories.

The Xenns Top Pro stands as a significant evolution from its predecessors, bearing little resemblance to the original Top despite sharing a similar driver configuration. Its tuning aligns much more closely with the Tea Pro, effectively acting as an upgrade to that model – perhaps better named the "Tea Pro Max". It delivers a slightly warmish mid-range with a boost in the upper mids, creating a natural yet contrasty and fun presentation. Vocals retain life and presence, avoiding sounding pushed back or dead neutral. Crucially, the Top Pro executes this mid-range cleaner than the T Pro, thanks to a cut in the mid-bass. This cut enhances bass definition, making it punchier and more dynamic, while also improving separation between the bass and mid-range.

Treble performance is generally lively and detailed, contributing significantly to the perception of strong technical ability. However, it can be slightly peaky, introducing a touch of BA timbre that detracts slightly from perfection – a minor nitpick considering the overall quality. Instrumental separation across the frequency range (bass, mids, treble) is a standout feature, resulting in very good technical performance that surpasses competitors like the Blessing 3. The signature manages to sound snappy and tactile despite a weighty low end. Compared directly to the original Top, the Top Pro offers a fuller, more realistic mid-range adhering to modern tuning philosophies, whereas the original Top remains brighter and leaner. Against the highly regarded HiSenior Mega 5 EST, the Top Pro provides a more engaging and contrasty alternative to the Mega 5 EST's exceptional but potentially "vanilla" neutrality and smoother timbre.

Ultimately, the Xenns Top Pro earns a strong recommendation and a deserved A-tier ranking. It represents a compelling value proposition at its price point, offering an engaging signature with excellent technicalities that many listeners will enjoy. The only significant caveat is for those extra sensitive to treble, who are strongly advised to demo it first due to its elevated and occasionally peaky nature.

Xenns Top Pro arrives with a tidy bundle: a sturdy carrying case, three tip sets (two silicone, one foam), and a lightweight modular cable (3.5/4.4) on a 2-pin connector. The translucent blue, 3D-printed shell is ergonomic and comfortable over long sessions; the nozzle size feels just right. On the graph it follows HBB’s curve with more sub-bass than mid-bass, yielding a fun, energetic sound that’s also notably resolving with strong driver performance; the balanced silicone tips proved best for gaming.

In Valorant, the presentation is intimate and action-packed: rumble from Vandal/Operator/Sheriff hits with tactile weight, and depth cues/verticality stay coherent. Still, the elevated low end adds a slight “husk” that softens imaging precision when team fights erupt, so separation and layering can blur as abilities and gunfire stack—landing around a B+ to A- experience, with sets like the Mango T Pro and Kiwi Ears Astral feeling a bit more breathable.

In Apex Legends, that extra low-end energy makes chaotic scenes less breathable—smokes, grenades, and third parties push separation/layering harder than ideal—while Call of Duty (Treyarch mix) fares surprisingly well, keeping doors, slides, and distant fire easy to track. Counter-Strike 2 doesn’t image as cleanly as Valorant because of the same low-end pull. Overall, the Top Pro is excellent for music (resolving, technical, and punchy—great with rap), but for competitive gaming the original Top remains the safer pick; placement sits around an AB tier, in line with sets like the Letshuoer EJ07M Kinda Lava.

The Xenns Top Pro enters the competitive $500 IEM arena with a hybrid driver configuration (two dynamic drivers, eight balanced armatures per side) and striking aesthetics, described as a "Jackson Pollock cross cyberpunk" design offering impressive visual depth within its lightweight, translucent resin shells. While the packaging is handsome and premium, including a large carry case, a soft pouch, a cleaning tool, a shirt clip, a termination adapter, and a generous selection of ear tips (foam and two silicone styles), the included thin, lightweight cable feels somewhat lackluster and uninspiring despite its swappable termination mechanism (3.5mm/4.4mm/6.35mm). Fit is stable but leans medium-large, potentially challenging for smaller ears, with a nozzle depth requiring tip experimentation for optimal comfort.

Sonically, the Top Pro follows the "new meta" tilted diffuse field sound signature, measuring close to a neutral target. However, its execution falls short of expectations. The boosted bass lacks definition and physicality, coming across as soft, unengaging, and lacking sharp attack or tactile impact, reminiscent of the HiSenior Mega5-EST's low-end. While the upper treble elevation adds brightness and air without harshness or sibilance, it combines with the bass presentation to create an overall tonality that feels clinical, thin, and surprisingly bodyless, lacking warmth and richness despite the bass quantity. Technical performance is decent but unremarkable; imaging and separation are competent due to the brighter tilt, but the presentation feels smoothed over and ultimately unengaging.

Comparisons highlight its shortcomings against key competitors: the Mega5-EST offers better mid-range body and natural tonality; the Oracle mk3 delivers superior bass tactility and a more exciting, stagey presentation; the Brain Dance provides a more impactful, bombastic sound with better-defined bass; and the cheaper Dusk excels with exceptional vocal texture, micro-contrast, and significantly superior bass physicality and engagement. Consequently, while not a bad IEM and confirming that $500 can buy top-tier sound, the Xenns Top Pro earns a modest 3-star rating for its lackluster bass, clinical tonality, and failure to stand out in a crowded field where alternatives simply offer more compelling and engaging listening experiences.

Odyssey 2 shifts the OG’s recipe toward a more mid-centric, vocal-first tuning with a gentle sub-bass lift and smoother treble. Bass hits with less slam than the original but feels tighter, quicker, and cleaner, keeping texture competitive for the price. The top end is calmer—less bite, still adequately extended—trading sparkle for an easy, natural presentation.

Clarity steps up in the mids: vocals pop, separation improves, and detail comes through more plainly, while the OG keeps an edge in bass/treble “texture.” It’s a higher-volume scaler; give it juice and it opens up, especially for ballads, acoustic, indie, and pop—less ideal for hip-hop/R&B/jazz where extra weight and contrast help. Tip rolling that adds a touch of low-end/treble energy can inject the missing excitement without upsetting the balance.

Against similarly “safe” sets (Daybreak, P50), Odyssey 2 leans more vocal-centric with better bass texture; versus value champs (Supermix 4, Nova, Chopin), it sounds fuller and more natural but isn’t the value king. Lush gives more air up top, Arcanis/Luna serve as pricier “special sauce” paths if treble bite or OG-style warmth is desired. Verdict: a safer pick and polished all-rounder—objectively as good or slightly cleaner than OG—but for die-hard OG fans, more of a refined sidegrade than a direct, high-octane upgrade.

Ziigaat Odyssey 2 lands as a premium-feeling set: a CNC-milled aluminum chassis with a sparkly blue/silver faceplate, solid two-pin cable with interchangeable 3.5/4.4 plugs, spare nozzle filters, and a roomy new brown carrying case. The stock cable is nice—though its green tint doesn’t quite match the shell’s aqua tone. Tip selection is generous (foam plus two silicone sets), and the newer silicone tips are a standout. Overall, a tidy package for the price.

Tuning follows the current “new meta”: energetic low end with a cleaner sub-bass attack/decay than sets like ZENs Top/Top Pro, which helps in games. Bass stays punchy yet controlled, so imaging and separation/layering come through well, though gunfire can still push forward. For pure music the bigger, rumblier sets may feel livelier, but for competitive play Odyssey 2 reads space more cleanly and keeps clutter down better than bass-heavier rivals.

Title by title: in Valorant it sounds natural and punchy with tighter gun reports and better map imaging—footsteps are a bit thicker and light taps could cut more—earning a B+. In Apex it’s cleaner than ZENs Top Pro and fine in 3v3s, but big third-party fights expose some separation limits; call it a strong B (bordering B+). In CS2 the positional read improves over ZENs Top Pro, though lighter surface cues and gunfire depth could be crisper—solid overall. Call of Duty plays to its strengths: warmer timbre, wide/deep stage, excellent layering during streaks, with only occasional gunfire masking—another B+. Net result: placed in the B+ tier on the WallHack list, at the lower edge bordering B, similar to the original Odyssey’s standing.

The Ziigaat Odyssey 2 arrives as a collab between Ziigaat and Hangout Audio (tied to Crinacle), essentially a Crin-influenced set in disguise; it’s a 1DD + 3BA hybrid priced around $250. Accessories are thoughtful—three ear-tip sets, spare adhesive filters, and swappable 3.5/4.4 terminations—though the long, friction-fit plug feels awkward. The metal shell is medium-sized with a short nozzle for a shallow fit; comfort is easy, stability average, and the thin green cable is softer than prior Ziigaat attempts with a chin slider that actually holds.

Tonally it lands squarely in the tilted diffuse-field “meta” neutral camp: natural vocals, tame upper-treble, and a slight 4–6 kHz lift that adds clarity and a more contrasty/clinical edge without harshness. Imaging and separation are clean for the price, but the sub-bass-focused boost leaves the low end marshmallowy—tactile yet soft, with kick drums short on slam. Overall balance is convincing and easy to live with, just not especially exciting.

Versus Ziigaat Lush, Odyssey 2 is crisper and more defined where Lush sounds darker, smoother, and a bit low-res, though Lush hits mid-bass a touch harder. Against Softears Volume S (costlier), Volume S wins on bass grip and midrange texture, sounding fuller and more engaging while Odyssey 2 stays cleaner but more clinical. Conclusion: a very good set in a crowded mold—3/5 for a refined meta tune with agreeable timbre but modest bass impact.