Cherry Xtrfy Ngale X Microphone and Boom Arm Review: Excellent Sound in a Familiar Form Factor

In early 2023, the German company Cherry joined forces with Swedish brand Xtrfy to become Cherry Xtrfy and now offers a varied line of products, including gaming mice, keyboards, headsets, and, most recently, microphones. The Cherry Xtrfy Ngale X microphone ($189.00) represents the top of the line, which also includes the Ngale R Microphone ($119.00) as well as the UM series, which includes the UM 9.0 Pro RGB ($149.99), the UM 6.0 Advanced ($109.99) and the UM 3.0 ($79.99).

The Cherry Xtrfy Ngale X is a studio-grade dynamic microphone aimed at the market segment, which includes streamers, content creators, and gamers seeking professional sound quality.

The microphone is designed to be flexible to accommodate its intended audience. It can be connected via XLR or USB. Connect to your computer using USB for a hassle-free plug-and-play experience, or use the XLR connection for use with mixers and other professional audio gear.

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What’s in the box:

• Microphone
• Microphone stand
• USB cable
• Operating instructions

Competitors to the Cherry Xtrfy Ngale X Microphone

The Cherry Xtrfy Ngale X microphone has quite a bit of competition, including some long-established companies such as Shure, whose SM7B is a bit of a legend. The Ngale X seems to take its overall design cues from the SM7B, although with the SM7B costing more than twice as much ($399.00), a fairer comparison would be with Shure’s MV7 Podcast Microphone ($279.00), which also offers USB and XLR connections.

Shure also offers an XLR-only version of the MV7, which is priced closer to the Ngale X, the MV7X Podcast XLR Microphone ($179.00). All four mics are similar in size and weight.

I do not have any of these Shure microphones available for comparison, but I do have microphones from two manufacturers aimed at the same market segment and price range: the Mackie EM-99B Dynamic Broadcast Microphone ($149.99) and the SteelSeries ALIAS PRO ($329.99).

The Alias Pro is an XLR mic that ships with a preamp. SteelSeries also makes a sister product, the Alias, which is USB-only but otherwise identical in sound quality ($179.99). You can see our recent reviews of the SteelSeries ALIAS PRO and the Mackie EM-99B Dynamic Broadcast Microphone (as part of the DLZ Creator package).

So, how does the Cherry Xtrfy Ngale X microphone hold up against the competition?

Build Quality

The Cherry Xtrfy Ngale X microphone feels solid, and the fit and finish are very good. The front half of the mic is covered with a removable foam cover with the manufacturer’s logo, while the back features rubber insets for gripping and adjusting the mic.

When the Cherry Xtrfy Ngale X microphone is used with the table stand, the logo on the removal foam cover and the marking on the back of the microphone are upside down. This may appear to be an odd oversight, but the obvious reason is that it is assumed that this mic will be used with the optional boom arm and will be mounted in a hanging orientation.

Users can unscrew the mic from the mount and reposition it should they desire to use it, primarily with the desk stand.

The Cherry Xtrfy Ngale X microphone’s back contains all of the controls and inputs. A small wire connects the XLR connector to the body of the Ngale X.

Features

As mentioned earlier, the Cherry Xtrfy Ngale X microphone features both USB and XLR connections, although only one can be used at a time. When connected via XLR, the mic works in “full-range mode,” enabling rich voice recordings across the full frequency range. This is ideal for streaming, podcasts, and voiceover recording.

When being used for gaming and connected via USB, the Cherry Xtrfy Ngale X microphone offers additional features, including a low-cut filter for gaming-optimized clarity, a headphone jack, and a volume knob that also acts as a mute button.

Depressing the volume knob for two seconds allows users to change the RGB lighting settings. This is the only way of changing the lighting settings, which include many different colors and effects, and it requires toggling through the various options.

It is a bit tedious, and I’m not sure that I ever really understood the number of variations available, but as the Cherry Xtrfy Ngale X microphone is high-quality and the RGB lighting is really just a fun add-on, I can’t really be bothered to find much fault with it.

The Ngale X ships with a sturdy metal stand; it is just the right size and weight for this use.

Sound

With its Cardioid polar pattern, the Cherry Xtrfy Ngale X microphone is designed to capture sound directly in front of the microphone and to minimize sound coming from other directions, making it ideal for voice recordings.

I read the same passage into each microphone mentioned in this review, including the Ngale X connected via XLR and USB. Each sounds very good to me. The clarity is very good, and the tone is natural.

The warmth of the tone varies a bit between the mics, so have a listen and see what you prefer.

Sample Recordings

Cherry Xtrfy Ngale X microphone (XLR)

Cherry Xtrfy Ngale X microphone (USB)

Mackie EM-99B

SteelSeries ALIAS PRO

Cherry Xtrfy Ngale X Microphone Specifications

Cherry Xtrfy Ngale X Boom Arm

As the name suggests, the Cherry XTRFY Ngale Boom Arm ($99.00) is designed to work with the Cherry Xtrfy Ngale X microphone. However, it would work with any similar microphone with standard 3/8″ or 5/8″ threading.

The boom arm features a sleek black design made of aluminum and includes a clever wire maintenance channel with rubber flaps and adjustable hinges.

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The arm assembly attaches to desks and other surfaces using a clamp with an attractive rotating cylinder into which the boom arm is inserted. I was impressed by how thick a surface the clamp would adjust to encompass.

In the case of my office desk, an Ikea table that I have had for years, the desktop itself is not very thick, but it is supported by a steel frame recessed a bit inside the table edge.

Despite the less-than-perfect attachment geometry, the clamp base was able to gain enough grip to hold the boom arm and mic, but ultimately, I felt that it was not stable enough for everyday use.

I trimmed a small block of wood to fill the gap between the edge of the table and the frame below, and the arm is perfectly secure and works a charm.

If you have a more standard desk or table, you will not need to do more than just screw down the clamp. The clamp requires a minimal footprint, but if the default clamp doesn’t fit a particular situation, the arm also comes with a smaller, simpler steel clamp that joins the same top cylinder element.

The boom arm has a uniform appearance that is both sleek and elegant. This is due to its wire management, which is composed of channels with rubber covers that flip closed and its simple hand-tightened friction hinges.

With the cable out of the way and the ability to quickly make tension adjustments, you can easily position the arm to keep the mic wherever you require.

What’s in the box:

• Microphone boom
• Mounting with cable bushing
• C-clamp
• 5/8-inch thread adapter
• Operating instructions

Cherry Xtrfy Ngale X Boom Arm Specifications

The Cherry Xtrfy Ngale X microphone is solidly constructed and has very good sound quality. It seems perfectly placed in the market for content creators, podcasters, and streamers looking for professional sound and features they want without spending the money for microphones such as the Shure SM7B, which at $399.00 is more than twice the price of the Ngale X.

The Cherry Xtrfy Ngale X Boom Arm is well-constructed and easy to set up and use, and the wire management design is excellent. I like both the microphone and the boom arm, and together, they make a great unit, which I completely recommend.

The Cherry Xtrfy Ngale X microphone retails for $189.00, and the Cherry Xtrfy Ngale Boom Arm retails for $99.00; both are available directly from the manufacturer (Ngale X Microphone, Ngale Boom Arm) and other retailers, including Amazon (Ngale X Microphone, Ngale Boom Arm).

Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample

What I Like: Excellent sound with a natural tone; XLR mode is straight through while USB mode includes low cut filter; Solid construction for both the mic and boom arm; The versatility of XLR and USB connections; Clever wire management

What Needs Improvement: It’s totally worth $189.00, but the competition is slightly cheaper — with that said, the Ngale X is on sale right now for $149.99 on Amazon, which is right in line with the competitor’s products