New Rode NTH-100 headphones.

[_thelaughingman]

Rode, a company that produces interface devices for podcasters, has announced the new NTH-100 designed for studio monitoring. For $149 with a response of 5hz to 35khz with matched drivers and Alcántara ear pads. They have lots of marketing lingo to make them look and sound like the next big sonic thing. The question for me is, is there any human ability to monitor sound at 5hz.

Might have to drop-ship these to be measured to see if the proof is in the pudding.

 

[maverickronin]

Locking slider, single sided from either cup, extra deep pads which aren't (p)leather, cooling gel memory foam, and an almost logical earcup shape.

It's like someone finally spent a whole 5 minutes considering ergonomics when deigning a headphone.

Just 5 though. They got called away before doing something about the bog standard headband.

I'm not sure how the half yoke will work out either.

Still it's cheap though. This would have been an impulse purchase just to try back when I wore headphones all day long.

 

[solderdude]

Bought one (€ 180,- at Thomann so almost $ 200.-)

Review by the end of next week

 

[Human Bass]

The response is always BS.

 

[MayaTlab]

Review by the end of next week

Quite interested in your leakage and pad compression tests for these ! I guess that they must be vented somehow ? Difficult to see where exactly in their promo material.

 

[tikky]

Bought one (€ 180,- at Thomann so almost $ 200.-)

Review by the end of next week

looking forward to it.

 

[MayaTlab]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1509567654557798400

On a GRAS clone unless I'm mistaken.

I believe that DMS prefers to use quite a bit of smoothing, but can we presume that the response is fairly smooth without too many high-Q accidents (ex : 4kHz dip on the DT700/900 pro X) ?

 

[Lambda]

Can’t wait for the review!
But think i will buy it anyways.

 

[Jim Shaw]

Rode is a company that commands respect in the podcasting equipment business. This is their first foray into headphones. I get the message that these are probably more for editing audio and video than listing critically to music. That's fine by me. We have to keep our expectations in check for devices that weren't intended for purists.

As a production device, these may or may not be great. When I am required to edit a video, I am more interested in flat response and all-day comfort. I have a pair of AKGs that Amir measured to be horrid, but I can wear them all day with great comfort. I don't use them for listening intently to Rachmaninoff on my Sony's -- which I want to tear off my ears after an hour, due to discomfort.

Not everyone needs a flat bandwidth of DC to light in a darn headphone.

 

[solderdude]

Review is up.

Good for studio work.
Those looking for a headphone for 'audiophile' music enjoyment should look elsewhere (misses details/nuance/sparkle/clarity).
Can't do more measurements as it is returned.

 

[MayaTlab]

Review is up.

Thanks a lot !

It's quite interesting that you seem to have found a systematic relationship between 3rd order harmonic distortion and compression with volume across quite a few headphones.

 

[Jim Shaw]

True to form, Rode seems to have nailed it for the podcast/YT/studio musician crowd. I can get used to compromises in sound somewhat if the comfort for long-term wearing is there. I am an easy mark for stuff that doesn't annoy me. Rode seems to have a hit for their very large market, not so much for critical audiophiles.
Good on them. And thanks for this very prompt review.

 

[Phoney]

Does this seem like something that would be decent for gaming? Any impression on soundstage for instance?

 

[solderdude]

The headphone is intended for music and content production side. Not for music enjoyment nor gaming although you can plug it into that kind of equipment and use it that way it is not optimal for this.

 

[Merkurio]

The headphone is intended for music and content production side. Not for music enjoyment nor gaming although you can plug it into that kind of equipment and use it that way it is not optimal for this.

Those are just marketing claims, if they adhere good enough to a validated target and are comfortable (let's say, not excessive clamping force as other "studio monitors"), then they can serve perfectly for all purposes, including music enjoyment and gaming.

There are headphones targeted for "audiophiles" or "gamers" with disastrous frequency responses that can hardly be fixed even with EQ...

We'll see, they don't look bad and the materials look good quality for $149, plus Rode seem to have thought about the comfort of the pads both in terms of shape and materials (to avoid heat).

 

[MayaTlab]

if they adhere good enough to a validated target

Or are well suited to EQ .
So far the measurements we have paint a rather mixed picture in that regard I think.

 

[solderdude]

they can serve perfectly for all purposes, including music enjoyment and gaming.

Of course you can plug them into audio gear and use it for gaming. That doesn't make a headphone perfect for the job at hand and all purposes.
With EQ you can fix tonal balance issues to some extend but you can't polish away non linear behavior like clipping (distortion) and some resonances and dips.
There will be many people buying them and use them to enjoy music or use it for gaming.
I am sure many will report it gives them an advantage in gaming and no headphone sounds more real and truthful than this one.
Just be sure there are better ones out there for the purpose though. When owners are fully happy with it that's fine.

These are very well suited for the purpose they were designed for. Just less well suited (but not bad) for other purposes.

 

[cheapmessiah]

I have cooling gel pads on my DT770s and im baffled that it isnt the industry standard in pads, its literally the most confortable feature i vave ever tried in a headphone.

 

[lawk]

The bass and especially the mids that play upfront make these a little too warm. But it is NOT a "dark" headphone IMO. The treble is however not splashy or sparkly. I found headphones like MH40 and K371 more lacking in treble than this one, despite them not measuring that way neccessarily.

My hearing tops out at 14khz these days and the NTH-100 play up there just fine. However the bass and mids do play above the treble.

 

[solderdude]

The 'tilt' between 200Hz and 5kHz of the MH40 is 10dB.
The tilt of the NTH-100 is merely 4dB making the MH40 'darker' in comparison.
The NTH-100 is not dark sounding but full sounding with slightly subdued treble to me and lacking in sparkle and fine details.