Rode NTH-100 Review - Can the mic masters make a great headphone?
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- Опубліковано 5 лип 2024
- A review of the Rode NTH-100 closed back professional headphone including comparisons with the Rode NTH-100 vs Audio Technica ATH-M50x and NTH-100 vs DT 700 Pro X.
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00:00 Introduction
01:05 Glamour video
03:05 Design & comfort
10:05 Sound quality
11:53 Rode NTH-100 vs ATH-M50x
14:46 Rode NTH-100 vs Beyerdynamic DT 700 Pro X
20:43 Final conclusions
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#audiophile #audioreview #headphones - Наука та технологія
Just got this headphone last week. Build, aesthetics, and fit/comfort are good. Despite having a big head with big ears, it faired well in terms of fit and comfort. The NTH-100's sound quality is relaxing to my ears and a safe signature to avoid fatigue. For something intended to be a monitor/pro use, it sounded well for music listening. I always look forward to your reviews/impressions, Lachlan!
So glad you're enjoying the headphones and that's great to hear that the fit and comfort are working for more people than just me!
I agree with your assessment of these headphones! I don’t use them for professional work but I daily drive them at my desk and they are the only headphones I’ve ever tried that I can use at pretty high volumes for very extended time periods and get no treble fatigue. I change them out for more critical listening sessions but for general use they are unmatched for me.
Thanks for sharing your experiences! Both sonically and ergonomically, I think Rode nailed it on these
I have had them for a few months now and love them.
That's great to hear! So glad you're loving them. Thanks for sharing 🙂🙂
Another headphone made by mics manufacturer worth checking out would be the Austrian Audio. Their flagship the Hi-X65 is very transparent and detailed. Due to its transparency the dac and amp that it is paired it matters a lot. I suggest a dac and amp combo with a boost on bass (not sub bass, which is the punchy kind of bass, I am talking about the kind of bass that amplifies and make trombone or cello sounds more boomy some call it midbass) to add some musicality to it.
I've tried to get some AA gear before with no luck. I might try again in the nearish future...
Great review! It would be interesting a comparison between the AKG 361.
Or better K371
Muddy in comparison but with fuller mids.
Beyer 300R is the same price and wholeheartedly beats this in every category but build.
I don't currently have a contact to get the AKG gear in for review unfortunately.
As for the 300R, I don't agree that it beats it in every way. The 300R is a nice headphone, but the DT 900 Pro X is preferable to me and the 900/700 and NTH-100 go toe-to-toe with different pros and cons. The 300R isn't a headphone I'd ever really consider for editing and mastering either whereas the NTH-100 is quite good with a few minor considerations for the bass lift
Or the Hifiman R7DX?
DMS already did it.
I found them pretty satisfying for the price. Dark hit easy to listen to.
Reminds me of a cheaper Nighthawk.
Glad you liked them. Great point about them having similarities to the NightHawk
Another super helpful video!
I've already got the open-backed DT 900 Pro X for mixing/mastering (your video on them helped me decide!), but I'm also looking for something closed-back & cheaper like the K371 for monitoring vocals as i speak/sing, and also sound samples & field recordings with my Tascam recorder. So I don't need the _best_ quality headphones for that stuff, but I'd still like them to be as neutral as possible. So for those purposes, would you still recommend the Rode NTH-100 over the AKG K371 and DT 770/700 Pro?
I haven't tried the K371, but I would choose the NTH-100 over the 700 Pro for a closer-to-neutral sound.
I was never really a huge fan of the K361/K371, I owned the 371 for a year but I just found them lacking in soundstage and imaging (no depth, too upfront, sounds were mixed together) and detail was lackluster too, and the 361 had a bit of shout or something similar to them (build wasn't great either ofc but they were comfy, great pads). I compared them only briefly today but I could already tell that the NTH-100 should be a noticeable upgrade over both of them AND you get the superior build quality (better imaging, soundstage, less "flat", more natural decay). I agree about the non-fatiguing part for extended use, online and in multimedia you are often confronted with lower quality sources (bad microphones, bad mastering, clipping, etc.) which would be amplified with treble accentuation so this type of signature is well suited for this use case. Sure, you can always turn down the volume, but even then you still have the same tonal balance and all you do is make it harder to hear whereas with a warmer FR, you can keep a higher volume without fatigue.
@@andreasschwarz4908 regarding the build of the Rodes, which looks great, unfortunately there seem to be a lot of people reporting them breaking at a specific spot after only a month or two of light use. That kinda scared me off.
@@ModernPlague oof, where did you find the reports? looks like waiting for a revision is the play here.
@@ModernPlague ah, found it. no need to link. they should make a revision that fixes this + slightly larger earcups.
Hope RODE also do an open back version as well!
That would be great! Not sure if it makes sense for the purpose of their headphones, but would still be cool.
Are the pads able to be changed on the Rode? If so any pad recommendations?
Sorry for the slow reply. Yes, they're removable for replacement, but they're a custom shape so I don't know that you could swap in alternatives
I grabbed these when they came out. I like them
That's great to hear! Glad you're enjoying them
i didnt really like the Rode's at first. They just seemed sufficient. They did their job, and did it well. Build is awesome, but Once I removed the thick 3mm Felt pads under the ear pads, they really opened up and I actually enjoyed them for listening pleasure as well as monitoring recordings.
That's interesting to know. I might try that for myself if it's reversible
Hey, i found that m50x sounds almost perfect. It is the firts headphones that sounds so “real” to my ears, i can hear music like there’s no filters or colorations on it, but it has something wrong with high frequencies becouse (even when i listen to it at lower volumes) i immediately notice ear fatigue. How does rode’s compare to this aspect of m50x?
The Rode headphones are better balanced across all frequencies IMO and that includes better quality treble that's very enjoyable and not fatiguing (to my ears at least)
Just curious - do you own a good set of studio monitors? If so, do you compare the tonal balance of headphones you review with your monitors? I haven't seen any headphone reviewer explicitly mention that they do that yet - it seems to me that it would make some sense, as long as the monitors are in a good (acoustic) setting. Comments?
I used to, but don't currently. However, I'm in the process of setting up some Harbeth P3ESR XD monitors as a reference nearfield setup and will likely integrate those as a sonic reference point in later reviews because I had similar thoughts to you.
I'm not completely sure that it will work yet in the sense that it might not actually provide value over and above the other headphone comparisons, but I'll explore it and see...
@@PassionforSound great - it'll be interesting to see how that goes! After I posted that comment, I stumbled on the channel "askdrtk", and if you have time at some point, I'd be interested in your opinion on his approach - he measures the frequency response, and also lets us hear music recordings from binaural mics. (but he doesn't seem to offer much in the way subjective opinion on imaging, soundstage etc, which I know are very important)
I also noticed in one video from "Produce Like a Pro" that he did compare the sound to his loudspeaker monitors.
Edit: oops - just watching his SR80X review, and he is talking about soundstage & imaging in this one. 🤣
I'll check his channel - thanks!
nice one
⚠️They easily fail⚠️ at the plastic size locking mechanism, there are way too manny people with the same problem to be outlier cases, they have a fatal flaw that they need to address in a revision, making the locking part be either out of metal , or from metal with plastic over-mold. So be aware that they brake easily in one Achilles hill part. (reported cases on UA-cam are 2 months and 6 months, in the same spot, and in comments you even have 6 weeks.
Yes, I've seen these issues too and it appears to be caused by pushing one cup behind your ear (DJ style) or twisting the headphones in general. I've definitely had no issues with mine, but I agree that a more sturdy design would be good
@@PassionforSound basic usage, if you have an other person to talk to and have headphones on, not just DJ style, it is a basic need of headphone users, in special the sealed ones, with opened back, you can pause the audio and hear them, but not on these or 80% of closed back headphones.
(Think of these headphones as the only pair you use everywhere on the road , at home , on plane , at home, and not some pair that you use occasionally, in a specific setting/scenario, use. How is that "Little weakness" fairing now?!
I can only speak about my usage which has been daily for video calls, editing, music listening, etc. so it's hard to know if others are being rough with theirs, if I am being extra gentle (I do treat all my gear carefully) or if there's variance of batches.
My point is that I can't criticise a product that's caused me no issues and where I don't know the specific usage and treatment that has led to the failures people have described. I'm not saying it's not an issue, but I'm also not going on a witch hunt about it.
I just experienced the referenced failure today and submitted my service request, awaiting a response from them. Let's hope their warranty process is up to snuff.
So unfortunate that one small plastic piece can render an otherwise nearly flawless product completely useless. I hope RODE does the right thing and fixes this SERIOUS design flaw going forward.
I can attest that I never used these headphones DJ style or twisted the cups in any manner, I simply lifted them off my headphone stand today and the right cup suddenly dropped off, dangling by the wire, like so many other people have reported.
Thanks for sharing your usage and the fault occurring. I'm very sorry to hear that and hope Rode sort it out for you promptly and easily
Request , SHURE 840A... Not enough online coverage/praise for these as a budget audiophile MUSIC driver .150euros/dollars. Too long cable has to be solved but apart from that, i wouldnt bother spending up to 600euro with these in existence. For mobile audiophile driver tuned experience with bass added for enjoyment..(I think they are "V" shaped)
I'm yet to find a contact to access Shure gear. I'd love to though because they make some excellent earphones, headphones and microphones.
@PassionforSound ok. thanks for reply.. if you see the previous iteration got B+ on Crinacle listing , and these are slightly better (for music because of a nice bass area warming) they have to be somewhere hovering as a truly great budget audiophile headphone,,(They bolstered the build of headband, even though plasticky overall but good for weight, it is modern looking redesign).. in short , I own these and I'm looking for affirmations ha. Appreciate your impressions.
🚨update🚨 I just received mine today ! This is a beautiful set of cans ! Haven’t heard them yet BUT I know exactly how people are breaking them. Although they could’ve used a stronger material for those exact spots, I’m sticking to what thought prior, which is that people are mishandling these headphones! Use TWO hands when taking them off and vice versa. Find your size and STICK WITH IT!
In the end, I rather have the locking system even if it means extra attention to the areas that lock, (which is not a problem because I treat everything I own like it’s cost me one million dollars! ) than to not have it at all because constant adjustments is annoying. Lastly….. BUY THEM! ✌🏾!!!
So glad you're happy with your purchase. I agree that they're a wonderful headphone and design concept.
@@PassionforSound rhode is in debt to you! Thank you for convincing me!
I know how to fix the design/functionality flaw……. TAKE CARE OF YOUR GEAR!!! I just bought a pair and they’re not leaving the studio. I baby all of my equipment so I won’t have any problem what so ever
Yes, I feel much the same and have had no troubles with mine, but some people swear they treated theirs carefully and still had the issue so I'm not sure where the reality lies...
@@PassionforSound the title of your channel says the you care for your space and everything within it.
Some of the pictures I’ve seen on Amazon of broken head band mechanisms looked like took pliers to them. Sturdiness doesn’t mean life proof. See the size and heft i can imagine these cans having, the locking system is and was a great idea. It’s also something not featured on many headphones, EVER.
So could it be that there’s more mishandling by us consumers ???🤷🏾♂️
It’s clearly meant to “set it and forget it”
But if they’re getting passed around for example, or adjusted every five minutes by the owner that has the fire of a product failure consumer comment in the back of there minds it’s only a matter of time. Also We buy headphones for SOUND, period. At least I do. Build quality especially plays a supper important role in a great set of headphones but more features in many cases means more moving parts. If the trade off means that I must be more mindful when handling a product, then by-golly extra Careful is what I’ll be!
That graph looks like a disaster akin to austrian audio hi-x55 , strangely that headphone was marketed as a studio monitor as well.
My graphs shouldn't be taken in the same way as industry standard measurements. That's why I clearly identify the measurement rig and compensation applied. The graphs I show are for general interest and comparison with the other graphs in my videos
the Rode is perfect for tracking vocals and monitoring. the X-55 can be used for monitoring, but i find them super helpful in critical editing, going over sections of wav's over and over ... I dont find it strange at all. It would have been strange if it was marketed as an audiophile headphone. both have a well deserved place in the studio.
Thanks for sharing your experiences, Gordito!