And that blue cable! What's not to like! Great review, I've really been enjoying the NTH-100's. It's clear they put a lot of thought into making them for producers and creators.
**. This is an update to a previous comment **. I decided to go ahead and purchase these headphones. And I’m glad I did. The sound is amazing and I can tell already where some of my mixing had been off. The headphones have a great sound and are very comfortable for long periods of time. I spent most of the day yesterday editing and mixing video for the online service my church does and was so pleased with the audio quality and that my ears were not hurting or hot from wearing headphones for so long. Thanks, Tom, for reviewing these headphones! I’m a fan!
The point about neutral tones in headphones is so key. I was using my Denon DJ HP1100 headphones, which I'd used for commuting for years. Great noise cancellation, awesome sound, but definitely skewed on big bass. Switched to Sony MDR-7506 a couple of months ago, what a huge difference to final edit of my podcasts. Great video as always, mate!
Neutral aka Flat, and in-ears are considered isolating headphones. I used a classic Sennheiser HD202 for almost a decade, just recently switched to a DT770 PRO and I'm in love with this thing. Here a pro production tip, before you do your final export listen to your audio from crappy speakers. You want to make sure the sound is pleasing to the "general public." This is so true that you will often see the old school dell PC speakers in high end production studios.
100% true. Spending a ton of time on audio and then running it through crappy speakers is genuinely helpful. (even if the audio is of a bass being played with a pick)
Great video, Tom! I'm really interested in the NTH-100 headphones from Rode. I had been using the Sony MDR-7506's for almost 15 years, and I finally decided to replace them with something else when the headband started to disintegrate this year haha. I always struggle with headphones because I wear glasses, and some headphones just aren't a great combo with glasses frames. I'm hoping the Rode pair work well in that regard.
The Sony's are great, but I really really love the Rode's. I don't usually wear glasses, but I've tried them with my reading glasses and there doesn't seem to be any change in comfort. The glasses do have pretty thin ear pieces though.
A great review of the Rode NTH today, Tom. As I have begun buying Rode equipment, I have been looking forward to them coming out with a set of headphones. I love the colour cable. Man, they do have class. The complete product. However, the Rode NTH is on my list, although not available here yet. Soon, I understand. Again, the review I was hoping for.
I'm on my third replacement ear cups for the headphones I'm been using for almost 20 years. They have been my reference for that long - I took them with me everywhere. I was wondering if this video was about the Rode headphones, so was pleased that was the case. In light of my recent discoveries of how Rode is such a great company, I was hoping your review would be favorable. Indeed, more than favorable. So, I will be ordering a pair in the very near future, and I will use your link to get them. Thanks, as always, for an honest review! It's because of guys (and gals) like you, us mere mortals have places we can go for recommendations we can trust. Thanks! And I enjoyed the closing music :)
20 years is impressive! But yes, these are absolutely amazing. I’ve used them just about everyday for a month or so now and actually look forward to putting them in. Sounds weird, but I really love them.
Great review. My headphones of choice are the Rode NTH 100's at the moment. That's an interesting take about them being cool to the touch and so forth. That is huge marketing hype. I don't find them cool are cool to the touch. It would be better explained that they don't get hot like some other headphones including my Sony 7506's. I like the NTH 100's a lot but the jury is still out as to whether they sound better than my 7506"s. They do offer better isolation and I love the straight cord that can be used on either side. I'm going to roll with them for now, but i don't consider them an upgrade to 7506"s
I don't know if they sound better than the 7506's, but for me, they're way more comfortable. I could just never get used to the 7506's- they felt heavy and oddly shaped to me. Maybe I just have a weak head 🤷🏻♂️
Dear Mr. Buck. I’m starting to wonder that You are not a real Person or a youtuber. The reason is that whenever I wonder something about headphones, mic boosters or about a certain type of a microphone You good sir make a video about it. So thank You for being my podcast genie! Cheers from Finland!
Also got the Rode they are just great... I was using AudioTechnica before, I thought they were comfortable but the Rode are much better... and I really like the guitar insert and the slowmo intro 👍
Headphones is a very personal choice. What works for some dont work for others. Especially when it comes to comfort, along with type of use/music. That said, there is a handful of good choices in (50) 100-200 range. Samson Technologies SR850, Shure SRH840, beyerdynamic DT 990, beyerdynamic DT 770, to name a few with different price, size and open/closed. Some will need a external mixer/amp or a good soundcard, but you can get things like FiiO E10K or the newer K3 for just over 100usd. But if you already have a Focusrite Scarlet or another audio interface, most of them should work great and also let you do zero latency monitoring if wanted with a microphone.
Wow! There are so many cool usability features in those headphones that are really appealing. I especially like the ear cup shape, ear cup material and the headphone port on both cups. And, it's a great price for all that with the sound quality that folks seem to be enjoying. Thanks for sharing this!
Coming back to this one after using the NTH-100's for a couple months now, and I have to say, I absolutely love them! The audio quality is phenomenal at this price point for editing, they're ridiculously comfortable, and the build quality is excellent. I do have a few gripes though. First-and I've seen a few videos mention this-coming from the Audio Technica ATH-M50x, the lack of full swivel on the RØDEs was a bit disappointing. I like resting my headphones around my neck, and it's just not as comfortable to do that as it is with the M50's. Second, the earcup size is just a bit on the small side. My ears are on the bigger end of medium, so these are just barely large enough to be over-ear headphones to me. This design choice confuses me. Why not just make the earcups large enough to cover more ear sizes? Third, I very much prefer coiled cables on my headphones, and RØDE just doesn't sell them. Fourth-and this one is painful-I have longer hair, and I'm CONSTANTLY ending up with strands of my hair getting stuck in the hinge on the back of the earcups. That might be a combination of the way my hair falls back and the size of my head, but damn if it isn't painful taking these off sometimes. It's something like 75% of the time I'm wearing them, I end up having at least one or two strands of hair getting yanked out by the headphones. I hate tying my hair back, but I've found that in order to wear these, I need to tie my hair, or I risk losing a few strands.
Glad you're enjoying them overall! This is really interesting because there's stuff I didn't consider (I have relatively short hair so it didn't even occur to me that long hair could get caught) and there's stuff that really comes down to personal preference (I definitely am not a fan of coiled cables). Ultimately, it's always important to focus on YOUR specific needs when choosing something.
Those look interesting. I stopped editing to watch this video. It is tough to find headphones that accurately match the sound of your speakers AND cellphone speakers; as most viewers probably will be watching on. I currently use turtle beach gaming headphones and really like them. Thanks for the info Tom! Oh, I LOVED the intro to this video 🤣🤣
You've now picked out my microphone and editing headphones for me (yes, of course I used your links). I feel like you need to make a video for all my life decisions lol.
@@tombuck Love your content Tom! I found you through your review on the MixCaster 4 (ended up buying it because of your video!) But I was curious...where the heck did you get a BLUE SM7B wind guard??? I need it in my life lol
What folks should be looking for are called "reference" or "monitor" headphones. I rock the ATH-M50X when I'm editing audio & video. They have a very neutral sound, detachable cables and comfortable for long sessions. While they are often on sale, there are lower end models for those more budget minded.
Good news! I was able to find these discounted to a very attractive price and am excited to try them. I'm sure they'll be great. Not-so-good news...there are a good few reviews saying there is a design flaw with a plastic piece relating to the hinge near the ear cups. Seems like a common point of failure. But we'll see...
I have the same Sony, and I wear it several hours a day, indoors and outdoors, I am even watching this video of yours on this pair :) I love it. But now I need something for video editing work. Maybe the Rode would be the choice?
I really like wearing the Sonys when doing things like yard work, vacuuming, or cleaning the car- basically anything that's potentially a bit loud. Total lifesavers!
I'm in the market for a new set since my Audio-Technica ATH-M50x is driving me crazy with the plastic pops and squeaks. I need something that makes zero noise being hyper-sensitive and all.
I really like Rode, but every time i see one on your videos. I just like it more and more and more.... lol Thank you for make this kind of content! It's always a pleasure to see it :)
Means a lot to hear this! I know it’s a slippery slope to hype up a new product, but my enthusiasm for this one really comes from a genuine place. Hopefully that comes across!
I don’t think “neutral response” is an incorrect way to phrase it but I’ve heard that referred to “flat response” more than anything else. Regardless, great video!
i'm waiting for this to come out in my country. Aside from the good reviews I've seen so far, it would be nice to own some pioneer cans. I'm actually surprised to realize they're the first EVER headphones from this company. You can say it was...the RODE less taken.
It’s very nice! I didn’t mention it in the video, but the material in the cable is softer than the material in the headphones, so if they do get snagged hard enough to be pulled out, it won’t damage the actual headphones. Pretty smart.
Hi Tom! Based on your review, I purchased a pair of the NTH-100's - it's been about 3 weeks and today I found the plastic clip under the left adjustment lock had cracked and snapped - I've reached out to support but I was wondering if you have encountered this. It's sort of understandable as that clip - be it on the left or right depending on which side you put them on - would get a bit stressed each time you put the headphones on and off. Best of luck.
Oh no, I'm sorry to hear that! I've heard a few people say that this happened on some of the earlier production models, but I THINK that part of the design might have been updated. Definitely reach out to Rode and they'll get you set up with a new pair.
I’d like to add that the meze 99 classics noir actually have a 10db shelf for all frequencies below like 200hz, so they are actually more bassy than modern beats headphones like the studio 3. Of course true neutral for headphones is debatable, but with this much bass I think it’s fair to say that the meze 99 classic noir really aren’t neutral
I have had two pairs of these snap on me so far. To Rode's credit,they now have a lifetime warranty. Hopefully the replacements that they are sending me are better.
I've been reading a lot of reviews about these headphones, and they say that the construction of the headphones is problematic and some users are experiencing their headphones breaking because of the plastic locking mechanism cracking. Have you heard about these issues concerning the headphones and do you have any thoughts on it?
I've had multiple pairs for about a year and a half now and I've had that issue on the first one (but to be fair...I was also pulling them off my head with one hand in a weird way and I think it might've been my fault 😬 ). I just put some tape over the part and it's been fine ever since. My other ones haven't had the problem. There are some really slight differences on the clasp design of my newer ones, so I'm guessing there was an issue with the initial design and then Rode revised it pretty quick after people started having problems. Honestly though, Rode's warranty and support are great if something were to ever go wrong, and I would still 100% recommend these headphones. I use mine literally every day.
I noticed you’re not wearing phones for this video and you don’t for your videos. I assume you have a sound person monitoring. If not, how do you know how you sound?
I do a lot of testing before recording, so I can usually feel pretty confident in what things will sound like if I'm not wearing headphones at the moment. I do everything myself though- no one else monitoring or anything.
I bet myself that today's video would be the new Rode headphones. I used to have a hugely expensive Sennheiser 800 headphone I sold then and now I have the Apple Max (great for flights) and the Studio standard Sennheiser HD 280 Pro. If I get a new pair the Rodes will probably be what I get.
For the price I think they’re really tough to beat. I did try a pair of noise canceling Sennheiser’s a while ago and they were amazing- felt like I little just turned the world off.
@@tombuck Now IF i can just get @Rode to send you a PROCASTER TO Review! LOL FYI-Did you know that the cable lock is designed to break before the headphone side so all you have to do is replace the cable?
Hey Tom! Another great recommendation! I bought the Elgato Wave LP boom arm based on your video and i loved it. My long term review with it is 3/5. As of recently the arm tends to drift and sway even without outside force and I've grown to really hate the cable plates popping off all the time. I wish there was a better mid tier LP boom arm without paying 400 bucks for an OC white. Love the content, you inspired me to pull the trigger and start my podcast a year ago.
Thanks Kyle! I'm sorry to hear that the LP arm isn't perfect after extended use. I noticed that they updated some of the mounts with hand screws instead of the allen key ones like mine has. I wonder if yours has that, and if so, if that's why it's not staying in place? The allen key adjustment is annoying, but it's very very firm.
@@tombuck I have the one with the Allen key mounts. And the drifting isn’t a deal breaker per se but the cable plates are very annoying. I tend to move the boom arms a lot when I’m talking and the plates will pop off when I’m recording which is really annoying 😂. But I wish a company like Rode would make an affordable tube style or LP arm because then I know the quality is there.
I used those at my old job and really liked the quality (like you said, there’s a reason they’re everywhere), but as weird as it sounds I never liked the cable on them. It’s heavy and always gets in the way for me, so I never bought a pair for myself.
I have a problem with my new Rode NTH-100; when I plug it into the Rodecaster Pro 2 (using the 1/4-inch adapter), I can only hear sound from one side of the earcup (left side). The issue persists no matter which side I slot my cable into (left & right pad). I hear sound from both earcups when I remove the 1/4-inch adapter and connect my NTH-100 to a laptop with its original 3.5mm jack. I tried another brand of headphones with the 1/4-inch jack to my Rodecaster Pro 2. I can hear both sounds from the earcups. Please help since I tried to find help on Google but found nothing.
I definitely want to check these headphones out! I got asked on my live stream the other day what I thought Røde was going to announce, headphones were not even close to mentioned, I was way off on all my guesses 🤣. Thanks for another great video! I agree with the comment about the Telecaster! I got a lot of weird looks when I played a Telecaster American Standard in a hardcore band 😂 but after a show a lot of people would ask how I got my “tone.” The Telecaster was clear enough that people could actually hear what I was playing and it was up to me to play well and aggressive enough to get the sound I wanted… of course with the help of an OG 5150, orange 4x12 and a tube screamer.
Hi @@tombuck and @AudioHotline, I really want to like the headphones, but after watching a lot of the reviews & the sound demo. I have my doubts in some area. I think I found 3 negative things about it so far (1) The high frequency maybe above 5 - 6K Hz are not enough even for something that's designed to be close to flat. The richness of the highs are also a bit questionable because even when I use EQ correction and boost it, it doesn't seem to show sparkly kind of highs well enough. (2) The transients seem to be not fast enough for reproducing accurate percussion hit. Probably ok for voice, but wont be ideal for music production. Combine this with the lack of high frequency, it might resulted in not very good clarity and separation in a dense mix (3) It has roll off at maybe 50 or 60 Hz which is pretty common in studio headphones, but that means if we want to produce music with accurate sub bass it's not the one to go for. I hope the comfort and feel doesn't trick you into thinking that it's better than what it actually is. I'll be very happy if I'm completely wrong and might also get one. I just feel that the hype marketing around this headphone could be misleading for some people especially those who are new to headphones & content creation world.
I have been using my cheap 20 dollars on ear gaming headphones when I do my podcast and video headphones the studio headphones I do have the volume is too low for me too hear if the audio is too high or low
@@tombuck Are they tho? I am returning mine. People like them because they don't hear sibilant frequencies any more. But they will be in your final mixes if you only use these headphones.
Hi Tom! How is the handling noise of the Rode NTH-100 headphones? We were using Sony MDR-7506 for the talent in a recording booth, and we noticed periodic noise. Turns out it was as a result handling noise -- a metal clip in the headphone was making noise that was getting picked up by the Rode NT1 microphone. Thanks!
I much rather prefer wired headphones with a Bluetooth adapter that Way as the standards change the batteries that are nonreplaceable die ETC things can be upgraded.
Great 👍 video i am definitely getting those Rode Headphone and wanted to ask you about the color cable for it its not in your subscription below can you send me the name of those or the links thanks👍
Ahh, I'll add those to the description! I know Sweetwater has them listed if you search "NTH-100" buyt I'll add them to the video description right now too.
I will definitely check out the Røde headphones😬, but when I have guests in the studio that does not like to wear headphones I get a bit lost. I will be ever so grateful if someone can answer this question: When guests are in the studio and we are on Teams, the people need to hear the participants in teams. I am planning to use a speaker and use my Rødecaster pro and two pod mics, since these have to be closer to your mouth and you probably won´t hear the speaker that easily??. Does the mix-minus on the Rødecaster pro help with the "ecco problem". Someone said that I should use the zoom livetrack L8 because it had a mix-minus feature on one of the speaker channels.
That's a great question. I've used small, quiet speakers with no problems, but it really depends on each person's hearing since some people will simply _need_ more volume to hear the others on Teams. I'm not a huge fan of the P8, but the Tascam Mixcast does have a "feedback prevention" option, which will turn off the monitors when sound is coming in from elsewhere. I can't say how good it works, and it might get chaotic in a situation with lots of people talking. Truthfully, in the past for situations like that, I make headphones a "non-negotiable" requirement. I don't care if they're fancy studio headphones or a simple pair of earbuds, but I make everyone wear them so I there's no risk of ruining the audio for something that a lot of people have set aside time to participate in.
Love your videos! No Sony MDR-7506? I've used these for mixing live audio, in sound booths and in untreated spaces. They are a staple in the industry, and great value for money. I also use a pair of in-ear monitors from Audio-Technica (ATHIM-02 with some Comply tips). Great value for money (around $160 when I got them, probably 7 years back), but AT stopped making them.
@@tombuck I can't argue with the coiled cable part. :) But that coiled cable can also take a bit of abuse. It would annoy me to no end when I would walk in to find the cable tightly wrapped around the headset, but I never had one fail! The ear pads on the other hand are petty awful (recently replaced a few with pads from Brainwavz recently).
Hey Tom! Have you tried the AKG K240’s or K240 MKII’s? They’re accurate, comfortable, minimum of listening fatigue and the Semi-Open design goes around your ear, so you do get a okay amount of isolation. It comes with a long detachable cord and a gold plated 3.5mm jack and a screw on ¼” adapter.
fun video, but meze 99 neos are incredibly bass heavy and not as good for mixing of audio. enjoyment? absolutely. Sennheiser HD600's are great flat sounding headphones for mixing and they've been used since the 90s. a little expensive yes, but they're excellent. then you can use EQ software to make them as flat as possible so you can have the most accurate form of your audio. once you get into the mastering stage, wear the 99s to make sure that bassy headphones sound good with your videos, wear Grado sr60s to hear if it sounds good with super bright treble heavy headphones. listen in the car because that's what a lot of people might listen on. Professional sound engineers use the "car test" often. the main mix of the audio is best done on a neutral (not bass heavy, not treble heavy, simple flat headphones [not meze 99s]) set of cans Im so sorry for going so far with this im an audio major in college and an audiophile and hearing Meze 99s classified as "neutral" just hurt me a little. very well produced video though, the rodes do you well
@@tombuck yeah I mean it’s like fate. It’s either I get those or spend an uncomfortable amount on a really good set. I have the hardware to drive anything so really not sure.
@@alexanderdimitrov9045 Indeed. Many choose the M50X but I've tried both and find the M40X to be more neutral and appropriate for critical listening when editing.
And just when I say to myself "Ok time to find a better pair of headphones for my goofy ears. Tom probably doesn't have a video on that... you've proven me wrong! lol
YOUTTUBE UNSUBED ME AGAIN... missed a bunch of your content...arrrgg.... anyway... I'm hoping you might be able to help... I can't get clean sound out of my rode podcaster pro and gosh i'm hoping you can tell me how yours is sooooo CLEAN... I'd greatly appreciate!!
How strange- they really want to keep you away form my channel! As for sound quality, I don't really do anything special. I try and make sure the gain levels are set properly for each mic (in the channel's settings, not just the fader), and then depending on the mic, using a booster can be key too. Once you add that clean gain via a booster, a lot of mics can really shine.
@TomBuck have you done a refresher video on this yet? Wonder if this is your latest. I'm contemplating a little upgrade, thinking to get the rodecaster pro II, Shure shure sm7b mic and what I'm left with is to decide which headset to get to be able to monitor the quality of my delivery well too. I'm seeing Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO, hitting the top of most lists often, but it didn't make it to your review. Any reason?
@@tombuck ok, I'm seeing good reviews still. Rode is definitely on my shortlist. I've gone down the rabbit hole yesterday regarding OHMs as Beyerdynamic puts a lot of emphasis on it. Other brands rarely even mention ohms. This research is crazy 🙂
Your issue with the cheap kz iems working out of your ear over time is due to poor tips. You need better tips. Outside of custom iems, all iems can work themselves loose with bad tips.
Hey Tom - Just a quick update on the list of your supporters, but my name has been updated to RUDY ON-THE-GO. Just wanted to update you. Thank you and as always, I lean a lot from your vids and really helps.
Regarding BT latency… That low latency Bluetooth profiles are locked down behind patents / royalties is the most annoying stupid things ever. “Minimize packet size and reduce packet overhead that must to be processed before playback, optimize for low latency” is an amazing trivial, obvious idea that never should have been allowed to be patented.
