You might be mistaken for believing Rode currently made earphones. The $150 over-ear earphones may have been a long time coming, however if youve been following the company over the last couple of years, youll know its making a mindful effort to control the podcast and streaming world, and thats who these headphones are aimed at.
An all-black pair of studio earphones with no Bluetooth or noise cancellation frills. And for the a lot of part, thats exactly what they are, but Rode has tried to add sufficient details here to make them stand out in an otherwise hectic section.
If you are pitching these to developers and streamers, rode states that the motorists in the NTH-100 have actually been created for accurate frequency reaction which makes sense. They definitely dont sound excessively filled at the lower end and the mid-highs do not artificially stand out which can frequently hold true in this classification.
The NTH-100 sound remarkably neutral. I was expecting them to be weighted towards … something, however they dont appear to be doing much to the source product at all. Ive worn them for everything from Zoom contacts us to Podcast recording and naturally limitless music listening and they serve each of these purposes well. I particularly like them for monitoring. Im not sure why, but my dull voice appears to be accurately dull when I listen through these and I value their honesty (it enables me to much better spice it up at the edit phase, which is the whole point).
James Trew/ Engadget
They also arent distracting to look at whichs no bad thing. Disallow the small circular gold Rode logo the only other visual information is the overly large “Ø” debossed into the side of each matte earcup (in gloss). Its a little too big for my taste and feels a little noticeable in an otherwise downplayed style but given its also black it does not spoil their discreet appearance excessive.
Discreet and neutral is cool and all but definitely theres a little spices here to make them interesting? And there is, primarily in their comfort. The Alcantara covering on the earpads feels elegant, but its the “CoolTech” gel underneath that is the genuine treat. Rode states that this makes them chillier on the ears and therefore decreases wearing fatigue. I was skeptical, but when I put them on they truly do feel significantly chilly which makes a big distinction. Provided these are targeted at editors, developers and banners its entirely possible youll be using them for longer stretches so details like this can make a difference.
Likewise, a creative information called “FitLock” gets rid of the requirement to adjust them whenever you put them on. As soon as you have them set just right, theres a locking clip that will avoid them from unintentionally re-adjusting them whenever you manage them. If they are located right every time I put them on, it in fact took me a little bit to get used to the idea that I may not have to inspect.
Given that youll likely be wearing these at a desk, Rode saw fit to make certain you can attach the cable on either side. Its a little information, but one that can rapidly induce buyers regret if you need to decide between restructuring your desk to have your audio user interface on the other side or dealing with awkward cable television spaghetti.
James Trew/ Engadget
Whats less of a surprise is that Rode has designed the NTH-100 to slot right into its existing developer environment. If you own a Rodecaster Pro or use Rode Connect or perhaps just purchased the “Colors” accessory for your NT-USB Mini youll know that the business is centering a great deal of its products around multi-person podcasting and streaming and consisting of vibrant ways to mark which microphone (or headphones) come from which audio channel and/or host. The NTH-100 are no exception with color tags included in package.
If you desire to take that an action further, or merely wish to tailor them a little so theyre not completely black you will also have the ability to buy replacement cables in each of Rodes four bright chosen colors. Thats an additional invest though naturally.
All in all for $150 everything feels extremely more costly. The plastic product on the earcups might not be the most glamorous, however the total construct and sound quality must make them an enticing option for those looking for something comfy while getting some work done.
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You may be misinterpreted for thinking Rode currently made headphones. The $150 over-ear earphones might have been a long time coming, but if youve been following the company over the last couple of years, youll understand its making a mindful effort to dominate the podcast and streaming world, and thats who these headphones are aimed at.
And for the most part, thats precisely what they are, however Rode has tried to add adequate details here to make them stand out in an otherwise hectic section.
Rode states that this makes them colder on the ears and hence minimizes using fatigue. I was doubtful, however when I put them on they actually do feel noticeably chilly and that makes a huge difference.