Rode NTH-100 MSRP $149.00 Score Details DT Recommended Product “Those who need a tool for critical listening have a comfy, capable new option in the Rode NTH-100 headphones.” Pros Cons Rode — the Australian company beloved by YouTubers, podcasters, and other makers for its versatile family of high-performance microphones — has made the jump to the other side of the audio chain with its first headphones, the $149 Rode NTH-100.
In another nod to getting the headphones set up just the way you want them, Rode has installed locking headphone cable inputs on both earcups, a feature that tends to only show up on much more expensive headphones like the V-Moda M200. Though I didn’t subject the NTH-100 to any durability tests, Rode claims it has engineered these headphones to withstand quite a bit of punishment: The wires that connect the earcups to one another via the headband can handle up to 55 pounds of force. The locking audio cable uses a slightly softer plastic for its connector than the input jacks on the earcups.
Second, most of the NTH-100’s mass is located in the earcups. And because the earcups are so generously padded, that mass sits further away from your head. This increases the perception of weight, especially when you move your head and the earcups shift a little in response. It’s not a deal-breaker, but the ATH-M50x’s wider headband and lower-mass earcups create less fatigue over time.