With a legacy stretching back over 50 years, Rode knows a thing or two about sound quality. The Australian company started out making all manner of audio products including loudspeakers, amplifiers, custom electronics, and the microphones it would become so well known for. And now it’s made its first pair of headphones, the Rode NTH-100.
The culmination of decades of passion and immersion in audio technology, the NTH-100 are the company’s most groundbreaking product yet, preserving the purity of sound while also being among the most comfortable headphones ever produced.
Rode might have a long legacy, but this is a glimpse of its future.
What Rode fans have been asking for
While a pair of headphones might seem like a departure for Rode, it’s actually anything but. Not only do the NTH-100 preserve the brand’s commitment to peerless sound quality that has characterised its output over the last five decades, they’re also the device that Rode fans have been clamouring for.
They won’t be disappointed. The build quality is second to none: custom-matched drivers deliver a super accurate frequency response while the acoustic design has been optimised for exceptional clarity and detail. They combine the spacious soundstage of open-backed headphones with all the advantages of a closed-back pair, including noise-isolation courtesy of the memory foam ear cushions and no sound leakage to anyone sitting nearby. So your playlists stay between you and your headphones.
Despite their audiophile credentials, they have an exceptionally low impedance and high sensitivity, making them easy to drive with any interface, mixer or headphone amplifier. So whether you’re streaming music or listening to vinyl, they’ll take you as close to the musician’s original vision as it’s possible to get without gatecrashing the recording studio.
Luxury as standard
With some headphones, comfort is an afterthought. Not here. The NTH-100’s earpad and headband are couched in Alcantara – a luxurious fabric often found in the trimmings of high-end sports cars and even-higher-end fashion. The earpad cushions also have Rode’s revolutionary CoolTech gel inside, which absorbs and dissipates heat to keep your ears cool no matter how frantic the mix becomes.
They’re ideal for long sessions (whether you’re listening to or creating music) thanks to the balanced frequency response – this reduces the listening fatigue that can result from other headphones’ more pronounced frequencies. But the earcups aren’t just comfortable. They also have a bi-directional adjustment system and memory foam cushions, giving them a custom-fit feel for any head size or shape (even if you wear glasses). And the fully adjustable headband features Rode’s innovative FitLok system to lock the earcups in place, so they feel exactly how you remember them every time you put them on.
Build quality that’s second to none
This being a Rode product, it was precision-engineered using only the highest quality components, so that it’s built to withstand the rigours of creating day in, day out. Every element was built from the ground up to provide unparalleled durability.
The headband is made from high-grade stainless spring steel with a highly durable coating, while the Alcantara earpad and headband cushions will withstand plenty of wear and tear. You can take off the earpads and headband yourself in seconds, if you want to swap them out, while the headphones’ storage pouch keeps them safe from knocks and scratches while travelling.
Every pair is made in Rode’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Sydney, Australia. A two-year warranty and Rode’s legendary customer service should give you peace of mind that these things are built to last.
If you’re still in any doubt, check out Rode’s testing process. The stainless steel headband was tested under extreme pressure over 20,000 times (the equivalent of 25 years of daily use). The wires that link the earcups will withstand over 25kg of force, so you don’t have to worry about it breaking if it snags on something in your bag.
The cable and earcup sockets are rated to 12kg, but it’s not just a case of sheer strength – some clever design decisions add to their durability. For example, the bayonet connector is made from a slightly softer material than the socket, so if the cable gets pulled, it’s the connector that deforms, not the headphones themselves. And if the connector does deform, you can swap in a new one yourself, quickly and easily.
The cable is removable too, making them harder to damage while in transit.
Once built, the headphones were pulled, bent, tugged, rotated and stretched in all directions by robotic arms thousands of times to make sure that, even after decades of use, they always come up smelling of roses. They were also put through the wringer with environmental tests – think everything from climate and water tests to drop and abrasion tests. Rode threw everything at these, and they still came out the other side screaming for more.
As personal as you are
As well as the carry pouch and 2.4m cable, they come with a 3.5mm to ¼ inch adaptor and coloured ID rings. You can buy add-ons to make them distinctively yours, too, like coloured cables and a shorter 1.2m cable.
They’re a sign of things to come as well, making up part of an evolving Rode ecosystem with plenty more hardware add-ons planned for the future. Because innovation never stands still.
To find out more, and to book a demo with your local retailer, check out the Rode website.
Check out Rode Product Specialist Ryan Burke going through the features and specifications of the Rode NTH-100 below.
