Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Mar 31, 2022 14:14:34 GMT
You’ve possibly not heard of Rode because they are microphone people. They are known in the video world for producing excellent value microphones and most people that make YouTube videos like myself have more than one Rode microphone in their collection. I have many of them and they’re all really solid performers.
Rode is an Australian company.
The NTH-100 is their first headphone. It’s aimed at producers and videographers. For most video people, monitoring of audio is likely to be done on a Sony 7506 or Beyer DT770. Not because they’re the best headphone, but because they can both be brutal in highlight audio flaws. The 7506 isn’t that great for long listening sessions because of its tonal balance but it is excellent for monitoring.
The NTH-100 sounds to me like a middle ground between the dt770 and the 7506. It has good slam but not as fat as the DT770. It has a clean treble, but doesn’t pierce through your head like the 7506 sound.
It’s an unusual headphone. Shaped to closely fit your ears so no space in the cups for resonances. (Triangular) The pads are memory foam with cooling gel. Also…. Alcantara. The pads are frankly …. Plush as hell.
The cups, once fitted to your head are locked into place, so they never move again. The lead can be connected on left or right side and is extremely flexible. It doesn’t have ‘spring’ in it.
It’s quite heavy as far as headphones go, but because of the way it fits, it feels much lighter on your head.
I’m not kidding when I say that these are a BARGAIN. Around £130. The sound is really balanced and they sound pretty flat to me. There is perhaps a slight lift in the upper bass but actually, it’s not a lot and I think as far as monitoring headphones go, that’s what makes these headphones useable for music listening as well as monitoring. I did a mix with them, and the mix sounded great on speakers afterwards. That’s a sign that they have a really balanced frequency response. I have to be very careful with the DT770 because of its bass and the 7506 with its treble. This one is way more flat and it shows big time in the mixing.
Imaging is extremely good. It’s a closed headphone, but it images like a semi-open headphone. The drivers are closely matched and placement is spot on. I can move people talking in my videos literally by inches with these and clearly hear it. Music listening puts vocalists firmly in centre and sometimes, it seems to put them in their own ‘space’ in the mic. You get a feeling of front to back depth and on some recordings, singers are placed further back in the stage. Really obvious with these.
Treble is clear. Not piercing in any way. Fantastic mids but the bass ….. it doesn’t dominate but can really growl at you.
You can listen loud if you want. No trouble. 32ohms so driven easily by phones.
They make me think of the Sennheiser HD600 but with a better bass response and no ‘veiling’ or ‘harshness’
Rode are an excellent company and their design team took a long time designing this headphone. It’s their first and boy, is it a cracker. It looks good. Feels good and sounds good.
One thing…. Without being rude, if you have large ears, the cups might be a problem. My ears fit fine. They made this close fit on purpose to avoid cup resonances.
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Crispy
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Post by Crispy on Mar 31, 2022 18:22:02 GMT
You’ve possibly not heard of Rode because they are microphone people. They are known in the video world for producing excellent value microphones and most people that make YouTube videos like myself have more than one Rode microphone in their collection. I have many of them and they’re all really solid performers. Rode is an Australian company. The NTH-100 is their first headphone. It’s aimed at producers and videographers. For most video people, monitoring of audio is likely to be done on a Sony 7506 or Beyer DT770. Not because they’re the best headphone, but because they can both be brutal in highlight audio flaws. The 7506 isn’t that great for long listening sessions because of its tonal balance but it is excellent for monitoring. The NTH-100 sounds to me like a middle ground between the dt770 and the 7506. It has good slam but not as fat as the DT770. It has a clean treble, but doesn’t pierce through your head like the 7506 sound. It’s an unusual headphone. Shaped to closely fit your ears so no space in the cups for resonances. (Triangular) The pads are memory foam with cooling gel. Also…. Alcantara. The pads are frankly …. Plush as hell. The cups, once fitted to your head are locked into place, so they never move again. The lead can be connected on left or right side and is extremely flexible. It doesn’t have ‘spring’ in it. It’s quite heavy as far as headphones go, but because of the way it fits, it feels much lighter on your head. I’m not kidding when I say that these are a BARGAIN. Around £130. The sound is really balanced and they sound pretty flat to me. There is perhaps a slight lift in the upper bass but actually, it’s not a lot and I think as far as monitoring headphones go, that’s what makes these headphones useable for music listening as well as monitoring. I did a mix with them, and the mix sounded great on speakers afterwards. That’s a sign that they have a really balanced frequency response. I have to be very careful with the DT770 because of its bass and the 7506 with its treble. This one is way more flat and it shows big time in the mixing. Imaging is extremely good. It’s a closed headphone, but it images like a semi-open headphone. The drivers are closely matched and placement is spot on. I can move people talking in my videos literally by inches with these and clearly hear it. Music listening puts vocalists firmly in centre and sometimes, it seems to put them in their own ‘space’ in the mic. You get a feeling of front to back depth and on some recordings, singers are placed further back in the stage. Really obvious with these. Treble is clear. Not piercing in any way. Fantastic mids but the bass ….. it doesn’t dominate but can really growl at you. You can listen loud if you want. No trouble. 32ohms so driven easily by phones. They make me think of the Sennheiser HD600 but with a better bass response and no ‘veiling’ or ‘harshness’ Rode are an excellent company and their design team took a long time designing this headphone. It’s their first and boy, is it a cracker. It looks good. Feels good and sounds good. One thing…. Without being rude, if you have large ears, the cups might be a problem. My ears fit fine. They made this close fit on purpose to avoid cup resonances. Hi Ian, I hope you are well?
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this headphone & yes I have never heard of the company.
I have been on Rode's website and I like what I see. They seem to have taken a lot of thought into the production of the headphone and the things I like about them are:
They look fantastic Closed back Locking headband faciltity
32ohm easily driven Earcup shape with memory foam pads and cooltech gel detachable cord fitting into either cup good frequency response 20dBA noise attenuation
price
They are more in my price range than the £800+ MrSpeakers Aeon Closed that I really like the look of.
I am seriously thinking of buying some of these and would like to know what Frans thinks of them, if he has seen any measurements or even heard a pair?
Do you think they are better than the DT770 for HIFI listening?
Keep me posted on how you get on with them?
Regards
Chris
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Mar 31, 2022 19:10:43 GMT
Hi Chris. I’m fine thanks. COVID nearly knocked me out, but just about recovered now. Took a long time.
I love this headphone. Had it a couple of weeks now since Rode sent it to me (I do a lot of microphone reviews) and deal with them a lot. I do think it’s better than a DT770. Less sibilant and less bloated. Better mids as a result.
When you first fit them, they feel cramped but the secret is to lower (and lock) the cups so the grip is lessened and your ear lobes go properly in. When your ear is in, there is barely any space in order to stop resonances.
Monitoring headphones often don’t sound that entertaining on music but these do.
To me, they sound like a crisper Senn hd600. Less bass than the dt770. Less Sibilance than the 7506 and a really ‘even’ response. I know that Rode did a lot of development work on these with a mass of testing different ideas. I think that they did a great job. Terrific for mixing audio for video. They give a very similar result to mixing direct on speakers which means the frequency response must be quite even.
Very low distortion and apparently goes from 5 to 35 kHz.
They kind of remind me of the Philips headphone that Frans modded. Not bright and tizzy, but treble is there but doesn’t seem veiled like the Senns. Just seems natural. I suspect some might find them boring, but they definitely place sounds well and have a pleasant slam in the bass.
Today, I was listening to Stairway to Heaven in a tribute live event, gospel choir, strings and group. Honestly, the hairs were going up on my neck. It conveys a natural sound that almost puts you there. Also, some live Black Sabbath stuff where I could clearly hear Ozzie struggling at one point. That struggle to stay in tune really came across plainly and you kind of hear the effort that he was making to get it right. So they are quite analytical without being harsh.
Also closed but sound more like a semi open headphone to me because the imaging is pretty good. The drivers are matched at the Rode factory. They’re set up to match capsules in any case with their mics because they also sell stereo matched pairs. Great company.
The headphone was primarily designed for videographers which often involves mixing music and speech. The first time I used them, the mixed sound sounded great on my TV but while working on the video, I noticed the bass slam in the music that wasn’t there on the TV but definitely there on the soundbar. So it matches fairly well.
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solderdude
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Post by solderdude on Apr 1, 2022 21:14:55 GMT
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Crispy
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Post by Crispy on Apr 2, 2022 17:44:42 GMT
Thanks for that Frans, that was quick
I did not think you would have listened to a pair never mind measured them.
Having a good read of your review I think I would be wise to save my money and stick with my DT770.
Thanks for taking the time to measure and review these headphones it is much appreciated.
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Crispy
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Post by Crispy on Apr 2, 2022 17:55:49 GMT
Hi Chris. I’m fine thanks. COVID nearly knocked me out, but just about recovered now. Took a long time. I love this headphone. Had it a couple of weeks now since Rode sent it to me (I do a lot of microphone reviews) and deal with them a lot. I do think it’s better than a DT770. Less sibilant and less bloated. Better mids as a result. When you first fit them, they feel cramped but the secret is to lower (and lock) the cups so the grip is lessened and your ear lobes go properly in. When your ear is in, there is barely any space in order to stop resonances. Monitoring headphones often don’t sound that entertaining on music but these do. To me, they sound like a crisper Senn hd600. Less bass than the dt770. Less Sibilance than the 7506 and a really ‘even’ response. I know that Rode did a lot of development work on these with a mass of testing different ideas. I think that they did a great job. Terrific for mixing audio for video. They give a very similar result to mixing direct on speakers which means the frequency response must be quite even. Very low distortion and apparently goes from 5 to 35 kHz. They kind of remind me of the Philips headphone that Frans modded. Not bright and tizzy, but treble is there but doesn’t seem veiled like the Senns. Just seems natural. I suspect some might find them boring, but they definitely place sounds well and have a pleasant slam in the bass. Today, I was listening to Stairway to Heaven in a tribute live event, gospel choir, strings and group. Honestly, the hairs were going up on my neck. It conveys a natural sound that almost puts you there. Also, some live Black Sabbath stuff where I could clearly hear Ozzie struggling at one point. That struggle to stay in tune really came across plainly and you kind of hear the effort that he was making to get it right. So they are quite analytical without being harsh. Also closed but sound more like a semi open headphone to me because the imaging is pretty good. The drivers are matched at the Rode factory. They’re set up to match capsules in any case with their mics because they also sell stereo matched pairs. Great company. The headphone was primarily designed for videographers which often involves mixing music and speech. The first time I used them, the mixed sound sounded great on my TV but while working on the video, I noticed the bass slam in the music that wasn’t there on the TV but definitely there on the soundbar. So it matches fairly well. I am glad that Covid did not get you too badly Ian and that you are OK.
I could not tell you if I have had it or not, I have never had any symptoms in the two years, nor have I had any cold or flu symptoms either - must be lucky?
After readings Frans review of the Rode NTH-100 it has put me off thinking of buying a pair
If I am going to replace my DT770 then it will have to be something significantly better and according to Frans review I am probably better sticking with what I have?
Thanks for sharing your honest opinion and review of these headphones and I must admit they do look good and maybe sound good too?
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solderdude
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Post by solderdude on Apr 3, 2022 6:48:25 GMT
As Ian mentioned it is great for the recording side of things especially spoken word. Has decent/good attenuation from outside noises and good and not distracting sound quality. Ian is far more interested in that aspect where as my opinion is more towards music reproduction/enjoyment. For music enjoyment the NTH-100 misses some 'audiophile' qualities such as clarity/nuances/sparkle. These properties are distracting while monitoring/producing but IMO more essential for listening to/enjoying music reproduction. So it is a very good headphone for its intended purpose (Semi)professional recording but less suited for music enjoyment. An affordable and good alternative for a DT770 with less hyped bass and treble could be the Brainwavz HM5. diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/headphones/measurements/brainwavz-hm5/It is neutral, good sound quality no sibilance nor boomy/closed sound. Can be used without any EQ.
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Crispy
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Post by Crispy on Apr 3, 2022 18:25:34 GMT
As Ian mentioned it is great for the recording side of things especially spoken word. Has decent/good attenuation from outside noises and good and not distracting sound quality. Ian is far more interested in that aspect where as my opinion is more towards music reproduction/enjoyment. For music enjoyment the NTH-100 misses some 'audiophile' qualities such as clarity/nuances/sparkle. These properties are distracting while monitoring/producing but IMO more essential for listening to/enjoying music reproduction. So it is a very good headphone for its intended purpose (Semi)professional recording but less suited for music enjoyment. An affordable and good alternative for a DT770 with less hyped bass and treble could be the Brainwavz HM5. diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/headphones/measurements/brainwavz-hm5/It is neutral, good sound quality no sibilance nor boomy/closed sound. Can be used without any EQ. Thanks for that Frans, it seems from most reviews that nobody seems to have a bad word for them at their price level I have just looked on Brainwavz website and I can get a pair direct from them for £55 + delivery - sounds like an absolute bargain, just checking my bank balance now as things are a bit tight now I have retired. Yeh F*** it I might be dead nxt year I will let you know what I think of them once they have arrived & I have had a good listen to them
Udate: Just ordered a pair direct from Brainwavz USA £55 + Free delivery what is there not to like?
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solderdude
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Post by solderdude on Apr 3, 2022 18:33:12 GMT
I had to pay taxes for mine so you should add about GBP 15.- perhaps. Still remained below € 90.- in total.
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Apr 4, 2022 10:56:48 GMT
Oh yes, I forgot about that stupid rubber bung! Rode told me about it when it was sent to me. I just put it in and forgot about it.
TBH, the frequency response comparison with the hd650 had me switching between the two today and to me, they are still quite similar in the treble. The Senn might be a fraction more ‘airy’ (which is quite funny talking about a 650 that way) but the Rode isn’t that far removed. I’d say that the treble quality is a bit ‘harder’ than the Senn, but it doesn’t seem that dull to me. The Rode also seems more punchy.
Rode do push it as a videographer headphone and I have to say, it is really good for this.
There is a line for speech where it can sound too toppy on some audiophile headphones, resulting in us dialling down the treble on video. That means when the video is watched, they get dull speech. If the top end is too muffled, then we do the opposite, and video speech is crucial to get reasonably right because people watch on phones, right through to be speakers! So we have to hit a happy medium.
It’s a bit like colour correcting on a TV and someone else watches on a different TV and gets a totally different colour! Especially when you video in LOG and try to get good REC709 colour! Then someone watches and sees say, green faces, where you saw pink!
Monitoring sound is often done at ‘life’ volume too. That way, if you’re mixing on a PA or something, the life sound doesn’t ‘bleed’ through. You also hear a fuller frequency spectrum.
My initial feeling is that the Rode was close to the Senn 600 and 650 tonally.
There is some kind of bass lift which makes (imo) the headphone a nicer listen for music in comparison to the Sony 7506 and it’s treble which has been the ‘bread and butter’ for a lot of video people for years. DT770 is great with music but not really monitoring with the hyped treble and bass.
You’re quite right about learning the sound Frans. Over the years, I have learned to compensate for the Sony but don’t really need to do as much with the Rode pair.
I would say that for listening to music, these headphones sound ‘tame’ in comparison to more colourful hifi headphones. I’ve adjusted and find them fine for music tbh, but I can see that some might want more excitement. Similar to what some say about the Senns.
I had an HM5 years back. At the time, I felt it was a great headphone. Possibly similar top end to the Rode. ie: slightly rolled away as well, so better a bit louder. £55 is a fantastic price for one. I’m sure that they used to be significantly more than that. They had a nice case and a detachable cable too.
If the price was a main consideration, then the HM5 is great at that price. I’m not certain it’s better than the Rode though going from memory when I had one.
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Crispy
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Post by Crispy on Apr 5, 2022 18:58:01 GMT
I had to pay taxes for mine so you should add about GBP 15.- perhaps. Still remained below € 90.- in total. It must be my lucky day Frans
Headphones arrived today with no extra payments, I dont think they have come from the USA even though I ordered through the USA website, but from a stock in England so no import taxes? I looked at the GOV.UK website and anything under £135 is import tax free anyway.
I also looked at my bank account today and up to now no payment has been taken out (Strange)?
They look superb with nice carry case, extra pads & two leads one short one long.
I have not heard them yet but very impressed with the quickness of the delivery and what looks like a great heaphone for peanuts.
I will have a listen over the next few days and compare them to what headphones I have and let you know if they are worth it?
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solderdude
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Post by solderdude on Apr 6, 2022 7:59:24 GMT
Mine took 3 weeks and were sent from China. I ordered from Brainwavz website.
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Crispy
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Post by Crispy on Apr 6, 2022 18:02:24 GMT
Mine took 3 weeks and were sent from China. I ordered from Brainwavz website. Glad mine did not take 3 weeks Frans
Could you give me some advice on comparing my headphones please as you do it all the time.
How do I get the same volume for each headphone? Just say for example one HP is 32ohm and the next is 250ohm one is going to sound louder than the other and in my experience the louder one will sound better intially. Do you use a spl meter?
Do you use just one track to compare or do you just play any music you are familar with, or do you use a test track?
Do you listen to one track through you reference HP then play the same track through the next HP?
Any advice is appreciated
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