RØDE has always been well-known and, frankly, well-reviewed for their audio devices. One of which, the RØDE NTH-100, is a fantastic set of headphones with crystal clear sound and incredible comfort. Owners of these headphones may have seen the additional jack, and that’s why we are here today. That jack is for a microphone to turn your RØDE headphones into a headset. This is the RØDE NTH-100M.
The RØDE NTH-100M is a combination of the NTH-100 headphones and their detachable microphone. In the box (in addition to headphones and mic), is the detachable audio cable, a bag of coloured rings to colour code your entire setup and a carrying bag for the whole kit. It is a nice kit that travels very well due to the fact that headphones, cable and microphone all come apart to be stored neatly for your convenience.
I was, admittedly, a bit worried seeing all the detachable pieces as, on other devices, I’ve seen these loosen up and become harder to stay in place over time. These worries were abated when I saw how they attached. Both the audio cable and microphone lock in place with a simple twist. The cable simply does not budge. The microphone locks in similarly, but I find that it is a little more easily moved than the cable. No, it’s not going to fall out on its own, but it can potentially rotate away from your face if you are fussing with your headset enough.
The mic for the RØDE NTH-100M is one solid piece, meaning that there is no flexibility to adjust your mic very much to the desired position. While that may sound like a limitation, RØDE is pretty good at understanding what is needed to get the most out of their audio, so the distance between the microphone and your face is just right. Too many people place their headset mic right up against their mouths, and it sounds to people on the other end like you are eating your mic.
“The RØDE NTH-100M is a combination of the NTH-100 headphones and their detachable microphone.”
So how does the mic actually sound? Very nice. I wouldn’t call it “broadcast quality” compared to other mics they offer (which I would love to see them strive towards), but it is certainly a standout among headset microphones. The audio is crisp and isn’t harsh on your vocals like some mics can be. The way I look at mic quality on a headset is how I would feel if you were on Discord with someone who was streaming.
For the RØDE NTH-100M, I feel confident that I would sound great to that person’s viewers. In terms of the quality of the headphones themselves, CGM’s Alex Handziuk wrote a comprehensive review of them, and you can check that out here.
Really, the only disappointment is that this is something that already existed. You’ve been able to buy these headphones and this mic for some time and, only now, have they offered them together as a complete set. It feels like they may have waited until their price dropped, so the combination of the two wouldn’t have felt excessively priced back when the items were released.
The RØDE NTH-100M comes in at $189 USD, about a $20 discount if you were to buy the headphones and microphone separately, and still $10 cheaper than the headphones were at launch. As an overall gaming headset, it’s a bit on the pricier end, but it is sleek and comfortable, it sounds great and gives you that RØDE quality that you’ve come to expect.
- Professional over-ear headset ideal for media, broadcast, podcasting, streaming and working from home or the office
- Custom-matched drivers and state-of-the-art acoustic design deliver an incredibly accurate frequency response with exceptional detail and clarity
