- Rode NTH-50 have 40mm drivers and "excellent" noise isolation
- Designed to stay comfortable in long sessions
- $99.99 / £99.99 / AU$199.95, available now
Rode has announced a new set of affordable, high quality headphones for musicians, DJs and other creative people.
Musicians and DJs aren't like other people, at least when it comes to headphones: creativity often means pulling very long shifts at the music factory, and that means headphones need to be very comfortable.
My own go-to headphones are feather-light for long listening, and that's one of their most valuable features. The new Rode NTH-50 have been created with very light weight and also have a specially designed pressure-relieving headband; they've also been made with glasses wearers in mind so they won't pinch.
The other thing creative types need from their headphones is accuracy, and the Rode NTH-50 promise to deliver that too.
Rode NTH-50 headphones: key features and pricing
The drivers here are 40mm and housed in a resonant chamber that promises "impeccable" clarity with ultra-low distortion and "incredible" accuracy. That's important, because these headphones won't be used for casual listening: headphones for that kind of listener often flatter the sound and paper over flaws, and that's the last thing you want when you're trying to ensure that a mix is going to sound perfect.
The NTH-50s' closed-back design promises good passive noise insulation both in and outwards, reducing audio bleed for the people around you while also minimizing incoming ambient noise.
The headphones are 32 ohms with a wide frequency range of 5Hz to 35 kHz.
The new NTH-50 headphones are essentially more affordable versions of the highly acclaimed NTH-100, which we awarded the full five stars to in our Rode NTH-100 review. And those headphones may be their biggest rival, because they've dropped in price since their 2023 launch: the NTH-100 were initially $149 / £149 / AU$249 but are now available for about $130 / £105 / AU$189.
Sonically they're simila,r with the same frequency range, but they're slightly more premium and promise to be just as comfortable – if the sound is as good on the new model and they're cheaper, they could be an entry for our list of the best wired headphones for those who need neutral sound for creative work.
The Rode NTH-50 headphones are available now for $99.99 / £99.99 / AU$199.95.
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