RØDE NTH-100: Choose the Cable Side That Fits Your Recording Desk

A recording desk can become a small obstacle course. The microphone arm approaches from one side, an audio interface sits on the other, and the headphone cable crosses the keyboard whenever you turn. The RØDE NTH-100 has a modest but useful answer: its removable cable can attach to either earcup.

That feature is easier to evaluate than a promise of perfect sound. Look at the route from your chair to the headphone output. If changing the cable side would keep the working area clearer, the NTH-100 has a specific practical advantage worth considering.

Follow the cable back to the source

These are wired, closed-back, over-ear headphones. They need a suitable headphone output; they are not Bluetooth headphones and do not provide a USB audio interface of their own. Check the connector and any required adapter against the equipment you already use.

For recording, decide where monitoring will happen. An interface's direct-monitoring path and a computer application's playback path are different parts of the system. Changing headphones alone will not correct an incorrectly routed signal or software buffering delay.

The detachable locking cable should be connected according to RØDE's instructions. Route it with enough slack to turn and stand normally, but avoid leaving a loop where a chair wheel can catch it. A side-selectable cable gives you an option; it does not remove the need to arrange the desk.

Fit is a session-length question

RØDE documents a FitLok headband system that retains the chosen adjustment, along with Alcantara-covered cushions and CoolTech gel. Those are construction features, not a guarantee that every wearer will find the headphones comfortable for the same length of time.

Try them in the conditions that matter to you. If you normally wear glasses while editing, keep the glasses on. Check the headband position, the seal around the ears and whether you keep readjusting the cups during an ordinary piece of work.

Do that evaluation before treating a locked headband setting as final. A lock preserves an adjustment; it cannot make a poor adjustment correct. Return terms are therefore relevant to the purchase, particularly when you cannot try the model locally before ordering.

Use closed backs for the right reason

A closed-back design is useful to consider when monitoring near a microphone or sharing a room. It should not be mistaken for active noise cancellation, complete soundproofing or a guarantee that no playback will reach a recording.

Make a short recording in your actual setup and listen back. Check for unwanted headphone bleed at the volume you normally use, along with cable contact or other desk noise. This is a suggested setup test, not a result from our own measurements of the NTH-100.

Likewise, do not expect a new headphone to make every mix decision reliable immediately. Learn familiar reference material and check important work on another playback system when possible. The goal is a monitoring tool whose behavior you understand, not a shortcut around listening judgment.

Check the standard pair against the bundles

The checked Newegg US New offer was $159 from Adorama on November 5, 2026. This selection is one black NTH-100 pair. Nearby listings include white versions, accessory bundles and other packages, so compare the actual contents before deciding which price is better.

The standard NTH-100 should also be distinguished from a microphone-equipped headset. If you need a boom mic for calls, confirm that requirement separately rather than assuming a product described for content creation includes one.

Choose this pair when wired monitoring already fits your equipment and the reversible cable route or retained fit setting solves a daily annoyance. Skip it if wireless listening, active cancellation or an included microphone is the main requirement. Its strongest practical case is a recording desk that becomes easier to live with, backed by a fit you have checked for yourself.