There’s something reassuring about gear that’s made locally – even more so when it’s from a well-known, established brand like RØDE. The Australian company has built a reputation on designing and manufacturing professional audio equipment, and the NTH-50 Professional On-Ear Headphones keep the tradition going strong.
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Evolving from Freedman Electronics, founded by Henry and Astrid Freedman in 1967, RØDE has cemented its name as one of the most respected outfits in professional audio. What started as a small Sydney operation repairing and distributing audio gear has grown into a global behemoth, earning its reputation on solid, professional-grade builds. While plenty of audio companies have long since moved production overseas, RØDE has stuck with local manufacturing and a focus on build quality.
First gaining traction through the NT1 and NT2 microphones, which became studio staples in the ’90s, RØDE has been in the game a long while. Those early days saw the brand offer professional-quality audio gear at prices that made sense for commercial studios and home recordists alike – an ethos that still defines it. Expanding beyond microphones into audio interfaces, wireless systems and video production tools pushed RØDE into new territory while keeping it close to its roots.
RØDE’s latest step into studio headphones is the on-ear NTH-50, joining the over-ear NTH-100 in the monitoring lineup. Engineered by RØDE’s headphone team in Germany and manufactured in Sydney, they’re built for DJs, sound engineers and creators who need reliable monitoring in difficult environments.
The NTH-50 uses a custom-engineered 40mm dynamic driver housed in a resonant chamber. That might sound like a bunch of jargon, but it’s a pretty important detail: the result is accurate frequency response with very low distortion. What you’ll hear is balanced sound, natural bass with detailed mid-range and crisp highs. Passive noise isolation is rated at -21 dBA, cutting a lot of external noise without any active cancellation. That helps when you’re monitoring in loud rooms, and keeps sound from bleeding into a recording. High SPL handling means the NTH-50 can push serious volume when needed, and it’ll still sound clean up against stage volume, street noise, loud chatter, you name it.
While audio quality is a priority, comfort matters too – no one wants sore ears during long sessions. RØDE’s answer is a lightweight build and a contoured headband with a recess for the fontanel, the soft spot at the top of your head. It spreads pressure evenly, adjusts to different head sizes and stays comfortable if you wear glasses. Memory foam padding lines the earcups, moulding to your ears while staying breathable to cut heat build-up.
Durability gets the same attention. Built for daily professional use, the NTH-50 stays lightweight but adds aluminium faceplates and a scratch-resistant matte black coating to handle regular knocks. Colour-coded earcup markers help you tell left from right in the dark – handy during late-night sessions and gigs.
The detachable cable uses a locking connector that attaches on either side, so it suits different setups. A 1.7m double-coiled monitoring cable is included, along with a storage pouch and a 3.5mm to ¼-inch adapter.
Owners of NTH-100 accessories will be glad the NTH-50s work with the range, modular cables included. The optional NTH-Mic turns the headphones into a broadcast-quality headset for podcasting, streaming and content creation.
On-ear makes more sense than over-ear in plenty of situations, and the NTH-50 is built for them. DJs get the isolation plus the option to slip one cup aside while keeping the other on. Their portability and isolation suit sound engineers out in the field, and producers and mixers get accurate monitoring without the bulk of a big over-ear pair.
With the NTH-50, RØDE again shows that quality audio gear can be designed and built locally and still compete globally.
The NTH-50 Professional On-Ear Headphones are available now. Learn more here.
