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Updated April 11, 2024·
If you prioritize top-tier sound quality and are looking to invest a bit more for a premium listening experience, especially for music and TV, the Sennheiser IE600 would be the better choice as they offer best in class sound with excellent build quality. On the other hand, if you're seeking a more affordable option that still delivers good sound quality, comfort, and is specifically good for music, the Rode NTH-100 headphones may be more suitable. However, they lack the portability of the Sennheiser earbuds and aren't as well-adapted for use during exercise or travel due to their size and weight. Additionally, consider if you need a microphone, as both options have poor mic quality, so for calls and meetings, you might want to look at other options. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Rode NTH-100
Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Sennheiser IE600
Excellent for TV and video
Key differences
Phone Calls
4.8/10
3.5/10
The Rode NTH-100 and Sennheiser IE600 are both poor for phone calls, though the Rode NTH-100 is somewhat better.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
7.6/10
5.4/10
The Rode NTH-100 is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Sennheiser IE600 is poor.
TV and Video
7.7/10
9.3/10
The Sennheiser IE600 is excellent for TV and video, while the Rode NTH-100 is good.
Noise Reduction
5.3/10
7.0/10
The Sennheiser IE600 is good for noise reduction, while the Rode NTH-100 is poor.
Cost
$149
$600
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The Rode NTH-100 has a price of $149 and the Sennheiser IE600 costs $600.
Build Quality
8.5/10
9.0/10
The Sennheiser IE600 has excellent build quality, while the Rode NTH-100 has very good build quality.
"The NTH-100M is a closed-back headset aimed at professional audiophiles—streamers, podcasters and content creators included—looking for masterful audio and a detachable 'broadcast-grade' microphone."
"If you've got the bucks, the Sennheiser IE 600 is a nice, upscale set of in-ear monitors made of a lightweight metal with an unusual texture. It comes with a suite of extras, and performs well at virtually every task."
Get a great deal on the Rode NTH-100 or the Sennheiser IE600
About Rode
Rode is an Australian audio equipment manufacturer. Rode was founded in 1967 as Freedman Electronics, transitioning into its modern brand in 1990, and it’s mainly known for their high-end microphones and audio production equipment. In 2022 they entered into the headphone market with their NTH-100 closed back headphone which was received with very good reviews from the community.
About Sennheiser
A family-owned company, Sennheiser is a German, high fidelity, audio equipment manufacturer founded in 1945. Their consumer audio division is now owned by the Swiss hearing aid and cochlear implant manufacturer Sonova. Sennheiser offers a wide variety of, very high quality, audio equipment solutions, from headphones to earbuds, full sets of monitoring speakers, amplifiers and microphones. They also make what is widely regarded as the best, and most expensive, headphones in existence, the HE-1 Orpheus, costing a whopping $59,000 dollars.
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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Luis is a Mexico-based headphones expert. He’s been making headphone recommendations for five years and has close to 100 pairs in his personal collection.