We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-26 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a complete studio starter kit with headphones and mic already matched for tracking, choose Rode RØDE NT1; if you need a flexible boom tripod stand that adjusts from seated podcast height to standing vocal height, choose StreamEye Rode NT1.
• Rode RØDE NT1 biggest strength: You get the NT1 Signature mic and the closed-back Audio-Technica ATH-M20x headphones in one box, plus a shock mount, pop filter, and XLR cable — everything for a first studio setup.
• Rode RØDE NT1 biggest trade-off: No stand is included, so you still need to buy a desk stand or boom arm separately before you can record.
• StreamEye Rode NT1 biggest strength: The On-Stage MS7701B Euro Boom tripod stand is bundled in, with a 36 to 64-inch height range and a steel single-handed clutch, so seated and standing sessions both work.
• StreamEye Rode NT1 biggest trade-off: The headphones are the StreamEye Cans50 rather than a known monitor model, and the bundle leans on the stand as its differentiator.
• Who Rode RØDE NT1 is for: Buyers who want a mic-plus-headphones package and already own a mic stand.
• Who StreamEye Rode NT1 is for: Buyers who want the stand solved in the same purchase and value height flexibility.
This bundle leads with the microphone. The NT1 Signature Series is a large-diaphragm cardioid condenser built around the HF6 1-inch true condenser capsule, and RØDE rates its self-noise at just 4dB. That 4dB figure is the headline spec here: it means the mic itself contributes very little hiss to a recording, which matters most when you're capturing quiet sources or stacking takes in post. The capsule is described as delivering rich bass, a detailed midrange, and crisp highs, which is the classic all-rounder profile for vocals, streaming, podcasting, and music production.
The second half of the bundle is the Audio-Technica ATH-M20x. These are circumaural, meaning the earcups sit around your ears rather than pressing on them, and that design is what gives them their isolation. They use 40mm drivers with copper-clad aluminum wire voice coils tuned for enhanced low-end. In practice that's a tracking-and-mixing headphone — closed back, so your monitor feed doesn't bleed back into a live mic.
Who should buy it: someone setting up a first vocal or podcast chain who wants the mic, the mount, the pop filter, the cable, and a pair of closed-back headphones decided in one go. The NT1 also carries a 10-year microphone warranty, which speaks to how RØDE views the build. The metal-and-plastic enclosure with an XLR connection and corded power is standard studio fare — you'll need an audio interface, because there's no USB here.
Who should skip it: anyone who doesn't yet own a stand or boom arm. This bundle stops at the shock mount, so you'll be adding a support before your first session. If you already have headphones you trust, you're paying for a second pair you may not need.
This bundle is built around the same microphone — the Rode NT1 Signature Black — but the accessories answer a different problem. The pitch here is a full tracking chain: a condenser, a boom tripod, and closed-back headphones, with the argument that open-back headphones in front of an open condenser will leak audio back into the take. That's a real and well-understood issue in home studios, and it's the reason the StreamEye Cans50 headphones in this kit are closed back rather than open.
The mic specs are where this bundle gets specific. StreamEye lists 4 dBA self-noise and a 142 dB SPL ceiling. That SPL number is the interesting one: it means the NT1 Signature can take a yelled rock vocal, a loud laugh, or an amp close by without needing a pad engaged. The 5 Hz to 20 kHz response is quoted as capturing upper-mid air on a singer and low-end body on a spoken-word host. The cardioid pattern is described as aggressive, rejecting rear and side sound — keyboard noise behind the mic, room reflections off the wall — without the leakage wider patterns pull in.
The stand is the piece that separates this kit. The On-Stage MS7701B Euro Boom covers 36 inches for a seated podcast setup and 64 inches for a standing lead vocal on the same stand. It has a 30-inch removable Euro boom, a 23-inch base spread, a 5.2 lb hybrid sheet-metal frame, a steel midpoint single-handed clutch, and a 5/8-inch top thread. It folds flat for travel. A rugged aluminium body on the mic rounds out the durability story, and the bundle carries a standard manufacturer warranty.
Who should buy it: the vocalist, voice-over talent, or podcast host who records standing sometimes and seated other times, and who wants the stand decision made for them. Who should skip it: someone who already owns a boom arm they like, or who wants a specific headphone model they've already chosen.
• Best for a stand-included setup → StreamEye Rode NT1. The MS7701B covers 36 to 64 inches, so one stand handles seated and standing work.
• Best for headphones you can identify → Rode RØDE NT1. The Audio-Technica ATH-M20x is a known closed-back monitor model with 40mm drivers.
• Best for loud sources → StreamEye Rode NT1. The 142 dB SPL ceiling is the spec that matters for yelled vocals and close-miked amps.
• Best for quiet, detailed capture → either. Both use the NT1 Signature at 4 dBA self-noise, so the noise floor is the same.
• Best for travel → StreamEye Rode NT1. The MS7701B folds flat, and the stand breaks down with a removable boom.
• Best for a minimal first purchase → Rode RØDE NT1. Mic, shock mount, pop filter, cable, and headphones arrive together; you add only a stand.
• Best for room rejection → either. Both rely on the NT1 Signature's tight cardioid pattern to reject rear and side sound.
• Best warranty coverage on the mic → Rode RØDE NT1. The 10-year microphone warranty is stated for this bundle.
I'd buy the StreamEye Rode NT1. The microphone is the same NT1 Signature in both bundles, so the real decision is the accessories — and a stand is the thing most people forget until their first session stalls. Getting the MS7701B with its 36 to 64-inch range and folding frame in the same box removes that friction, and the 142 dB SPL ceiling is documented clearly enough to plan loud sessions around. If you already own a boom arm and specifically want the ATH-M20x headphones, the Rode RØDE NT1 bundle is the better fit for you. Check the current price on Amazon before deciding, since these two kits are configured differently and the value math is yours to run.
FAQ
what are closed back studio headphones
Closed-back studio headphones have sealed earcups that block outside sound and keep your monitor feed from escaping. In a studio they're used for tracking, because the sound stays in the cups instead of bleeding into a live microphone. Both bundles here include a closed-back pair for exactly that reason.
"In my opinion" the right closed-back pair is the one that isolates well and doesn't color your low end. The Rode RØDE NT1 bundle includes the Audio-Technica ATH-M20x, a circumaural closed-back design with 40mm drivers tuned for enhanced low-end. That combination — sealed cups plus low-end tuning — is what makes a headphone useful for tracking.
what is open back studio headphones
Open-back headphones have vented earcups that let air and sound move through the shell. They're typically used for mixing and critical listening because the open design reduces pressure buildup, but they leak sound in both directions. That leakage is the specific problem the StreamEye bundle calls out when it argues for closed-back monitoring in front of a condenser.
what is closed back studio headphones
It's the same idea as above: a headphone whose cups seal around or against your ears so sound stays contained. The ATH-M20x in the Rode RØDE NT1 bundle is circumaural, meaning the cups contour around the ears for isolation. The StreamEye Cans50 takes the same closed-back approach for the same reason.
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