JBL Live 780NC and 680NC review: Great leaps, greater missteps

JBL introduced two caller headphones to its Live bid lineup and some are fighting to live up to expectations. Don’t get maine wrong, nan JBL Live 780NC and 680NC are some a coagulated group of cans, but successful a oversea of noise-cancelling headphones, 1 of them decidedly has much appeal. The biggest differences betwixt these 2 headphones are nan over-ear and on-ear cups, and surprisingly, their audio quality. Let’s get into what does and doesn’t make them truthful special.

Design and comfort

Outside of varying colors and cup sizes, nan JBL Live 780NC and 680NC look practically identical. They person these lucky puck-looking receptor cups that are divided from nan leatherette pads. The creation looks for illustration someone’s thought of headphones from 10 years ago. It’s not needfully a bad thing, but it feels a spot clunky. Despite that, nan metallic hinge and leatherette set are much pleasantly minimalist. The cups besides fold up neatly successful a bosom style truthful you tin slot them easy successful nan included bag.

There’s a dedicated measurement rocker connected nan near receptor cup while nan correct holds room for a USB Type-C port, nan progressive sound cancelling (ANC) fastener and a combo power/Bluetooth move (yes, it’s a switch, not a button). Meanwhile, you get each of nan touch controls disposable connected nan correct cup of each group of headphones.

Both headphones felt a small uncomfortable to deterioration astatine first, but it usually takes clip for maine to get utilized to caller cans. After spending respective hours each pinch them, they yet grew connected me. They’re some a spot snug, but neither 1 near maine aching astatine nan extremity of nan day. I felt much alleviation erstwhile taking disconnected nan 680NC because of nan added unit of on-ear cups, but I’m besides not utilized to nan on-ear design.

Seamless customizable features

Despite nan adjacent $100 value gap, you get nan aforesaid group of features for nan JBL Live 780NC and 680NC, each wrapped up successful nan JBL Headphones app. It’s easy to group up and you don’t moreover request to make an account.

The first point you mightiness want to do is hop complete to nan settings and adhd nan “disable ANC” usability to nan rotation. Out of nan box, you tin either move betwixt ANC aliases Ambient mode connected nan headphones, which is ace frustrating — I shouldn’t request an app to alteration a basal action. Most headphones these days let you to rhythm betwixt ANC, Ambient mode and disconnected (neither).

At nan very least, nan app offers a thorough suite of features. You tin set nan spot of nan ANC and Ambient modes. Enabling Adaptive ANC allows automatic sound cancellation changes  based connected nan surrounding sound level, while Personal Sound Amplification makes everything astir you sound louder than normal. The second was incredibly adjuvant successful penning this very headphone review, ironically, arsenic I had to support an receptor retired for my kid perchance committing a crime (kidding… mostly).

The JBL Live 780NC and 680NC are packed pinch nan features I’d expect from a brace of premium headphones. They connection 360-degree spatial sound, an adaptive EQ, Auracast, automatic pausing and simultaneous Bluetooth connections pinch automatic switching.

You tin besides customize each of nan controls, from nan ANC Button to nan Touch Panel, which includes 2 telephone shortcuts and 4 wide shortcuts, 1 of which is already dedicated to autochthonal sound assistants for illustration Bixby and Siri. You do request to put a small much unit than you mightiness expect successful bid for nan touch controls to activate, though. This is simply a spot of a learning curve, truthful it would’ve been bully if it was much sensitive.

Sound quality

The JBL Live 780NC and 680NC some characteristic 40mm neodymium drivers, but they connection wholly different soundstages. With nan 680NC, I noticed nan bass deed a batch harder during nan DanDaDan soundtrack, but vocals and drawstring instruments weren’t arsenic crisp aliases agleam arsenic they were pinch nan 780NC. I had a akin acquisition while schmoozing my measurement done mundane objects successful Date Everything!, wherever vocals seemed much distant pinch nan 680NC. However, erstwhile playing Helldivers 2, 680NC captured nan bassy strength of an explosive-intergalactic abstraction war.

Continuing to tally done tracks for illustration JVKE’s “her” and “Radio” by Bershy, I noticed a communal taxable amongst nan headphones. The 680NC’s soundstage was constrictive and bassy, while nan 780NC was wide and hollow. Both reproduced 1 half of a awesome couple, but unfortunately, they’re presently separated and seeking lives of their own. No, but seriously, nan audio value connected some of them is still decent individually. I tin separate each instrumentality from each other, truthful they aren’t getting muddied successful nan mix. But I don’t deliberation nan 780NC is worthy nan other $90 connected sound value alone, since you’re trading 1 rumor for another.

ANC

The ANC strategy is somewhat different successful nan JBL Live 780NC and 680NC. The erstwhile features six microphones that observe and show ambient sound while nan second is outfitted pinch 4 microphones.

What quality does that really make, though? Well… not much, astatine slightest not practically. If you stuck them successful a laboratory and crunched nan numbers, location mightiness be, but successful my testing utilizing nan JBL Live 780NC and 680NC arsenic mundane headphones, there’s virtually nary quality extracurricular of nan passive sound isolation you get from over-ear design.

My canine is rather nan yapper, truthful I happened to trial nan ANC against her pinch some headphones, and they managed to artifact retired astir of her bark, but not each (she is rather loud). Unless you’re actively listening to something, it won’t termination each nan sound astir you — erstwhile everything was quiet, I still heard my instrumentality moving successful nan background. As a passenger, nan car’s roadworthy sound and nan different cars astir maine faded mostly into nan background, but they were still coming (when not actively listening to music).

Ambient modes for some headphones kept maine alert while stepping outside, and while checking to make judge thing chaotic was happening successful my home. I could intelligibly perceive nan ruckus my kid and canine were causing successful nan adjacent room, and I sewage moreover much of it erstwhile I turned up nan Sound Amplification.

As I mentioned above, nan astir annoying point astir nan ANC and Ambient mode systems is that you cannot disable some of them astatine nan aforesaid clip (out of nan box); you request nan app successful bid to make nan “off” action disposable via nan ANC button.

Calls and sound quality

JBL wasn’t lying astir calls: Both nan JBL Live 780NC and 680NC were awesome astatine cancelling retired nan sound from my surroundings, whether it was engaged postulation aliases maine blasting euphony connected my desk. The microphone picked up small things present and there, but it blocked retired astir inheritance distractions. The problem, however, is nan wide microphone quality.

Microphones connected some sets were beautiful rough. My sound sounded for illustration it was underwater aliases successful different room entirely. And while nan microphones were capable to cancel retired nan sound successful nan background, I noticed that it made maine a small much muddied, for illustration it was besides cancelling retired immoderate of my sound arsenic well. This is apt owed to nan awesome processing to artifact inheritance noise. My friend said, “You sound for illustration you’re fighting an ocean.” If you’re looking for a awesome caller, these ain’t it.

Battery life

With a afloat battery, I didn’t person to complaint nan JBL Live 780NC aliases 680NC for nan week I tested them. That’s pinch a operation of ANC connected and off, arsenic good arsenic utilizing them to chat pinch friends. JBL rates some headphones pinch nan aforesaid artillery life: 80 hours pinch ANC disconnected (33 hours of talk time) and 50 hours pinch ANC connected (28 hours of talk time). Those numbers lined up pinch my testing considering really agelong they lasted. Charging nan headphones from quiet does return 2 hours, though.

The competition

If you want a coagulated brace of over-ear ANC headphones successful this value range, I’d urge nan Sony WH-CH720N. The ANC struggles a bit, but nan headphones are overmuch cheaper than nan 780NC and connection awesome sound quality. It’s nan champion action if you want to prevention immoderate money.

However, if you’re looking for replacement on-ear ANC headphones, you’ll beryllium difficult pressed to find premium competitors to nan JBL 680NC. On-ear headphones thin to onshore successful nan mid-range aliases fund class. The JBL 680NC aren’t nan champion brace of headphones retired there, but they’re bully for what they are successful those categories.

Wrap-up

To bass aliases not to bass? That’s 1 of nan fewer questions you’ll request to inquire yourself erstwhile choosing betwixt nan JBL Live 780NC and 680NC. Of course, on-ear and over-ear designs entreaty to different consumers, but nan truth is that nan erstwhile sounds hollow and nan second is much bass-heavy. Both headphones are comfortable and connection awesome ANC and features.

Overall, however, nan JBL Live 780NC falls successful nan mediate of nan overcrowded marketplace for noise-cancelling wireless headphones, while nan 680NC stands conscionable gangly capable to make you want to return a person look. On a sale, I’d opportunity you could drawback either of these cans and beryllium satisfied, but astatine their afloat price, I’d beryllium wary. If you twist my arm, I could make an statement for nan 680NC because location aren’t capable on-ear noise-cancelling headphones disposable these days.