I tested JBL’s new mid-range headphones — and they’re zingy, fresh, and fun (and finally have hi-res audio!)

The JBL Live 780NC are a huge improvement upon their predecessor, the 770NC. Now, they’re good enough to be some of the best headphones under $250. With punchy, rich bass that no longer overpowers the rest of the track and a huge array of customizable features, I’m really impressed.

So why not a 5-star review? Well, a couple of things: one, with a price increase of $50 over the predecessor, the competition is much stiffer. Two, unfortunately, like the previous model, they can feel a little clampy after a few hours’ wear.

But I still love the Live 780NC. They’re exciting, modern, and most importantly, fun. I love the fact that they come in unabashed, free-spirit orange rather than the sad muted tones we expect with headphones these days. Want to find out if they might be the headphones for you? Keep reading this JBL Live 780NC review.

Latest Videos From

Watch full video here:

JBL Live 780NC review: Specs

JBL Live 780NC review: Price & availability

The JBL Live 780NC are $249 from Amazon U.S. and £169 from Amazon U.K. This is a price increase of $50 from the Live 770NC (or a £10 increase in the U.K.), which is disappointing to see. $249 places the Live 780NC firmly in the “upper midrange” category rather than the “midrange” placement of the previous model.

There have been some upgrades to (somewhat) justify this price hike, namely the introduction of LDAC and a 30-hour battery life increase.

Even so, at $250, there’s stiff competition. You’ve got the Bose QuietComfort (not Ultra) headphones at $349, the Soundcore Space One Pro at $199, and the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 at $239 — so the JBLs have a lot to prove. Why wouldn’t you save money for the bona-fide-incredible Soundcores or spend a bit more for big-name Bose?

These days, you can even get the Sony WH-1000XM5 for around $250 on sale, which is dangerously cheap for such premium headphones. I might suggest getting them if you catch them on sale — they’re a couple of years old at this point, but are still great. I’ve also tested the super-budget Soundcore Space 2 and CMF Headphone Pro (both $99), which offer similar performance to the JBLs but at a much lower price.

JBL Live 780NC review: Design

Like their predecessor, the Live 780NC look pretty striking. As you can see from the images, I tested the gorgeous orange shade, but these fashion-oriented headphones come in: green, orange, purple, black, blue, champagne, and white.

There’s no IP rating, but this is pretty standard for over-ear headphones. The only headphones I’ve tested with IP ratings are the IP52 Nothing Headphone (a) ($159) and the IPX2 CMF Headphone Pro. To get an IP54 rating, you’ll need to splash out mega bucks on the $1,200 Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95.

Unfortunately, the JBL’s carry case is still a flimsy little bag, which is annoying. If that’s a dealbreaker for you, you might have to spend a little extra to get a hardshell case.

Comfort

At just 9.2 ounces, the Live 780NC are comfortable enough. I wouldn’t go so far as to claim they’re noticeably more comfortable than others, but I was able to wear them for a couple of hours without needing a break. After a while, the headband feels quite heavy and the ear cups can become clampy, but not as uncomfortable as the Nothing Headphone (a).

The most comfortable headphones I’ve ever tested are the Bose QuietComfort/Bose QuietComfort Ultra ($459), but the Soundcore Space 2 are also supremely comfy for a budget option.

Controls

Thankfully, JBL opted for button controls instead of the egregious touch controls I’ve seen on other newly released over-ears (looking at you, Bose, Sony, Sennheiser). You can play/pause by tapping the right ear cup, but for the most part, it’s a button-control system.

These controls are wonderfully easy to use: there’s a volume button on the left earcup, a Bluetooth/off button on the right, and an ANC toggle. That’s it. Hallelujah!

Connectivity

Another notch on the Live 780NC’s belt: Bluetooth 6.0. I know, new headphones releasing with the most recent Bluetooth version shouldn’t be this surprising, but after Apple released the AirPods Max 2 with Bluetooth 5.3, we can’t take any chances anymore. Bluetooth 6.0 provides a longer range and improved reliability: in reality, I was able to get out of my apartment and down the stairs before the headphones disconnected.

Setting up multipoint was super easy, too. After connecting to my iPhone 16 Pro, I only had to hold down the Bluetooth button and the headphones automatically popped up in my laptop settings.

JBL Live 780NC review: Sound quality

I was so impressed with the sound quality on the Live 780NC. I tested the previous version, Live 770NC, which sound great — if you love bass. But the Live 780NC are a much more well-rounded pair of headphones, with clarity in the low-end, melodic vocals, and, while a touch muted, a clean treble.

To test sound quality, I listened to a variety of genres on Qobuz, our best music streaming service for audiophiles, but I’ll just discuss three examples here.

First, I played ‘Save Me’ by Muse on my iPhone. As iPhones don’t have LDAC, I was only able to listen to this in standard AAC. Even so, the vocals were pronounced, with delicate, balanced structure over the arpeggiated guitar instrumental. I could even hear scratchiness at the back of the vocals, showing a fantastic level of detail.

For the next test, I listened with LDAC on my Samsung Galaxy S25+. I listened to ‘Baiana’ by Nia Archives, a jungle track with sibilant percussion and deep bass. This song sounded remarkably clear. The bass, although heavy, was never cluttered or muddy, and the vocals were handled with skill. I was really impressed.

Although these are predominantly wireless headphones, they do come with a USB-C-to-3.5mm cable, so it’s only fair I checked out wired performance, too. I listened to ‘A&W’ by Lana Del Rey, a pop track with Del Rey’s iconic deep, vintage-tinged voice and a mixture of electronic and acoustic instruments. I could hear every vibration of the acoustic guitar, every layer of vocal, but I did want a touch more expansiveness.

Even so, for $250, this performance is fantastic. I love when an ‘updated’ headphone is actually an improvement. The Live 770NC were mostly bass, but the Live 780NC are bass, mids, and detail. Top work, JBL.

JBL Live 780NC review: ANC

ANC is fine — nothing to write home about, but nothing disappointing either. When I was walking around the city, I could still hear some high-frequency sounds like passing conversations and squeaky brakes, but the headphones are pretty good at neutralizing lower frequencies.

When I was testing the Live 780NC at home, I could hear my air fryer (but it is a relatively loud air fryer) and myself typing.

Of course, if you want industry-leading ANC, it’s gotta be the Bose QuietComfort. But for $250, the Live 780NC aren’t half bad.

JBL Live 780NC review: Call quality

I tested the Live 780NC’s call quality on work calls. My colleagues reported that my voice was clear and free from interference, but my AirPods Max 2 sounded much better — you would hope for $549!

I do love that you can customize ‘VoiceAware’ — this controls how much you can hear yourself speaking during calls. This is one of the things I love, as I often worry I’m shouting when I’m out and about. You can also do this on the $399 Sennheiser Momentum 5 and the $449 Sony WH-1000XM6, so the Live 780NC are in good company here.

JBL Live 780NC review: App

As with other headphones by JBL, the Live 780NC use the JBL Headphones app. This is not the same as the speaker app, JBL Portable.

JBL Headphones is fairly standard, as far as companion apps go. There’s a range of features like customizable EQ, ‘Relax Mode’ (white noise, ocean sounds, forest noise, etc), Auracast, and completely customizable touch controls.

As with other JBL headphones, you also get PersoniFi, which is a gamified personalized audio feature. You listen to a series of tones and the app generates an EQ based on your hearing level — here are my results. This actually made my music sound more immersive.

I never had any connectivity hiccups or update headaches — the JBL Headphones app just knew what it was doing.

JBL Live 780NC review: Battery

And, finally, onto one of the most impressive features of the Live 780NC: the battery. These headphones have a whopping 80 hours of battery (ANC off). With ANC on, you still get 50 hours.

This is miles ahead of the premium crowd: AirPods Max 2 play for just 20 hours, and the QuietComfort Ultra and WH-1000XM6 up to 30. The best battery life I’ve ever experienced is the Nothing Headphone (a)’s 135 hours — but 80 hours is still good.

I listened for 8 hours and the battery dropped to 90%.

JBL Live 780NC review: Verdict

I’m really impressed with the JBL Live 780NC. While I liked the Live 770NC, they weren’t perfect — but the successor is a major improvement. Sound is now more balanced across the frequency range, and, although you’ll find a more expansive sound profile in pricier headphones, it’s a much more immersive experience.

Although at $249, the Live 780NC are a little more expensive than I’d like, you still get a fantastic performance for the price. I just think there’s too much competition at $250 — $199 would have made this a 4.5-star review, without a doubt.

But if you want that lively, fun, colorful design, then I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with the Live 780NC. They last for days and days, they sound great, and they also look super cool.