{"id":1926686,"date":"2026-05-08T11:00:07","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T08:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1926686"},"modified":"2026-05-08T11:00:07","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T08:00:07","slug":"jbl-live-780nc-review-solid-wireless-headphones-you-can-live-without","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1926686","title":{"rendered":"JBL Live 780NC Review: Solid Wireless Headphones You Can Live Without"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/05\/JBL-Live-780NC-review-9-1200&#215;675.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"post-2000755178 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-headphones tag-audio tag-jbl tag-reviews tag-wireless-headphones\">\n<div class=\"entry-content prose dark:prose-invert lg:prose-xl prose-main dark:prose-main\">\n<p>I don\u2019t envy any company trying to steal some shine in the wireless headphones space.<\/p>\n<p>There are endless pairs across the price spectrum, and a lot of them have similar features, sound profiles, and looks. Even if one pair <em>does<\/em> sound better than another, it\u2019s difficult to convey that in marketing. Descriptions of drivers only get you so far, and hearing is believing in the wireless headphone world.<\/p>\n<p>The fact is, when it comes to over-ear audio, the bar is lofty\u2014like Olympic high-jump levels of altitude\u2014and unfortunately, I\u2019m not sure recent competitors like JBL\u2019s $250 Live 780NC have the hops to make the cut.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"review-box not-prose\">\n<div class=\"float-right ml-5 mb-2 sm:ml-10 sm:mb-4\">\n<div class=\"flex justify-center items-center gap-3 p-4 sm:h-36 aspect-square rounded-[20px] rounded-br-none bg-main-700 dark:bg-main-500\"><span class=\"text-beige typo-sofia-h4 sm:typo-sofia-h2\">3<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"typo-sofia-h5 sm:typo-sofia-h4\">JBL Live 780NC<\/p>\n<p class=\"mt-3 typo-space-body-1\">Solid wireless headphones, but there are better values out there.<\/p>\n<div class=\"clear-both\">\n<div class=\"flex mt-5 flex-col sm:flex-row gap-3\">\n<div class=\"border flex-1 dark:bg-main-900 rounded\">\n<div class=\"p-5 sm:p-10 pb-3 sm:pb-5 flex items-center gap-5\">\n<p class=\"typo-space-h2\">Pros<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"px-5 sm:px-10 py-3 sm:py-5 border-b-[0.5px] last:border-b-0 typo-space-body-2 sm:typo-space-body-1\">\n                      Sound is pretty good\n                    <\/li>\n<li class=\"px-5 sm:px-10 py-3 sm:py-5 border-b-[0.5px] last:border-b-0 typo-space-body-2 sm:typo-space-body-1\">\n                      ANC is solid\n                    <\/li>\n<li class=\"px-5 sm:px-10 py-3 sm:py-5 border-b-[0.5px] last:border-b-0 typo-space-body-2 sm:typo-space-body-1\">\n                      Comfortable\n                    <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"border flex-1 dark:bg-main-900 rounded\">\n<div class=\"p-5 sm:p-10 pb-3 sm:pb-5 flex items-center gap-5\">\n<p class=\"typo-space-h2\">Cons<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"px-5 sm:px-10 py-3 sm:py-5 border-b-[0.5px] last:border-b-0 typo-space-body-2 sm:typo-space-body-1\">\n                      Price is too high for the performance\n                    <\/li>\n<li class=\"px-5 sm:px-10 py-3 sm:py-5 border-b-[0.5px] last:border-b-0 typo-space-body-2 sm:typo-space-body-1\">\n                      Touch controls are annoying\n                    <\/li>\n<li class=\"px-5 sm:px-10 py-3 sm:py-5 border-b-[0.5px] last:border-b-0 typo-space-body-2 sm:typo-space-body-1\">\n                      Noise modes could use some fine-tuning\n                    <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mt-5 sm:mt-7\">\n<div class=\"flex gap-4\">\n<p>                See at Amazon<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Good sound, but are they $250 good?<\/h2>\n<p>The JBL Live 780NC are definitely another pair of wireless headphones, and not a bad pair either, especially in the sound department. While these aren\u2019t the best-sounding pair of wireless cans in the world, I wasn\u2019t disappointed by any means.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2000754830\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2000754830\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000754830\" src=\"https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/05\/JBL-Live-780NC-review-1.jpg\" alt=\"Jbl Live 780nc Review 1\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2000754830\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 Raymond Wong \/ Gizmodo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I tested the JBL Live 780NC across a range of genres, including quite a few rock songs, like Dirt Buyer\u2019s \u201cHeavy.\u201d The sound was pretty solid; guitars were crunchy and big, and vocals were clear. I wasn\u2019t super impressed with the low end, which sounded a little artificial to me, and drums were a bit distant, though that could be a product of the mix. Listening to Steely Dan\u2019s \u201cAny Major Dude Will Tell You,\u201d I was more pleased with the separation between frequencies and mix. The soundstage felt bigger and clearer, though I can\u2019t say I was blown away.<\/p>\n<p>I preferred listening to the JBL Live 780NC more in non-rock genres. Daft Punk\u2019s \u201cDa Funk,\u201d which I usually listen to for testing low end, felt more complete and well-suited for this pair. There was solid separation between frequencies and sufficient bass. The bass didn\u2019t sound as out of place in this case, but that\u2019s probably a product of the genre switch\u2014this song is <em>supposed<\/em> to sound synthesized. Either way, I feel like the tuning was right for electronic genres more than rock.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m going to give the same PSA that I always give in wireless headphones and wireless earbuds reviews, and that\u2019s the fact that you should be taking advantage of personalized EQ if you have the chance, and in this case, you <em>do <\/em>have the chance. JBL\u2019s companion app has a feature called \u201cPersoni-Fi,\u201d which lets you take a hearing test that plays tones across a range of frequencies, and then you indicate when you\u2019re not able to hear them anymore. The whole process takes a couple of minutes and makes a significant difference in audio quality. With Personi-Fi activated, I was able to hear a lot more in the mid- and low-range frequencies, which is expected since I\u2019m in my mid-30s and I\u2019m sure my hearing isn\u2019t what it used to be. Not everyone will notice a difference with personalized EQ, but it\u2019s worth taking a couple of minutes to give it a whirl.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2000754831\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2000754831\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000754831\" src=\"https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/05\/JBL-Live-780NC-review-2.jpg\" alt=\"Jbl Live 780nc Review 2\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2000754831\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 Raymond Wong \/ Gizmodo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It\u2019s also worth mentioning that the JBL Live 780NC are pretty good for taking calls. I had a conversation for a few minutes in my office, and the audio quality rating came back as an 8\/10 from the person I talked with. They do a pretty good job of cancelling out environmental noise, too. I coughed loudly into the wireless headphones, and apparently, it barely registered on the other end. I would feel confident taking calls with these wireless headphones in a crowded space.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, even with the boost from personalized EQ, I found the JBL Live 780NC sound to be alright, but not groundbreaking, which is a little bit of a letdown since at $250, there are a bunch of better options in the price range. For $50 more, you could get the Nothing Headphone 1, which sound a good deal better. You could go even cheaper with options like the Soundcore Space 2, which have equally as satisfying sound and better-than-expected active noise cancellation (ANC) at more than $100 less.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-center not-prose\">See JBL Live 780NC at Amazon<\/p>\n<h2>Solid ANC, but that\u2019s it<\/h2>\n<p>At $250, another thing you might expect is good noise cancellation, and the JBL Live 780NC <em>kind of\u00a0<\/em>get there. In my experience, the wireless headphones are solid in the ANC department and do an admirable job in high-noise environments like the subway. When wearing them on the train, I was still able to make out some noise from my surroundings\u2014people talking and train rumblings\u2014though not a ton. In quieter settings like an office, there\u2019s more than enough ANC power to block everyone out, and if there\u2019s <em>too\u00a0<\/em>much for your liking, you can adjust ANC levels in the JBL Headphones app.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2000754834\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2000754834\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000754834\" src=\"https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/05\/JBL-Live-780NC-review-5.jpg\" alt=\"Jbl Live 780nc Review 5\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2000754834\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 Raymond Wong \/ Gizmodo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The short of it is that these aren\u2019t upper-echelon in the ANC department like Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) or Apple\u2019s AirPods Max 2, but they\u2019re not slouching either.<\/p>\n<p>As long as we\u2019re talking about different tiers of ANC, it\u2019s worth mentioning that there\u2019s also adaptive ANC, which adjusts noise cancellation to the loudness of your environment using on-device microphones. It seemed to work fairly well\u2014I could hear it kick into high gear when the train got especially loud. There\u2019s also a transparency feature that uses the microphones to amplify sounds in your surroundings. It\u2019s not the best transparency I\u2019ve used\u2014that distinction still goes to AirPods Max\u2014but it\u2019s okay in a pinch.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2000754835\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2000754835\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000754835\" src=\"https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/05\/JBL-Live-780NC-review-6.jpg\" alt=\"Jbl Live 780nc Review 6\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2000754835\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 Raymond Wong \/ Gizmodo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>There\u2019s also a \u201cTalkThru\u201d mode, which is designed to lower the volume and then amplify sound so you can have a conversation with your headphones on, but I\u2019m not the biggest fan. Instead of features like Google\u2019s \u201cconversation detection,\u201d which recognizes when you\u2019re talking and automatically lowers the volume, from my experience, \u201cTalkThru\u201d just turns the volume all the way down, and in order to get music playback to return, you have to switch to another mode. It\u2019s not really an ideal setup, but it\u2019s there if you ever want it.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2000754836\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2000754836\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000754836\" src=\"https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/05\/JBL-Live-780NC-review-7.jpg\" alt=\"Jbl Live 780nc Review 7\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2000754836\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 Raymond Wong \/ Gizmodo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>JBL also includes a 3D sound mode for \u201cspatializing\u201d stereo content, but I wasn\u2019t very impressed. On songs like Daft Punk\u2019s \u201cRollin\u2019 &amp; Scratchin\u2019,\u201d it downright ruins the mix, amplifying high frequencies and dampening mids. I can\u2019t really recommend using it for music, based on what I listened to. On the bright side, there is a section for ambient sounds, where you can play white\/pink noise. It\u2019s not the most robust set of ambient sounds (Soundcore\u2019s app still has more options), but as someone who uses white noise for sleep and focus on occasion, I\u2019m not mad about having this option.<\/p>\n<p>Again, for $250, it would have been nice to see a more refined trifecta of sound modes here, but at least the ANC is solid, which is what the majority of people care about most.<\/p>\n<h2>Watch your fingers<\/h2>\n<p>Another important aspect of wireless headphones is how they look, and the JBL Live 780NC look okay. They\u2019re not going to blow anyone away, but they do look a little more premium than more budget pairs like the Soundcore Space 2 that I recently tested, and a lot more banal than the budget-focused CMF Headphone Pro. They are still plastic throughout, which makes them feel firmly midrange. They also aren\u2019t anywhere near as flashy or interesting as the Nothing Headphone 1, which use aluminum as accents and, as I mentioned, cost just $50 more.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2000754832\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2000754832\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000754832\" src=\"https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/05\/JBL-Live-780NC-review-3.jpg\" alt=\"Jbl Live 780nc Review 3\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2000754832\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 Raymond Wong \/ Gizmodo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>They are comfortable, though. I wore the JBL Live 780NC for about two hours straight and they didn\u2019t really fatigue my head or my ears. The ear cups are cushy, and so is the headband. If there\u2019s one major complaint I have hardware-wise, it\u2019s the touch controls.<\/p>\n<p>To play\/pause and track skip, you tap the entire outer ear cup. It\u2019s not a new method of controlling wireless headphones, but in the JBL Live 780NC\u2019s case, the area that registers taps is rather large. I found myself accidentally triggering it when I went to adjust the wireless headphones or take them off, which wasn\u2019t ideal. I\u2019m not usually a huge fan of touch-sensitive controls, and this pair made me feel justified in that bias.<\/p>\n<p>Luckily, there are physical controls, too, which work fine. There\u2019s a volume rocker on the left side and a switch for power, and Bluetooth pairing is on the right next to a dedicated button to switch between noise modes.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2000754833\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2000754833\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000754833\" src=\"https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/05\/JBL-Live-780NC-review-4.jpg\" alt=\"Jbl Live 780nc Review 4\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2000754833\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 Raymond Wong \/ Gizmodo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In the battery life department, the JBL Live 780NC are good, offering 50 hours with ANC activated and 80 hours without. It\u2019s hard to tell how exact those estimates are since the JBL app only does battery readouts in increments of 10%. I listened to them for an hour at 60% volume with ANC activated, and the battery fell from 100% to 90%. Obviously, based on that rate, you\u2019d only be getting 10 hours of battery life with ANC on, but it could be that that battery was just shy of 95% and that the app defaults down to 90%. It\u2019s also possible that the app reads 100% battery when it\u2019s actually closer to 95%. I listened for another hour with the same conditions, and the battery remained at 90%, so I\u2019m inclined to trust JBL\u2019s estimates.<\/p>\n<p>Even if you can achieve 50 hours with ANC on, it\u2019s worth noting that cheaper wireless headphones also get that battery life. The Soundcore Space 2, for example, also have 50 hours when ANC is on and cost a mere $130\u2014they still sound pretty good, too.<\/p>\n<h2>Is this an L from JBL?<\/h2>\n<p>Again, the wireless headphone world is crowded, and with a ton of options at your disposal, it\u2019s worth taking a beat to figure out what exactly you want and what kind of value you\u2019ll be getting. While the JBL Live 780NC have pretty much everything you\u2019d expect from a modern pair of wireless headphones, I\u2019m not sure that it\u2019s doing everything well enough to justify its $250 price tag. For less money, I think most people would be more satisfied with the Soundcore Space 2. Or if you have a few more bucks, shell out for Nothing\u2019s Headphone 1, which sound and look better in my opinion.<\/p>\n<p>JBL might be a titan in the audio space (lord knows I love amp\/speakers like the Bandbox Solo), but even titans can miss sometimes. Name-brand or not, I think you can find better value elsewhere.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-center not-prose\">See JBL Live 780NC at Amazon<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"entry-content prose dark:prose-invert lg:prose-xl prose-main dark:prose-main\">\n<p>I don\u2019t envy any company trying to steal some shine in the wireless headphones space.<\/p>\n<p>There are endless pairs across the price spectrum, and a lot of them have similar features, sound profiles, and looks. Even if one pair <em>does<\/em> sound better than another, it\u2019s difficult to convey that in marketing. Descriptions of drivers only get you so far, and hearing is believing in the wireless headphone world.<\/p>\n<p>The fact is, when it comes to over-ear audio, the bar is lofty\u2014like Olympic high-jump levels of altitude\u2014and unfortunately, I\u2019m not sure recent competitors like JBL\u2019s $250 Live 780NC have the hops to make the cut.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"review-box not-prose\">\n<div class=\"float-right ml-5 mb-2 sm:ml-10 sm:mb-4\">\n<div class=\"flex justify-center items-center gap-3 p-4 sm:h-36 aspect-square rounded-[20px] rounded-br-none bg-main-700 dark:bg-main-500\"><span class=\"text-beige typo-sofia-h4 sm:typo-sofia-h2\">3<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"typo-sofia-h5 sm:typo-sofia-h4\">JBL Live 780NC<\/p>\n<p class=\"mt-3 typo-space-body-1\">Solid wireless headphones, but there are better values out there.<\/p>\n<div class=\"clear-both\">\n<div class=\"flex mt-5 flex-col sm:flex-row gap-3\">\n<div class=\"border flex-1 dark:bg-main-900 rounded\">\n<div class=\"p-5 sm:p-10 pb-3 sm:pb-5 flex items-center gap-5\">\n<p class=\"typo-space-h2\">Pros<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"px-5 sm:px-10 py-3 sm:py-5 border-b-[0.5px] last:border-b-0 typo-space-body-2 sm:typo-space-body-1\">\n                      Sound is pretty good\n                    <\/li>\n<li class=\"px-5 sm:px-10 py-3 sm:py-5 border-b-[0.5px] last:border-b-0 typo-space-body-2 sm:typo-space-body-1\">\n                      ANC is solid\n                    <\/li>\n<li class=\"px-5 sm:px-10 py-3 sm:py-5 border-b-[0.5px] last:border-b-0 typo-space-body-2 sm:typo-space-body-1\">\n                      Comfortable\n                    <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"border flex-1 dark:bg-main-900 rounded\">\n<div class=\"p-5 sm:p-10 pb-3 sm:pb-5 flex items-center gap-5\">\n<p class=\"typo-space-h2\">Cons<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"px-5 sm:px-10 py-3 sm:py-5 border-b-[0.5px] last:border-b-0 typo-space-body-2 sm:typo-space-body-1\">\n                      Price is too high for the performance\n                    <\/li>\n<li class=\"px-5 sm:px-10 py-3 sm:py-5 border-b-[0.5px] last:border-b-0 typo-space-body-2 sm:typo-space-body-1\">\n                      Touch controls are annoying\n                    <\/li>\n<li class=\"px-5 sm:px-10 py-3 sm:py-5 border-b-[0.5px] last:border-b-0 typo-space-body-2 sm:typo-space-body-1\">\n                      Noise modes could use some fine-tuning\n                    <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mt-5 sm:mt-7\">\n<div class=\"flex gap-4\">\n<p>                See at Amazon<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Good sound, but are they $250 good?<\/h2>\n<p>The JBL Live 780NC are definitely another pair of wireless headphones, and not a bad pair either, especially in the sound department. While these aren\u2019t the best-sounding pair of wireless cans in the world, I wasn\u2019t disappointed by any means.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2000754830\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2000754830\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000754830\" src=\"https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/05\/JBL-Live-780NC-review-1.jpg\" alt=\"Jbl Live 780nc Review 1\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2000754830\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 Raymond Wong \/ Gizmodo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I tested the JBL Live 780NC across a range of genres, including quite a few rock songs, like Dirt Buyer\u2019s \u201cHeavy.\u201d The sound was pretty solid; guitars were crunchy and big, and vocals were clear. I wasn\u2019t super impressed with the low end, which sounded a little artificial to me, and drums were a bit distant, though that could be a product of the mix. Listening to Steely Dan\u2019s \u201cAny Major Dude Will Tell You,\u201d I was more pleased with the separation between frequencies and mix. The soundstage felt bigger and clearer, though I can\u2019t say I was blown away.<\/p>\n<p>I preferred listening to the JBL Live 780NC more in non-rock genres. Daft Punk\u2019s \u201cDa Funk,\u201d which I usually listen to for testing low end, felt more complete and well-suited for this pair. There was solid separation between frequencies and sufficient bass. The bass didn\u2019t sound as out of place in this case, but that\u2019s probably a product of the genre switch\u2014this song is <em>supposed<\/em> to sound synthesized. Either way, I feel like the tuning was right for electronic genres more than rock.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m going to give the same PSA that I always give in wireless headphones and wireless earbuds reviews, and that\u2019s the fact that you should be taking advantage of personalized EQ if you have the chance, and in this case, you <em>do <\/em>have the chance. JBL\u2019s companion app has a feature called \u201cPersoni-Fi,\u201d which lets you take a hearing test that plays tones across a range of frequencies, and then you indicate when you\u2019re not able to hear them anymore. The whole process takes a couple of minutes and makes a significant difference in audio quality. With Personi-Fi activated, I was able to hear a lot more in the mid- and low-range frequencies, which is expected since I\u2019m in my mid-30s and I\u2019m sure my hearing isn\u2019t what it used to be. Not everyone will notice a difference with personalized EQ, but it\u2019s worth taking a couple of minutes to give it a whirl.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2000754831\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2000754831\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000754831\" src=\"https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/05\/JBL-Live-780NC-review-2.jpg\" alt=\"Jbl Live 780nc Review 2\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2000754831\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 Raymond Wong \/ Gizmodo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It\u2019s also worth mentioning that the JBL Live 780NC are pretty good for taking calls. I had a conversation for a few minutes in my office, and the audio quality rating came back as an 8\/10 from the person I talked with. They do a pretty good job of cancelling out environmental noise, too. I coughed loudly into the wireless headphones, and apparently, it barely registered on the other end. I would feel confident taking calls with these wireless headphones in a crowded space.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, even with the boost from personalized EQ, I found the JBL Live 780NC sound to be alright, but not groundbreaking, which is a little bit of a letdown since at $250, there are a bunch of better options in the price range. For $50 more, you could get the Nothing Headphone 1, which sound a good deal better. You could go even cheaper with options like the Soundcore Space 2, which have equally as satisfying sound and better-than-expected active noise cancellation (ANC) at more than $100 less.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-center not-prose\">See JBL Live 780NC at Amazon<\/p>\n<h2>Solid ANC, but that\u2019s it<\/h2>\n<p>At $250, another thing you might expect is good noise cancellation, and the JBL Live 780NC <em>kind of\u00a0<\/em>get there. In my experience, the wireless headphones are solid in the ANC department and do an admirable job in high-noise environments like the subway. When wearing them on the train, I was still able to make out some noise from my surroundings\u2014people talking and train rumblings\u2014though not a ton. In quieter settings like an office, there\u2019s more than enough ANC power to block everyone out, and if there\u2019s <em>too\u00a0<\/em>much for your liking, you can adjust ANC levels in the JBL Headphones app.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2000754834\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2000754834\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000754834\" src=\"https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/05\/JBL-Live-780NC-review-5.jpg\" alt=\"Jbl Live 780nc Review 5\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2000754834\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 Raymond Wong \/ Gizmodo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The short of it is that these aren\u2019t upper-echelon in the ANC department like Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) or Apple\u2019s AirPods Max 2, but they\u2019re not slouching either.<\/p>\n<p>As long as we\u2019re talking about different tiers of ANC, it\u2019s worth mentioning that there\u2019s also adaptive ANC, which adjusts noise cancellation to the loudness of your environment using on-device microphones. It seemed to work fairly well\u2014I could hear it kick into high gear when the train got especially loud. There\u2019s also a transparency feature that uses the microphones to amplify sounds in your surroundings. It\u2019s not the best transparency I\u2019ve used\u2014that distinction still goes to AirPods Max\u2014but it\u2019s okay in a pinch.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2000754835\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2000754835\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000754835\" src=\"https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/05\/JBL-Live-780NC-review-6.jpg\" alt=\"Jbl Live 780nc Review 6\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2000754835\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 Raymond Wong \/ Gizmodo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>There\u2019s also a \u201cTalkThru\u201d mode, which is designed to lower the volume and then amplify sound so you can have a conversation with your headphones on, but I\u2019m not the biggest fan. Instead of features like Google\u2019s \u201cconversation detection,\u201d which recognizes when you\u2019re talking and automatically lowers the volume, from my experience, \u201cTalkThru\u201d just turns the volume all the way down, and in order to get music playback to return, you have to switch to another mode. It\u2019s not really an ideal setup, but it\u2019s there if you ever want it.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2000754836\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2000754836\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000754836\" src=\"https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/05\/JBL-Live-780NC-review-7.jpg\" alt=\"Jbl Live 780nc Review 7\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2000754836\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 Raymond Wong \/ Gizmodo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>JBL also includes a 3D sound mode for \u201cspatializing\u201d stereo content, but I wasn\u2019t very impressed. On songs like Daft Punk\u2019s \u201cRollin\u2019 &amp; Scratchin\u2019,\u201d it downright ruins the mix, amplifying high frequencies and dampening mids. I can\u2019t really recommend using it for music, based on what I listened to. On the bright side, there is a section for ambient sounds, where you can play white\/pink noise. It\u2019s not the most robust set of ambient sounds (Soundcore\u2019s app still has more options), but as someone who uses white noise for sleep and focus on occasion, I\u2019m not mad about having this option.<\/p>\n<p>Again, for $250, it would have been nice to see a more refined trifecta of sound modes here, but at least the ANC is solid, which is what the majority of people care about most.<\/p>\n<h2>Watch your fingers<\/h2>\n<p>Another important aspect of wireless headphones is how they look, and the JBL Live 780NC look okay. They\u2019re not going to blow anyone away, but they do look a little more premium than more budget pairs like the Soundcore Space 2 that I recently tested, and a lot more banal than the budget-focused CMF Headphone Pro. They are still plastic throughout, which makes them feel firmly midrange. They also aren\u2019t anywhere near as flashy or interesting as the Nothing Headphone 1, which use aluminum as accents and, as I mentioned, cost just $50 more.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2000754832\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2000754832\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000754832\" src=\"https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/05\/JBL-Live-780NC-review-3.jpg\" alt=\"Jbl Live 780nc Review 3\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2000754832\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 Raymond Wong \/ Gizmodo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>They are comfortable, though. I wore the JBL Live 780NC for about two hours straight and they didn\u2019t really fatigue my head or my ears. The ear cups are cushy, and so is the headband. If there\u2019s one major complaint I have hardware-wise, it\u2019s the touch controls.<\/p>\n<p>To play\/pause and track skip, you tap the entire outer ear cup. It\u2019s not a new method of controlling wireless headphones, but in the JBL Live 780NC\u2019s case, the area that registers taps is rather large. I found myself accidentally triggering it when I went to adjust the wireless headphones or take them off, which wasn\u2019t ideal. I\u2019m not usually a huge fan of touch-sensitive controls, and this pair made me feel justified in that bias.<\/p>\n<p>Luckily, there are physical controls, too, which work fine. There\u2019s a volume rocker on the left side and a switch for power, and Bluetooth pairing is on the right next to a dedicated button to switch between noise modes.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2000754833\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2000754833\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000754833\" src=\"https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/05\/JBL-Live-780NC-review-4.jpg\" alt=\"Jbl Live 780nc Review 4\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2000754833\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 Raymond Wong \/ Gizmodo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In the battery life department, the JBL Live 780NC are good, offering 50 hours with ANC activated and 80 hours without. It\u2019s hard to tell how exact those estimates are since the JBL app only does battery readouts in increments of 10%. I listened to them for an hour at 60% volume with ANC activated, and the battery fell from 100% to 90%. Obviously, based on that rate, you\u2019d only be getting 10 hours of battery life with ANC on, but it could be that that battery was just shy of 95% and that the app defaults down to 90%. It\u2019s also possible that the app reads 100% battery when it\u2019s actually closer to 95%. I listened for another hour with the same conditions, and the battery remained at 90%, so I\u2019m inclined to trust JBL\u2019s estimates.<\/p>\n<p>Even if you can achieve 50 hours with ANC on, it\u2019s worth noting that cheaper wireless headphones also get that battery life. The Soundcore Space 2, for example, also have 50 hours when ANC is on and cost a mere $130\u2014they still sound pretty good, too.<\/p>\n<h2>Is this an L from JBL?<\/h2>\n<p>Again, the wireless headphone world is crowded, and with a ton of options at your disposal, it\u2019s worth taking a beat to figure out what exactly you want and what kind of value you\u2019ll be getting. While the JBL Live 780NC have pretty much everything you\u2019d expect from a modern pair of wireless headphones, I\u2019m not sure that it\u2019s doing everything well enough to justify its $250 price tag. For less money, I think most people would be more satisfied with the Soundcore Space 2. Or if you have a few more bucks, shell out for Nothing\u2019s Headphone 1, which sound and look better in my opinion.<\/p>\n<p>JBL might be a titan in the audio space (lord knows I love amp\/speakers like the Bandbox Solo), but even titans can miss sometimes. Name-brand or not, I think you can find better value elsewhere.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-center not-prose\">See JBL Live 780NC at Amazon<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/jbl-live-780nc-review-solid-wireless-headphones-you-can-live-without-2000755178&#8243;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/05\/JBL-Live-780NC-review-9-1200&#215;675.jpg&#8221;] I don\u2019t envy any company trying to steal some shine in the wireless headphones space. There are endless pairs across the price spectrum, and a lot of them have similar features, sound profiles, and looks. Even if one pair does sound better than another, it\u2019s difficult to convey that in marketing. Descriptions [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,53],"class_list":["post-1926686","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-gizmodo-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1926686","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1926686"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1926686\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1926686"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1926686"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1926686"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}