Product test

JBL Live 770NC review: affordable over-ear headphones with oodles of options

5/1/2024

JBL’s Live 770NC sound good, don’t cost the earth, have active noise cancellation and an app with lots of settings.

JBL’s Live 770NC are priced well below the top of the range over-ear headphones. What the Live 770NC lack compared to these headphones is so slight that they look like a very attractive option. They come with long battery life, good noise cancellation and nice sound.

Headphones

JBL Live 770NC

ANC, 50 h, Wireless

Latest Bluetooth with potential for future-proofing

Whether you use a smartphone or notebook, the JBL Live 770NC pair via Bluetooth 5.3 without any problems. Thanks to Bluetooth LE Audio, the range of features are set to extend even further. However, this wasn’t available at the time I was testing the headphones out – it’s due to be released later on via a firmware update. This new technology supports hearing aids as playback devices and Auracast for headphones. Auracast is designed to allow you to share your audio with friends or tune into broadcasts in public spaces. Examples range from public TVs to headphone concerts.

The JBL Live 770NC are too good to be left hanging.
Source: Jan Johannsen

Nevertheless, you can use the multipoint connection already. This means I can connect the Live 770NC to multiple devices. Generally speaking, they even switch back and forth between the devices automatically when audio playback starts. It works perfectly for me and my set-up of Android smartphone and Windows computer.

An app brimming with features

I also install the JBL Headphones app (Android/iOS) on my smartphone and am initially overwhelmed by its range of features.

I can:

set and adjust noise cancellation
choose between six preset equalisers and define my own – on ten frequency bands with +/- 6 dB each, with increments less than 1 dB
activate a dynamic equaliser that boosts trebles and bases at low volumes
choose between film, music and gaming mode for JBL Spatial Sound
select better sound or more precise lip-synchronisation for videos thanks to Smart Audio & Video
adjust the balance between the right and left channels in +/- 16 increments
test my sound settings and adjust them accordingly
activate Personal Sound Amplification mode to better hear my surroundings
customise gesture controls
activate automatic playback and pause when putting them on and taking them off
select a voice assistant – only Google and Alexa are available
choose the language for announcements
limit the highest volume
set the headphones to switch off automatically when they’re not used for 30, 60 or 120 minutes
install software updates.

After the initial shock, however, the app becomes clear and I don’t end up needing everything all the time. After implementing the main adjustments, I usually use the Live 770NC without opening its app.

Only a few manufacturers offer such extensive setting options in their headphone apps.
Source: Jan Johannsen

Operating via buttons and touch panel

The JBL Live 770NC have several controls on the right ear cup for operating the headphones without an app. Namely, a slider for switching on and off, a button for Bluetooth pairing and two buttons to control the volume. There’s also something called the Action button. I use it to switch between active noise cancellation and smart ambient to sharpen surrounding conversations and sounds. Once I’ve memorised where all the buttons are, I can easily find them when the headphones are on. Clear pressure points make them easier to use.

The buttons on the right ear cup.
Source: Jan Johannsen

There’s a touch panel on the outside of the right ear cup. As the name suggests, it reacts to touch, but I’m not completely satisfied with it. I’ve ended up accidentally starting or pausing playback several times. For both of these commands, I only need to tap the touch panel once. Double-tapping skips to the next track or accepts a call. Triple tapping takes me back to the previous track. When I press and hold the sensor surface, I activate the voice assistant, reject a call or mute it.

Comfortable to wear

I find the 256-gramme JBL Live 770NC comfortable to wear. They sit firmly without pressing. And the padded headband feels comfortable on my scalp. How well it contends with hair isn’t something I can comment on. In terms of adjustability, I can pull out the ear cups to tailor them to the size of my head.

The JBL Live 770NC don’t press on the frames of your glasses.
Source: Jan Johannsen

The cups completely enclose my ears and don’t press on my glasses frames – even after an hour or two. Equally, they don’t make my ears too warm. Given their fabric padding, the Live 770NC aren’t sports headphones in my opinion, so I didn’t try them out while working up a sweat.

Good sound with room for improvement

The Live NC77040’s ear cups are home to 40-millimetre speakers. JBL also praises its in-house signature sound. For this review, I selected the studio equaliser and adjusted the sound with Personi-Fi. The listening test for individual sound settings is available for four target groups. I pretend to be a layperson with a bit of experience.

On the left is my test report of Personi-Fi, on the right, the selection of preset equalisers and the range of frequencies.
Source: Jan Johannsen

After asking your age and gender and checking the fit of the headphones, the actual test starts. I hold down a key until I can hear nine notes per ear. This is the basis for any adjustments. When I carry out a direct comparison, I observe that the settings adapted to me ensure the sound is equal in both ears. Without it, the audio is more dominant for me on the right ear.

For this evaluation, I chose three songs from different musical genres.

With Here’s to you by Ennio Morricone, the JBL Live 770NC initially prove to be masters of stereo. I can only hear the organ in my right ear. The piano starts after about 15 seconds, especially in the left ear. But I can also hear it in my right ear. Together with Joan Baez’s vocals, the drums and guitar, as well as the choir that comes in later, they form a large ensemble. The headphones provide enough clarity and well-balanced sound that I can focus on the different elements, such as being able to distinguish the soloists’ voices from the choir in the background. I also feel surrounded by sound. This surround sound does a great job and gives me the feeling of sitting in a concert hall.

It’s time for bass. Guitars accompany it in Hinter Palmen by Neonschwarz, but the beats are in the foreground. There’s accompaniment from three rap voices and sung parts. What I notice in particular is that the bass isn’t as strong as I’d expect from over-ears. However, the preset equalisers provide a remedy. When bass and extreme bass are activated, the low frequencies are strengthened but aren’t too dominant. And yet, the vocals along with trebles and mids aren’t drowned out.

I like punk, but it sounds even better with wind instruments. That’s why I opted for Pogo & Polka by 100 Kilo Herz for my third track. After the quiet intro, trumpets and subtle guitar combine with loud drums and bass. The horn section pauses for the rough vocals, only to join in on the chorus. This song confirms the headphones’ balanced sound, with no one area dominating. I like that.

The ear cups are labelled.
Source: Jan Johannsen

Nevertheless, I’m satisfied with the overall sound of the JBL Live 770NC considering their price tag. They sound clear, have volume and give a sense of spatial stereo sound. Contrary to my settings for the listening comparison, for everyday sound, I tend to boost the bass with the equaliser.

If I then put on the [B&O Beoplay HX](/page/bo-beoplay-hx-im-test-die-nehme-ich-nie-wieder-ab-20975, which are over two years old and still considerably more expensive, the JBLs no longer seem so clear. They sound more muffled in comparison. I also notice a slight rattling noise that I hadn’t before. That being said, the Live 770NC offer more powerful bass and are less than half the price. With that in mind, the slight loss of quality is completely acceptable.

Active noise cancellation doesn’t stop every sound

JBL built four noise-detecting microphones into the Live 770NC. These are designed to ensure that the true adaptive noise cancelling keeps ambient sounds at bay. This works wonderfully with the sounds of the city or colleagues at work. But the headphones don’t noticeably block out every source of noise. I can forgive this with individual sounds, but when the noise of the vacuum cleaner comes through, I’m disappointed by the sound dampening intensity – or lack thereof. Other headphones can do a better job. And yet it’s good enough to be able to listen to radio plays or podcasts while cleaning the house without turning up the volume.

With the help of Smart Ambient, the JBL headphones can also do the opposite: let you hear your surroundings unmuffled, despite the ear cups still being in place.

Longer battery life

The battery of the JBL Live 770NC lasts for what feels like an eternity. With active noise cancellation, it’s about 50 hours. This is a decent amount for over-ear headphones but not an outstanding one. Without noise cancelling, they still last about 65 hours – although other brands offer 80 hours.

The JBL Live 770NC charge via USB-C.
Source: Jan Johannsen

Fully charging the battery via a USB-C cable takes around two hours. But just five minutes should be enough for four hours of music playback if you’re short on time.

Verdict: very good for the price

The JBL Live 770NC are a classic case of «good, but there are better». With the better headphones usually costing more, even years later and when they have a successor – as exemplified by the [Sony WH-1000XM4](/page/sony-wh-1000xm4-review-was-kann-der-beste-noise-cancelling-kopfhoerer-17561. This in turn means that the Live 770NC are very good-sounding over-ear headphones for the price. The only thing I’m not always satisfied with is the spatial effect.

Headphones

JBL Live 770NC

ANC, 50 h, Wireless

Headphones

JBL Live 770NC

ANC, 50 h, Wireless, Cable

Headphones

JBL Live 770NC

ANC, 65 h, Cable, Wireless

In the app, you can adjust the sound to your preferences using the many settings and customisation options. Active noise cancelling usually works excellently, but it can be outwitted by individual sounds.

The JBL Live 770NC sit comfortably on my head, even after I’ve been using them for hours. Other advantages include a long battery life and a folding feature, which lets you take them with you on the go.

Header image: Jan Johannsen

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Jan Johannsen

Senior Editor

Jan.Johannsen@galaxus.de

As a primary school pupil, I used to sit in a friend's living room with many of my classmates to play the Super NES. Now I get my hands on the latest technology and test it for you. In recent years at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, now at Digitec and Galaxus.

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