JBL Tune 780NC Review | 93 Data compared

The JBL Live 780NC ($250) represents a home run for midrange headphones, offering a feature-rich experience and great sound quality with a pronounced bass response and a wider-than-expected soundstage. A standout innovation is their in-app Auracast and LC3 support, which allows iPhone users to bypass typical iOS limitations to join audio broadcasts and utilize highly power-efficient streaming. Additional pros include exceptional comfort via a lightweight build with relaxed clamping force, up to 80 hours of battery life, and helpful software integrations like Bluetooth multipoint, wear detection, TalkThru conversation mode, and Personi-Fi 3.0 audio personalization. However, the headphones do come with notable drawbacks, particularly regarding active noise cancellation (ANC). The ANC performance is only decent; while better than its predecessor, it struggles with office chatter or keyboard clicks and cannot compete with premium models from Apple, Sony, or Bose. Other cons include shallow earcups that may cause physical discomfort for users who need roomier fits, a total "miss" on their artificial-sounding proprietary Spatial Sound software for music, and a laggy, unreliable process when switching the headphones over to LE Audio mode.

The JBL Live 780NC over-ear wireless headphones offer exceptional mid-tier value, launching in March 2026 at a price point of $249.95. The standout feature of these headphones is their phenomenal battery life, which delivers up to 80 hours of playback with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) turned off, and a highly competitive 50 hours with ANC activated. They deliver highly impressive, clear sound reproduction across mid and high frequencies. Additionally, they boast an extensive feature set that includes a deeply customizable in-app multi-point equalizer, Personi-fi 3.0 hearing customization, multipoint connectivity, Auracast sharing, and virtual Dolby Atmos spatial audio. Despite these strong positives, the review highlights a few notable drawbacks. The sound signature is heavily skewed toward the low end, featuring an overly pronounced bass that can easily become muddy or overpowering unless carefully mitigated through the app's EQ settings. On the physical and accessory side, the box surprisingly omits a standard USB-C charging cable, and the plush ear pads are permanently fixed and cannot be removed or replaced. Furthermore, while the virtual spatial audio adds some three-dimensional depth when watching movies...