JBL Live 780NC Black

The JBL Live 780NC delivers clear sound with solid bass tones. This makes me enjoy rap and house music even more. With the equalizer in the app, I can choose from various sound settings, so I also enjoy listening to podcasts. Unfortunately, some details on the headphones look a bit cheap.

Clear sound with powerful bass tones I immediately notice that the headphones provide clear sound with solid bass tones. I can hear vocals and instruments clearly separately, but also as a whole. For instance, in classical music, I can clearly hear every part, yet it still sounds like one orchestra. The bass tones create a clear beat in rap and house music. I do like this, but you can adjust this with the equalizer in the app if you don't. For podcasts and YouTube videos, I choose Vocal, where voices are clearly understandable.

Quick operation There is a button for Ambient Aware on the headphones. This allows me to quickly turn off the noise cancelling and hear exactly what is happening around me. I find this handy when I am on the train and want to hear an announcement. This way, I can switch quickly without having to reach for my phone. There is a button on the left earcup that allows me to quickly adjust the volume. The button feels good to press, and the sound responds quickly to my action. I find it handy that the headphones have wear detection. When I take one earcup off my ear, the music pauses immediately. This allows me to respond quickly if someone asks me something at the office. Additionally, I pause the music by giving the side of the right earcup a single tap with my hands.

Sturdy design The headphones sit firmly on my head thanks to the strong clamping force. Because of this, I also use them during a workout. They do not slide off my head when I bend forward, for example. At the same time, I hardly feel the headphones on my head because the ear cushions and headband are made of soft material. I think the matte finish on the outside gives them a stylish look. However, I do see small plastic details and cracks in the earcups, which makes the headphones look a bit cheap.

Many options in the app In the JBL Headphones app, I can choose from many different settings. This is how I set the strength of the noise cancelling and Ambient Aware. I also choose the actions for the control buttons so that I can control my music quickly. Under Audio, I choose from various preset equalizer settings, but I also set my own equalizer. I also turn on Spatial Sound here when watching a movie. This makes the sound more spacious around me and the movie sound more realistic.

My previous headphones were due for replacement, but what do you choose then? After a lot of searching, I settled on these: a great price and a nice design. I unpacked them immediately upon arrival. The headphones were nicely packaged, and I was immediately excited when I opened them. The headphones looked sleek and stylish. When putting them on, I immediately felt the comfortable, soft ear cushions. I wear a lot of earrings, and not all headphones fit well because of that. But these fit well right away; not too tight and comfortable around my ears. The sound is also very good. I cycle a lot with my headphones on, and with these, I don't have to worry about the wind that you sometimes hear rushing past. I am very satisfied with these headphones.

I have been using the JBL Live 780NC headphones for about a month now. I use them mainly while working out (fitness) at the gym and at work (open-plan office). The noise cancelling works very well. Once activated, you hear virtually no ambient noise. If you put on music or a podcast yourself, you are truly cut off from the outside world. When you choose the Ambient Aware option, it seems as if all ambient sounds are actually amplified. This could be deceptive, because you are switching from an NC situation. In any case, it comes across as very forced to me... so I just don't use this mode at all.

What I do find a nice feature is that you can set (via the JBL app) to pause the music when you take the headphones off. This works even when you only lift one ear cup. The tap control on the right ear also functions fine.

The wearing comfort takes some getting used to for me. I normally use earbuds (in-ear), and this is my first 'over-ear headphone'. The headphones aren't necessarily heavy, but I am sometimes very aware of the headband on my head. If you are used to this type of headphone, you probably won't notice it.

And of course, last but not least, the sound! As you would expect from JBL, that is excellent. Beautiful, clear sounds across all ranges, which can also be fully adjusted to your liking via the app using the equalizer.