There are many listening situations when you want a good pair of wireless over-ear headphones. For me, it’s when flying. But wireless headphones are also great for at-home private listening, video chats, everyday commuting, and working remotely (or even in an office). JBL is one of the top audio brands, and the JBL Live 770NC wireless over-ear headphones, introduced in the U.S. last summer, are now officially available in Canada. I had the chance to test them out prior to the official Canadian launch. It was timed perfectly for a recent trip, so I brought them along for the plane ride, then listened to them back at home as well.
What Are the JBL Live 770NC Wireless Over-Ear Headphones?
The JBL Live 770NC are wireless over-ear headphones that feature 40mm drivers and JBL Spatial Sound that purports to provide the illusion of virtual surround sound from any piece of stereo content.
They feature Bluetooth 5.3 with LE audio support coming soon via an over-the-air (OTA) update so you can stream wirelessly at even lower bitrates. There’s a dedicated Audio Mode as well as Video Mode for use while watching movies or playing games. With true adaptive noise cancelling through the four noise-sensing mics, there’s also Smart Ambient mode when you want to let in some sounds.
Enjoy up to 65 hours of battery life per charge with Bluetooth and ANC off and listen wirelessly for up to 50 hours. The battery recharges in as little as two hours, so you can be up and running while waiting in the airport for your flight to board. For those in a hurry, quick charge them for five minutes to get an additional four hours of music, more than enough for a flight from Toronto to Mexico.
When you take the headphones off, the music automatically pauses and resumes once you put them back on. The headphones include Alexa, Siri, or Hey Google support so you can activate your connected device’s voice assistant by using these trigger words or tapping the earcup. There are two beamforming microphones for taking calls as well or wearing them while on video calls.
Multi-point connection makes it easy to switch between Bluetooth devices, like going from your laptop to smartphone or tablet. With Google Finder, you can also easily locate lost or misplaced headphones. Pair them with the JBL Headphones app to customize ANC, personalize the headphones, and set up realistic sound for movies, music, and games. There’s also the Personi-Fi 2.0 hearing test you can conduct in the app to set up a custom sound profile, personal to you.
The textured fabric headband is designed for a comfortable fit while there’s also soft ear cushions. The headphones come with a convenient carrying pouch and 3.5mm cord for wired listening as a back-up. They are now available in Canada for $300.
Tweaking Audio and Settings in the JBL Headphones App
Once you have the headphones connected to your phone or other mobile device, you should download the JBL Headphones app and make use of its many features.
Listen to the headphones as-is or use the Personi-Fi feature in the app to personalize sound. The process checks the sealing of each earcup then runs you through a series of hearing tests to adapt to your ears. There are nine tones of varying frequencies that sound in each ear for a total of 18. Press and hold the button and release when you can no longer hear it, then move on to the next. Expect to spend about five minutes to run through the full test. You can retest at any time.
Once done, you’ll get your results for both the left and right ear and a sample track to listen to with a slider so you can compare the difference between “regular” sound and your Personi-Fi profile. I preferred the Personi-Fi sound, which I found to be less harsh and overall more pleasant sounding to my ears.
You have full manual control with an equalizer along with presets for Jazz, Vocal, Bass, Club, Studio, Extreme Bass, or your personally saved My EQ setting. A Low Volume Dynamic EQ boosts highs and lows so you can enjoy the same performance even if you’re listening at a lower volume.
Activate Spatial Sound when you want to hear stereo content in movies, music, or games, with specific settings for each. Additionally, there’s a Smart Audio or Video mode option, with the former offering the best audio quality and the latter improving lip-sync performance while watching movies.
It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the gestures, outlined in the app as well, so you know what they perform for a single or double press of the Action button and the built-in touch panel on the right earcup. Tapping once on the right earcup, for example, plays or pauses the music while a double tap will go to the next track and triple tap to the previous one. It works flawlessly, with audible confirmation for each tap. I wish, however, there was a slide gesture option for volume versus only the action button. But that’s just me nitpicking.
Other customization options in the app include turning Auto Play & Pause on or off, enabling personal sound amplification (amplifying ambient noise so you can be aware of what’s going on around you), adjusting left and right sound balance (ideal if you tend to hear better in one ear versus the other), turning on a Max Volume Limiter (suitable for kids or those with hearing sensitivities), and setting up auto power off to extend battery life (there’s an option for after 30 minutes, one hour, or two hours of inactivity). Finally, the app is where you can access any available firmware updates as well.
Listening to the JBL Live 770NC
Now comes listening time. I charged up the headphones and packed them in my bag for a short mini trip to Turks & Caicos. I used them to watch downloaded content on my phone for the 3.5-hour flight there and back.
They worked beautifully, lasting both flights with 90% battery remaining when I got home. I love the large “L” and “R” lettering on the inside of the earcups and the minimalistic design. Other reviewers call it plain Jane but for a solid pair of travel headphones, I’m not looking for flashy design.
The band is comfortable, the earcups form-fitting but with nice cushioning, and the buttons easy to locate by feel and press. The buttons can be used to adjust volume, play/pause, answer/end call, switch from noise cancelling to ambient aware mode, and enter pairing mode.
Of course, I used ANC mode for the entire flight except for when I needed to converse with the flight attendant, which is when I could switch to TalkThru if desired. One thing I did notice is that if I wanted to adjust the headphones or shift them down slightly to talk to my son beside me (instead of using TalkThru) or itch my ear, I would inadvertently activate Siri by tapping and holding the earcup. It’s a minor annoyance but one worth mentioning. With VoiceAware in the app, control how much of your own voice you hear while you’re on a call.
The active noise cancelling worked beautifully, effectively cancelling out the hum of the plane such that I was able to enjoy a quiet, more pleasurable experience. I used them with noise cancelling on at home as well and ambient sounds like the hum of the furnace, bathroom or stove fan, and outside noises all melted away. I did not test them in louder environments, like a subway station or crowded street. But from the perspective of the low, consistent and loud hum of an airplane, they are fabulous.
After just under eight hours of flying back and forth, the headphones were still at 90% battery life. So you can be confident these will last through long flights or listening sessions before you need to recharge them again. My only grumble? I wish they came with a hard case instead of the carrying pouch, but that’s just a matter of personal preference.
Along with the downloaded Netflix content I enjoyed while on my flight, I spent time listening to music both at home and on the go from sources like Apple Music, SiriusXM, and Spotify.
I started with Radiohead’s “Creep,” one of my go-to review songs. With only the Personi-Fi profile enabled, I immediately sunk down on the couch to enjoy the experience. It was smooth as butter, fully immersing me in every note and instrument of the tune. With ANC on, I could have easily lost myself in the day, forgetting about everything else around me.
I started to play around with settings to see how it might impact the experience. Enabling Spatial Sound for Music instantly transformed the tune such that it sounded more like I was at a concert than listening to a streaming tune. The sound became more pronounced and sonic separation clearer. It was as though I had front row seats, looking up as the band played in front of me.
With the Equalizer, every preset option was immediately evident. Extreme Bass pumped up the bass significantly (not surprising since JBL audio products are known for their bass prowess). Studio took me into a back recording room, and Vocals brought the lyrics front and centre. Sometimes with headphones and earbuds, the differences among preset EQ modes are so subtle, only the most discerning ears would notice them. Here, I’m confident that if I had done a blind test, I would be able to tell which EQ mode was being used.
I got the same results with every song I listened to across various genres. Instruments shined and vocals were immersive and enveloping.
Should You Buy the JBL Live 770NC?
At $300, the JBL Live 770NC aren’t the most affordable noise cancelling headphones you’ll find, but they also aren’t the most expensive. Compared to other headphones that sell at the same price point, they blow many of them out of the water. While sound quality out of the box is fabulous, the ability to further tweak audio to your ears, for each song, or what you’re listening to, adds tremendous value. The app is one of the most comprehensive I’ve seen for personalizing the listening experience.
They’re also versatile. These are as much gaming headphones as they are headphones for commuters, travelers, and at-home listeners. The headphones are packed with features that will appeal to all types of use cases.
Noise cancelling works as well as I have experienced with any pair of active noise cancelling headphones. I would happily pack these in my bag for every plane trip thanks also to the long battery life, comfortable fit, simple to use controls, and the fact that they’re wireless: no more cords or headphone adapters! I love that they do come with a headphones jack so you can connect them to an airline’s seatback entertainment system as well if desired.
If I were to invest in a new pair of ANC headphones for travel, or even to quiet my environment while working at home or in a coffee shop, these would be the ones. I was thoroughly impressed with every aspect of these headphones. The JBL Live 770NC could easily go for $500, but at a price tag of $300, you’re laughing all the way to the store.
The JBL Live 770NC wireless over-ear headphones are available in Canada through Erikson Consumer.