JBL LIVE 770NC VS JBL LIVE 670NC Review
by: Matt Wieckowski
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Today, I'm excited to dive into the ultimate showdown between the JBL LIVE 770NC and the JBL LIVE 670NC to determine which comes out on top. After spending dedicated time with each, I'm eager to share my insights and declare a favorite. If you're interested in my detailed thoughts on each model individually, I've already provided comprehensive reviews -JBL LIVE 770NC Review and JBL LIVE 670NC Review. Let's compare and explore these headphones!
What you get
JBL Live 770NC headphones USB-C Charging Cable Detachable audio cable Warranty/Warning QSG |
JBL Live 670NC headphones USB-C Charging Cable Detachable audio cable Warranty/Warning QSG |
Look and Feel
The JBL Live 670NC headphones prioritize comfort and portability with a modern, durable design, perfect for travel and extended listening sessions. Weighing just 219 grams, they offer lightweight comfort and can fold easily for storage or travel convenience. Crafted with high-quality materials, they exceed expectations for their price, providing both style and functionality. When it comes to the JBL Live 770NC headphones, they offer a comparable level of comfort and style, but for me, it's the small details that make a difference. I personally prefer the feel and look of the JBL Live 770NC; for instance, the 770NC's larger ear cushions offer a slightly more comfortable fit during extended wear, and I find the overall shape more appealing.
Design and Functionality
Both headphones feature 40mm drivers that offer immersive JBL Spatial Sound, providing an enhanced listening experience. Additionally, both models offer the convenience of USB-C charging. However, the Live 670NC stands out with its easy-to-use controls, featuring a touch-sensitive surface on the ear cups and convenient buttons for adjusting settings. It also allows for wired listening through a 3.5mm port. On the other hand, the Live 770NC provides automatic play and pause functionality, supports voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant, facilitates multi-point connection for seamless device switching, and ensures clear voice calls with a high-quality microphone.
Bluetooth
Both the JBL Live 670NC and Live 770NC headphones feature Bluetooth 5.3 for seamless wireless connectivity. The Live 770NC headphones also support LE Audio, enhancing wireless connections and sound quality for an improved listening experience.
Battery
Both headphones boast an impressive battery life, offering up to 65 hours of continuous music playback with ANC turned off, ensuring uninterrupted listening sessions. Even with ANC activated, users can enjoy up to 50 hours of playback, providing ample power for extended use without the need for frequent recharging. Additionally, the quick charge feature provides four hours of playback with just five minutes of charging, ensuring uninterrupted enjoyment of favorite music and podcasts whether on the move or at home.
ANC
Both headphones impressed me a lot with their ANC capabilities, but I feel like the Live 770NC has slightly better ANC. Its True Adaptive Noise Canceling with four noise-sensing microphones provided exceptional distraction elimination, creating a more immersive listening experience in various environments. While the Live 670NC also delivered commendable ANC performance, I found the 770NC's ANC to be slightly superior in terms of blocking out external distractions.
Soundstage
The Live 670NC headphones deliver a broad soundstage, providing clear and immersive music playback with balanced sound across genres. In contrast, the JBL Live 770NC headphones emphasize heavy bass presence, especially noticeable in tracks like "Hey Now" by VisionV. While both maintain clarity in mids and highs, the Live 770NC's strong bass may overshadow other frequencies. However, there is an app available where you can control the bass, and after spending some time with it, I feel like the Live 770NC has better potential for fine-tuning the sound to personal preferences.
Low End
Both the Live 670NC and Live 770NC headphones boast JBL's signature great low-end. I find the 670NC offers a rich and balanced bass response, while the 770NC sometimes leans towards being overly punchy. Despite this, the 770NC's bass has a lot of potential and can be tailored to individual preferences for a satisfying listening experience.
Mids
The Live 670NC headphones exhibit a slightly recessed midrange, but maintain clarity and definition in vocals and instruments. Listening to "Empty" by Martin Garrix, they showcase their ability to reproduce vocals with precision, despite lacking some detail and separation, particularly in the upper mids. Conversely, the Live 770NC headphones strike a perfect balance in the midrange, delivering rich and clear audio with accurate reproduction of midrange details, whether it's vocals or other instruments.
Highs
The Live 770NC headphones impress with clear and precise highs that remain prominent even in bass-heavy tracks, ensuring every detail shines through for a well-rounded audio experience. Meanwhile, the Live 670NC headphones initially lacked clarity in the highs, prompting adjustments in the companion JBL Headphones app. Although improvements were made, they still sounded somewhat subdued, indicating room for enhancement for a more vibrant listening experience.
Summary
In my comparison review of the JBL Live 670NC and Live 770NC headphones, I found both to be exceptional choices with striking similarities, including identical battery life and 40mm drivers. However, notable differences emerged, such as the 670NC's rounded and smaller shape compared to the 770NC's larger size and more comfortable ear cushions. Additionally, the 770NC offered a richer soundstage, particularly without EQ adjustments. Nonetheless, with EQ adjustments, the 670NC narrowed the gap, making the decision tougher. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed both models, but the Live 770NC edges slightly ahead with a rating of 9.5/10, while the Live 670NC follows closely behind with a rating of 9.1/10.
JBL LIVE 770NC and JBL LIVE 670NC are available at Audio46
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