While flagship headphones often showcase a brand’s best technologies, it is the mid-premium segment where the real competition lies. Buyers today expect far more than they did a few years ago, and thankfully, they no longer have to make major compromises to get features like active noise cancellation, multipoint connectivity or long battery life. The JBL Live 780NC is JBL’s latest attempt to stand out in this crowded space. It is priced at Rs 15999 and offers 40mm drivers, JBL Signature Sound, True Adaptive Noise Cancelling 2.0, multipoint connectivity and a foldable design, all wrapped in several vibrant colour options. I spent the past few weeks using it for work, commuting and entertainment to find out how well these features translate into everyday use, and what compromises, if any, come with them.
The Live 780NC comes in multiple vibrant colours, and our review unit is the Blue variant. It has a deep indigo-blue finish, with a subtle sheen on parts of the hinges and the outer earcups. JBL’s logo is embossed on both earcups, and the ‘Live’ branding is present on the underside of the headband. Neither draws much attention. Even so, the headphones leave a good first impression thanks to their clean design and solid fit and finish.
The ear cushions are soft and plush. That, along with the headband’s decent clamping force, makes them comfortable for long listening sessions. The headband’s padding could have been thicker, but it is still reasonably soft. Unlike the fabric-covered headband on the Live 770NC, JBL has switched to a silicone finish here. It doesn’t absorb sweat or hair oil as easily, which should help the headphones stay cleaner and age better over time.
The headband and the hinges are metallic. The headband can be extended from both hinges, which lets you adjust the fit, while the foldable hinges make the headphones easier to carry and store.
Overall, the Live 780NC feels modern, comfortable and well built. The sturdy construction along with the foldable design makes it practical for everyday use as well as travel.
JBL has provided a volume rocker on the left earcup, while the right earcup houses the on/off/manual pairing switch, Auracast button and a USB-C port. So, you get all the required controls. The buttons are tactile and easily reachable.
The company has also given touch controls here, on the right earcup. They work, but not always reliably. Finger taps don’t register. Taps with my palm work, but even then, triple taps were hit or miss. Also, the touch area can trigger accidental taps, resulting in unwanted pauses.
Thankfully, both touch and button controls are customisable, and you can choose whatever works better for you
The JBL Headphones app is one of the strongest aspects of the ownership experience. I am very familiar with it, having used it with the Tour Pro 3 series. It is one of the most feature-rich companion apps out there.
You don’t have to create an account to access any features. You simply pair the headphones and begin customising them.
The app offers:
While some of these features are table-stakes in headphones priced at the 10-16K price range, JBL has some differentiating features that set it apart. For starters, it is the only model here with Bluetooth 6.0, making it the most future-ready in terms of wireless connectivity.
I was excited to use features like Auracast, which allows the Live 780NC to broadcast audio to other compatible devices nearby for a shared listening experience. The 10-band equaliser gives granular control, and then there is Personi-Fi, which performs a hearing test and creates a personalised and clearer sound profile based on your hearing ability.
And everything from the initial pairing experience to everyday use with multiple devices, Live 780NC worked reliably throughout. It connects to my laptop and phone simultaneously, but I must pause the first device before the second one can play. This manual switching feels limiting and something found on budget-tier headphones.
JBL claims up to 80 hours without ANC and 50 hours with ANC enabled. I got closer to those estimates. I played a FLAC music file continuously with ANC and LDAC at 80% volume, and the Live 780NC ran for hours. So, this can easily be a pair of headphones that you carry for a long weekend trip, or use for several days without worrying about charging.
This also means you can forget to charge it and realise when you are heading out somewhere. Gladly, fast charging support is there. Plug it in for 5 minutes, and you can extend its life for another 4 hours. That should be plenty long for a daily commute.
And let’s not forget JBL also offers 3.5mm wired listening support. But the only catch is that wired mode works only when the headphones are powered on. That’s such an unnecessary limitation!
Also Read: Skullcandy Method 360 ANC review: Standing out is easy, but can it stand apart?
JBL’s tuning would please most consumers out there as there is an intentional emphasis on bass, while the soundstage is fairly open and key aspects like vocals and instruments sound clear. This was evident in Ain’t Nobody from DC (2026), wherein the Live 780NC produces potent bass drops, and the vocals by Anirudh Ravichander and the instruments can be heard clearly.
The default Studio equaliser mode didn’t sound much different to my ears. The other modes like Jazz, Vocal and Club can make some difference, but I preferred the default sound still.
While the bass is engaging for the most part, there are moments in certain tracks where you feel it is dominating the mix and slightly masking some of the finer vocal details.
For the best listening experience, I had to listen at full volume. And even at that level, the high strings and vocals in songs like Ghar Aa Maahi (I’m Waiting For You) and Yeh Raat from Bandish Bandits S02 sounded smooth. Harmonic overtones in these tracks sounded clean.
So, the presentation sounds enjoyable and mass-friendly, but the boosted low frequencies lack the natural balance that more neutral headphones offer.
However, the main sticking point for me is that the sound experience here isn’t all that different from a lower-priced headphone like the CMF Headphone Pro.
The Live 780NC uses JBL’s True Adaptive Noise Cancelling 2.0 with six microphones working to raise the noise cancellation based on the environment you are in. But I chose to keep the cancellation at max level, and the experience was decent. It isn’t class-leading or impressive, but it is enough to keep you concentrating on your work or give you some peace from Indian traffic noise.
Transparency mode sounds reasonably natural, which is useful for walking on less busy roads and having short conversations without removing the headphones.
During meetings and normal phone conversations, people on the other end reported hearing me clearly, while background office noise remained well controlled.
After spending several days using the Live 780NC across work, entertainment and travel, I have realised it is made to give a well-rounded and feature-rich ownership experience. It is cool, comfortable, and well-built. The folding design makes it very portable. And the control options are plenty and easily accessible. It has one of the best companion apps in the segment with standout features like Bluetooth 6.0, Auracast, a 10-band equaliser and a lot more. The audio tuning is bass-leaning and good for most everyday music, movies and other media you consume. And the battery lasts long enough for you to forget about charging it.
More importantly, nothing about the headphones became frustrating enough for me to wrap up with the review quickly and move on.
However, I still hold reservations about recommending it to all. If you are someone wanting a neutral sound, this ain’t it. Even the built-in equaliser can’t do much about that. The lack of passive wired playback is a clear and weird limitation. And as you have read above, the touch controls don’t always reliably respond.
These aren’t major shortcomings that should deter you from considering them. But they are things you should know while deciding. And if your priorities include long battery life, extensive software customisation, reliable everyday ANC and a bass-forward sound, then the Live 780NC should be on your shortlist.
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