The latest JBL wireless headphones are clearly made for those who want their personal audio to make as much of a style statement as their dress sense.
Arriving as part of a wider refresh of the brand’s lifestyle audio range, the new JBL Live 780NC and JBL Live 680NC combine adaptive noise cancelling and extended battery life with a notably fashion-conscious design language.
The headphones were unveiled during a Club JBL launch event in Amsterdam this week, where The Luxe Review was among the first to see and hear the new models.
First impressions are strong. JBL has clearly placed as much emphasis on aesthetics and comfort as it has on technical specification. The broad range of finishes – spanning black, white, sand, green, blue, purple and orange – gives the line-up a distinctive personality.
The headphones were unveiled during a Club JBL launch event in Amsterdam this week, where The Luxe Review was among the first to see and hear the new models…
Live headphones launched at Club JBL Amsterdam
The over-ear 780NC and on-ear 680NC share the same overall design language, although the former offers a more enveloping fit for longer listening sessions. Both have smooth metal hinges, soft-touch materials and a foldable design intended to make them easier to wear and travel with throughout the day.
We donned a pair of Live 780NC and found them comfortable and well-balanced, with headband and ear cushions that avoid the clamp-like fatigue that can plague some rivals.
Sonically they impress too. JBL has equipped the headphones with 40mm dynamic drivers using a compound diaphragm design, aimed at improving clarity and detail across music and spoken-word content alike. There’s copious bass depth, clean mid-range and wide spatial imaging.
An updated True Adaptive Noise Cancelling 2.0 system uses real-time filtering and enhanced processing to reduce local distractions. Maybe not best in class, but certainly effective enough.
JBL Spatial Sound processing is included, adding a broader, more cinematic presentation when watching films or streaming video content on the move, although the cans fall shy of offering full Dolby Atmos compatibility.
We’re told call quality hasn’t been forgotten, either, with dual beamforming microphones and an AI-trained noise reduction algorithm designed to isolate voices more clearly in noisy surroundings.
A recurring theme throughout the headphone launch was personalisation. Personi-Fi 3.0 offers personal sound tailoring, coupled to customisable touch and button controls. They’re also compatible with JBL’s SMART Tx wireless transmitter, which allows direct access to EQ settings and simplified pairing with in-flight entertainment systems via a touchscreen interface.
Battery life appears competitive, with JBL quoting up to 80 hours of playback without active noise cancellation enabled, or around 50 hours with ANC engaged. That should comfortably cover, daily commuting and several forgotten charging cycles in between.
If you need a fast charge, five minutes will reap around four hours of use.
The headphones support LDAC wireless streaming (for higher resolution from compatible LDAC smartphones), as well as Auracast and Multi-Point connectivity. The headphones ship with a fabric travel bag and a USB to 3.5mm mini jack lead.
The Amsterdam event, timed to coincide with the brand’s 80th anniversary, also saw the brand roll out stablemate JBL Live 4 TWS earbuds, featuring JBL Smart OS 3.0 and an upgraded Smart Charging Case with expanded touchscreen controls and personalisation features, as well as the latest entries in its party speaker line, the JBL PartyBox 330 and JBL PartyBox 130, both boasting a new light show design with higher output, deeper bass and AI-assisted sound optimisation.
Rounding out the launch was the JBL EasySing Mic Mini, a compact karaoke-focused microphone system with AI-powered vocal reduction and real-time voice enhancement.
JBL has announced updates to its range-topping JBL Tour One M3 headphones and JBL Tour Pro3 earbuds, which include a new classic green colourway and significant improvements in audio performance and usability. The firmware update is a refresh of its signature JBL sound curve preset, said to produce clearer, more accurate audio. The brand is…
Dr Ducu’s name has a way of coming up. In changing rooms. In your newsfeed. In group chats. His reputation rests on a specific kind of result – the kind where people can’t quite put their finger on what’s changed, only that something has, and that you look incredible for it. So when I found…
We all want soft, glossy, impossibly smooth skin – and that’s the promise of a great body oil. Once reserved for luxury spa treatments, these silky formulas are now a bathroom shelf essential, delivering deep hydration while leaving skin with that just-had-a-massage glow. Packed with nourishing botanicals, antioxidant-rich oils and soothing aromatherapy blends, these newest…
The Luxe Review 
The latest JBL wireless headphones are clearly made for those who want their personal audio to make as much of a style statement as their dress sense.
Arriving as part of a wider refresh of the brand’s lifestyle audio range, the new JBL Live 780NC and JBL Live 680NC combine adaptive noise cancelling and extended battery life with a notably fashion-conscious design language.
The headphones were unveiled during a Club JBL launch event in Amsterdam this week, where The Luxe Review was among the first to see and hear the new models.
First impressions are strong. JBL has clearly placed as much emphasis on aesthetics and comfort as it has on technical specification. The broad range of finishes – spanning black, white, sand, green, blue, purple and orange – gives the line-up a distinctive personality.
Live headphones launched at Club JBL Amsterdam
The over-ear 780NC and on-ear 680NC share the same overall design language, although the former offers a more enveloping fit for longer listening sessions. Both have smooth metal hinges, soft-touch materials and a foldable design intended to make them easier to wear and travel with throughout the day.
We donned a pair of Live 780NC and found them comfortable and well-balanced, with headband and ear cushions that avoid the clamp-like fatigue that can plague some rivals.
Sonically they impress too. JBL has equipped the headphones with 40mm dynamic drivers using a compound diaphragm design, aimed at improving clarity and detail across music and spoken-word content alike. There’s copious bass depth, clean mid-range and wide spatial imaging.
An updated True Adaptive Noise Cancelling 2.0 system uses real-time filtering and enhanced processing to reduce local distractions. Maybe not best in class, but certainly effective enough.
JBL Spatial Sound processing is included, adding a broader, more cinematic presentation when watching films or streaming video content on the move, although the cans fall shy of offering full Dolby Atmos compatibility.
We’re told call quality hasn’t been forgotten, either, with dual beamforming microphones and an AI-trained noise reduction algorithm designed to isolate voices more clearly in noisy surroundings.
A recurring theme throughout the headphone launch was personalisation. Personi-Fi 3.0 offers personal sound tailoring, coupled to customisable touch and button controls. They’re also compatible with JBL’s SMART Tx wireless transmitter, which allows direct access to EQ settings and simplified pairing with in-flight entertainment systems via a touchscreen interface.
Battery life appears competitive, with JBL quoting up to 80 hours of playback without active noise cancellation enabled, or around 50 hours with ANC engaged. That should comfortably cover, daily commuting and several forgotten charging cycles in between.
If you need a fast charge, five minutes will reap around four hours of use.
The headphones support LDAC wireless streaming (for higher resolution from compatible LDAC smartphones), as well as Auracast and Multi-Point connectivity. The headphones ship with a fabric travel bag and a USB to 3.5mm mini jack lead.
The Amsterdam event, timed to coincide with the brand’s 80th anniversary, also saw the brand roll out stablemate JBL Live 4 TWS earbuds, featuring JBL Smart OS 3.0 and an upgraded Smart Charging Case with expanded touchscreen controls and personalisation features, as well as the latest entries in its party speaker line, the JBL PartyBox 330 and JBL PartyBox 130, both boasting a new light show design with higher output, deeper bass and AI-assisted sound optimisation.
Rounding out the launch was the JBL EasySing Mic Mini, a compact karaoke-focused microphone system with AI-powered vocal reduction and real-time voice enhancement.
Available now, the JBL Live 780NC is priced at £179.99, and Live 680NC £129.99. The JBL Live 4 TWS earbuds are priced at £179.99, while the PartyBox speakers and EasySing Mic Mini are due to follow in June.
JBL boosts performance of flagship Tour headphones and earbuds, drops new colourway
JBL has announced updates to its range-topping JBL Tour One M3 headphones and JBL Tour Pro3 earbuds, which include a new classic green colourway and significant improvements in audio performance and usability. The firmware update is a refresh of its signature JBL sound curve preset, said to produce clearer, more accurate audio. The brand is…
The Aesthetic Edit: I tried a liquid rhinoplasty with the viral doctor everyone’s talking about and it changed everything
Dr Ducu’s name has a way of coming up. In changing rooms. In your newsfeed. In group chats. His reputation rests on a specific kind of result – the kind where people can’t quite put their finger on what’s changed, only that something has, and that you look incredible for it. So when I found…
The best luxury body oils for spa-smooth skin
We all want soft, glossy, impossibly smooth skin – and that’s the promise of a great body oil. Once reserved for luxury spa treatments, these silky formulas are now a bathroom shelf essential, delivering deep hydration while leaving skin with that just-had-a-massage glow. Packed with nourishing botanicals, antioxidant-rich oils and soothing aromatherapy blends, these newest…
Share this: