JBL Live 660NC review
Our Verdict
At $199, the JBL Live 660NC undercuts the competition with strong sound, noise cancellation, and battery life, just is also painful to wear.
For
- Bass-forward sound
- Longer battery life than most premium racket-cancelling models
- Effective noise cancellation
- Excellent connectivity
- Numerous features via companion app
Confronting
- Very uncomfortable
- Buggy vocalisation assistance
- Highs don't shine
Tom'southward Guide Verdict
At $199, the JBL Live 660NC undercuts the competition with strong audio, noise cancellation, and battery life, simply is also painful to article of clothing.
Pros
- +
Bass-forward sound
- +
Longer battery life than about premium noise-cancelling models
- +
Constructive noise counterfoil
- +
Excellent connectivity
- +
Numerous features via companion app
Cons
- -
Very uncomfortable
- -
Buggy voice assistance
- -
Highs don't smooth
The JBL Live 660NC is the latest pair of noise-cancelling headphones from the popular audio brand. On superlative of featuring JBL signature sound, which consists of warm, blast-heavy sonics, this fix of over-ear cans come with adaptive ANC and some of the longest battery life in the category.
JBL Live 660NC specs
Colors: Black, Blue, White
Battery life (rated): xl hours (ANC on), 50 hours (ANC off)
Connectivity: Bluetooth v.0
Processor: Bestechnic BES2300YP
Size: Not stated
Weight: 9.iii ounces
Results are satisfying, thank you to an energetic soundstage and multiple listening modes that help personalize the listening feel. Y'all can also expect reliable wireless functioning from this set of headphones. The only things property the Live 660NC back from beating the very best noise cancelling headphones are the buggy voice banana and uncomfortable design.
- The best headphones overall
- Find a bargain with the best Apple AirPods Max alternatives
JBL Live 660NC review: Price and availability
- JBL Live 660NC costs $199...
- ...except at Walmart, which sells it for $99
The JBL Live 660NC can be purchased at major online retailers, including Walmart and B&H, or directly from JBL. It is sold in 3 colors: Black, Bluish, and White.
These headphones cost $199, the aforementioned every bit the JBL Quantum 800 gaming headset. By comparison, the Live 660NC falls in a price range similar to other sub-luxury competitors similar the Jabra Elite 85h ($199) and the Urbanista Miami ($149). Luxury models like the AirPods Max ($549), Bose 700 ($399), and Sony WH-1000XM4 ($350) come with more features and stronger dissonance cancellation, but for a premium.
Nosotros recommend bookmarking our best headphones deals folio to stay up on all of the latest sales.
JBL Live 660NC review: Design and condolement
- Well-made, merely lacks ruggedization
- Tight, secure fit
JBL has a credible track tape of amalgam fashionable and sturdy headphones, and the Alive 660NC is no dissimilar. It's are composed of quality materials, including plastic, aluminum, leather and sail, all of which look and feel premium. The headband and yokes are pliable, though the earcups are the about durable component and boast hit details similar an embossed JBL logo and silver accents. They too support collapsible hinges to easily store the Alive 660NC.
There is no IP rating listed for these headphones, and so you lot should be mindful of where y'all leave them and how you use them. For instance, the canvas wrapping around the headband attracts a lot of dirt, peculiarly on the white version, which also makes scuffs and scratches more noticeable.
There is a canvas pocketbook in the box to carry the headphones on commutes, though it isn't every bit chic or durable as the 700 and WH-1000XM4's leather carrying cases. Don't recall about wearing these at the gym or around the jacuzzi either, because there is zero water or sweat resistance.
Condolement and fit are a mixed handbag. The yokes have 11 length settings to fit most head sizes, simply the clamp force is incredibly tight and feels like your head is caught in a vise, applying unwanted pressure on the skull. This besides creates a warm, moisture-filled surroundings after long listening sessions. I approximate the one positive of the snug, overly-tight fit is that the headphones remain stable when worn.
JBL Alive 660NC review: Controls and digital assistant
- An abundance of controls
- However, some inputs are finnicky
- Google Banana not very reliable
The Live 660NC is ane of the most function-heavy pairs of headphones on the market. Nosotros're talking concrete and impact controls, along with motion detection and voice activation. The majority work well, but the digital banana feature has its fair share of technical issues.
Let'south kickoff with the push commands that consist of single and two-second presses. There's a multifunctional button that enables playback, call management and digital assistance, as well as book rockers that either raise/lower sound or skip back/frontwards a track. Above the iii-button module is a spring-loaded power toggle that has a nice recoil effect, while below it is a Bluetooth button and Ambient Aware button to cycle through the dissimilar listening modes. These all produce solid tactility to ensure intended commands are met.
The Auto-Play/Pause function works superbly, automatically pausing music when removing the headphones and resuming play when placed back on the caput.
It's pretty absurd that JBL programmed an alternative fashion to admission the vocalisation assistant via bear on console on the left earcup. A 2-2d press or placing your mitt atop the ear cup will enable the native digital banana, or so the instructions say. I say that considering information technology took numerous tries and an 60 minutes of troubleshooting to even get this characteristic working properly.
The Alive 600NC comes with Google Assistant and Alexa integration. Siri is supported besides, but the Voice Assistant setting must be set to default in order to get information technology working on Apple devices like the iPhone 12, which is something JBL doesn't tell yous. When able to use the Google Assistant, I was happy with the AI bot'due south responsiveness to inquiries and the speech recognition JBL'south mic-array demonstrated. Unfortunately, the feature was spotty, either giving me a voice prompt stating the Google Banana wasn't gear up up or non recognizing the "OK Google" voice control.
JBL Live 660NC review: Active racket counterfoil
- Reasonably effective ANC
- Ambience Aware mode works well
JBL's dissonance-cancelling technology has improved over the years, and though it's nonetheless several notches below what Bose, Sony, and Apple deliver, information technology's constructive for blocking most 80% of ambient noise. Whenever wearing the Live 660NC within the business firm, common distractions like, door buzzers, kitchen appliances, and my wife's iPhone alarms went unheard. Despite my newborn making his presence felt here and there, his cries and grunting were minimized well plenty to keep me focused on tasks.
Outside provided adequately decent noise neutralization. Air current resistance wasn't every bit potent as I would have liked, as the whooshing effect produced in drafty conditions and past whisking cars had my full attention. Gardening tools like leaf-blowers and lawnmowers were also unavoidable, along with loftier-frequency sounds similar constabulary sirens and whistles. The good news is that these noises weren't clarion, so despite existence aural, none were harmful to my hearing.
Ambient Aware is JBL's transparency mode and opens up the mics to give listeners a meliorate sense of their surroundings. It'southward serviceable for use inside the firm, merely you'll get the all-time functioning when outside. I was able to choice upwardly on cars that were nigh a block abroad from me, while also hearing joggers sprint past me and dogs barking from a altitude. Vocals are much louder and clearer in TalkThru mode, which drops volume down to 20 percent and then you can communicate with others without taking off the headphones. In short, it performs well.
JBL Alive 660NC review: Sound quality
- Favors bass over treble
- Using app controls yields best results
The Live 660NC's standard sound signature is flat and keeps frequency response relatively balanced. Still, this is merely the case when disabling the EQ in the companion app. JBL actually makes its JBL Guild Pro+ TWS EQ the default, which is the more than favorable choice and gives music a livelier presence, though bass does become overly aggressive on certain tracks.
The hit snares on Naughty by Nature's "Hip Hop Hooray (Pete Rock Remix)" had my neck snapping back off bear on, while the conga-and-drum amalgamation on Busta Rhymes' "Put Your Easily Where My Eyes Could See" landed hard blows to my eardrums that stimulated a head-nod trance. The low end on Wyclef Jean'south "We Trying to Stay Alive" did come off more boomy than necessary, but the headphones handled other percussive elements well and opened upward the soundscape for the rapper's braggadocious rhymes to be heard clearly.
While highs are present, they often get put on the back-burner, which is nearly noticeable on Jazz recordings. The howdy-hats on Cannonball Adderley's "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" lacked emphasis and sounded a bit tinny. In addition, the live audition was mostly veiled behind the instrumental play. Rock classics like Iron Maiden's "Hallowed Exist Thy Name" had this same consequence; the tolling bell at the get-go wasn't stirring enough to ready the mood.
One thing worth noting when listening in standard mode: bass is minorly increased compared to Ambient Enlightened and noise cancellation. Sound quality does remain the same when switching from Ambient Enlightened to dissonance cancellation and vice versa. Some other tidbit is that bass and clarity have dips when using the aux cablevision.
There is terrible latency when watching videos, but in that location is a special mode in the app that drastically improves the quality (more on that in the side by side department).
JBL Alive 660NC review: App and special features
- Video mode essential for movie playback
- Lots of sound profiles and bonus features
Most of the major features in the JBL Headphones app are supported by the Alive 660NC. You'll see the Ambience Sound Command setting to manually select from all of the listening modes, likewise every bit the Smart Sound Modes setting with three options to optimize Bluetooth and sound based on preference. Normal keeps your connection stable, Audio emphasizes sound, and Video improves lip synchronization when watching videos. Y'all won't notice much of a difference between the first two modes, only as I previously alluded to in the audio quality department, Video fixes the horrible latency on videos.
At the bottom is the EQ setting, where users can create their own sound profiles or select from four presets: Jazz, Vocal, Bass, and the aforementioned JBL Social club Pro+ TWS. Again, stick with the latter to achieve the best sound. However, you lot'll become some value out of Jazz when zoning out to Miles Davis, while Vocal is platonic for podcasts and commentary clips.
Rounding out the app are a battery level indicator, firmware updates, toggle controls for the voice assistant and on-ear detection, and an Motorcar-off setting to identify the headphones in slumber way when inactive after a certain amount of time. Overall, you lot have an extensive characteristic set to piece of work with.
JBL Live 660NC review: Bombardment life and charging case
- Lasts longer than sub-luxury rivals
- Effective fast charging
Battery life is rated at 40 hours with ANC on. That is double the playtime of the 700 and AirPods Max, and ten hours longer than the WH-1000XM4. Realistically, it's about 37 hours when factoring in volume, streaming, and several features running simultaneously. Fifty-fifty so this is more than substantial for a week's worth of entertainment at your work desk or on an international flight. For reference, I'yard still at 30 per centum after using the headphones ii hours daily over the past 2 weeks.
Even better is that a quick charge can net you iv hours of apply on 10-minute charge, while turning off dissonance cancellation extends playtimes to fifty hours. I would say that wireless charging should accept been included, as it is on the Marshall Major IV wireless headphones, only that almost seems greedy considering portable ability the Live 660NC already possesses.
JBL Live 660NC review: Call quality and connectivity
- Decent calls, but lots of background noise
- Excellent Bluetooth performance and range
The Live 660NC is acceptable for calls and video chats, though you'll have to participate in quiet settings since the mics pick up every bit of noise around you lot. Clients found my voice loud and clear when speaking indoors, but could as well hear everything around me, from my baby boy shaking his rattle to the cat scratching the door. Trying to answer calls exterior was a little tougher due to the Alive 660NC's middling wind resistance. My wife could make out most of my sentences. She likewise noticed when I was stuck in drafty atmospheric condition.
Wireless functioning is superb with Bluetooth 5.0 running the bespeak. Pairing to devices is effortless no affair the platform, though Android gets the better end of deal thanks to Google Fast Pair. Re-pairing is even quicker, with the Live 600NC instantly linking to your most previously connected device.
Range is also longer than advertised, getting you upward to 45 feet of wireless listening. The only affair missing is JBL's proprietary Dual Connect+Sync technology that allows for instant switching from one device to another, though it would seem a bit pointless since the headphones have multipoint applied science to pair with two devices simultaneously.
JBL Live 660NC review: Verdict
The JBL Live 660NC is an enticing deal for bass lovers who want adaptive noise cancellation in an appealing bundle. JBL's 40mm drivers maintain the brand'south signature sound, feeding your ears punchy lows and solid midrange, though the bass does come on stiff and covers up highs on certain tracks. Battery life is superlative tier at nearly twoscore hours, which puts the Bose 700 and AirPods Max to shame. The racket cancellation is beneficial for the price too.
Despite the Live 600NC having almost every bell and whistle desirable on a pair of noise-cancellers, not everything hits its mark. The vox assistant acts screwy out of the box, and JBL needs to exercise a better job of showing its back up of Siri or at least inform users of how they can enable it hassle-free. Some other drawback is comfort, equally the headphones clench downwardly hard on both the skull and ears when adjusting the yokes to a low setting.
Yet, the Live 660NC has so much going for information technology that a lot of $200 headphones but don't, which makes them an cheap standout.
- More than: The best headphones with a mic for vocalism and video calls
Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/jbl-live-660nc
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