JBL’s Live 670NC noise-cancelling headphones are something of a rarity given their on-ear design. For $129.95, they offer rich, rumbling audio, wireless or wired listening, and hands-free Alexa voice control, as well as the ability to adjust sound via a 10-band EQ. Disappointingly, their active noise cancellation (ANC) isn’t on the level of similarly priced competitors and their control layout can be confusing. Overall, the $99.99 Anker Soundcore Space One over-ear headphones retain our Editors’ Choice award in this price range due to their superior noise cancellation, similarly engaging audio, and better codec support.Too Many Controls to ManageThe Live 670NC headphones, which are available in black, blue, tan, or white, sport a semi-matte finish on their outer earcups and a fabric-lined headband. The generous cushioning of the earpads and the headband makes the fit generally comfortable. If you wear chunky glasses, the on-ear design may cause a bit of pressure around your temples. Fabric grilles on the interior protect 40mm dynamic drivers, which deliver a frequency range of 20Hz to 20kHz (or 20Hz to 40kHz in wired mode).
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The headphones support Bluetooth 5.3, multipoint connectivity with up to two devices, and the AAC and SBC codecs. JBL says it will add Low Energy (LE) audio via a firmware update at a later date. The Soundcore Space One headphones add the hi-res LDAC codec for Android users.
(Credit: Tim Gideon)
The right earcup’s side panel houses the physical controls. A power/Bluetooth switch is furthest up on the side, while a three-button array is positioned lower. The central multifunction button handles playback and calls, while the plus and minus buttons control volume (quick taps) and track navigation (long presses). I’m never a fan of combining these functions since doing so leads to frequent misfires. Otherwise, a dedicated ANC button switches between the ANC and Ambient Aware (transparency) modes with a single press or engages TalkThru mode (for improved conversation intelligibility) with two presses.
Confusingly, the headphones also support a full range of capacitive touch controls on the right earcup above the logo. Tap once to control playback, twice to skip forward a track, or three times to go to the previous track. Tapping twice also answers or ends a call, while a long press mutes your mic. Finally, a tap-and-hold gesture lets you summon your device’s voice assistant. Some users might prefer one set of controls over the other, but this combined layout could use improvement. For instance, I don’t see why JBL couldn’t add volume control to the touch panels. And having so many buttons all in the same place makes it easy to accidentally press or activate something. The companion app doesn’t allow you to make many adjustments to the touch controls, though you can at least disable them.
(Credit: Tim Gideon)
The headphones come with an orange USB-A-to-USB-C charging cable that connects to the USB-C port on the left earcup. The included 3.5mm audio cable, which also connects to the left earcup, supports both passive and active listening. In the latter mode, you can enable the ANC, Ambient Aware, and TalkThru modes. If you unplug the cable during active listening, they will automatically pair with the last Bluetooth device you used (assuming it’s on and in range).JBL estimates the headphones can last roughly 65 hours per charge with the ANC off or 50 hours with the ANC on. If you opt to disable Bluetooth and use the headphones in their wired mode with the ANC on, the estimate drops to 40 hours. Of course, your typical volume level will affect your real-world results. A full charge from empty takes around two hours, while plugging in for five minutes should get you roughly three hours of playback. For comparison, the Soundcore Space One headphones last around 40 or 55 hours per charge, respectively with noise cancellation on and off.App ExperienceThe JBL Headphones app (available for Android and iOS) shows an image of the headphones on its main screen, along with a battery life readout. A long list of tiles follows below.Up first is the Ambient Sound Control section, which lets you choose between the Noise Cancelling, Ambient Aware, and TalkThru modes, or turn them all off. Within the ANC selection, you can set a manual level or opt for the Adaptive mode. If you select Ambient Aware, you can adjust its level with a fader. Finally, you can toggle Leakage Communication if you want the ANC circuitry to account for any audio that might be leaking out of the headphones (I didn’t notice a change with this active).
(Credit: JBL)
Person-Fi lets you create a personalized sound signature if you sign up for an account and take a listening test. The Equalizer section is more useful. You can select from a long list of adjustable EQ presets or create one from scratch with 10 bands ranging from 32Hz to 16kHz. You can also enable Low Volume Dynamic EQ, which enhances the lows and highs at lower volumes to preserve the sound signature. That last feature is harmless to try, though ultimately unnecessary.Further down is the Spatial Sound tile with Game, Movie, and Music modes, none of which are worth using. In the Gestures tile, you can add an off option to the ANC/Ambient Aware selection cycle or disable the touch controls. The app doesn’t give you many options for customizing the buttons, but this is where you can set up Alexa in place of your device’s default voice assistant. The configuration process is easy, and both hands-free and button-triggered voice commands work seamlessly. Otherwise, you can configure the auto-power-off behavior, download firmware updates, and access some help materials. Weak Noise CancellationThe Live 670NC headphones deliver underwhelming noise cancellation. For reference, I didn’t notice much of a difference between the standard ANC mode set to its maximum level and the adaptive mode. In testing, they dialed back powerful, low-frequency rumble to a degree, though plenty still came through. More concerning, however, is that they just barely cut back noises from a recording of a busy restaurant—the lows and low-mids dropped a bit, but most chatter was easily audible and the highs seemed to actually get louder. This performance is not surprising given the on-ear design, which does not encircle and seal off your ears. If ANC is a priority, the aforementioned circumaural Soundcore Space One headphones are a better bet. And if you don’t mind earbuds, Anker also sells the top-notch Soundcore Liberty 4 NC for $99.99.
(Credit: Tim Gideon)
The Ambient Aware mode offers a realistic rendition of your environment with a slight boost to the highs. As mentioned, you can adjust the mic levels with a fader in the app.Booming LowsI don’t recommend spending much time with the Spatial Sound section of the app. These types of modes are often gimmicky and the implementation here didn’t impress me. For example, there’s no head-tracking, just an odd mix of reverb and EQ effects.For testing, I turned off all of the audio effects. On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” the headphones produce a potent low-frequency response. The lows don’t distort at top volumes and still sound robust at moderate levels. The in-app EQ really lets you dial up the bass depth.The drivers don’t have any issue reproducing the sub-bass at the 34-second mark of Kendrick Lamar’s “Loyalty,” though the lowest and deepest of these notes is somewhat faint. The Extra Bass EQ preset can pump up the lows and low-mids, however, so bass lovers should be happy. The various vocals on the track sound crisp and free of interference.
(Credit: Tim Gideon)
The drums on Bill Callahan’s “Drover,” a track with far less deep bass, get some serious boosting and almost sound too thunderous. Callahan’s vocals get plenty of low-mid richness, while the crisp high-mids provide balance. Meanwhile, the acoustic strums and higher-register percussive hits are bright enough to counteract the boosted lows. This heavily sculpted audio signature won’t appeal to purists, but again, bass fans will find plenty to enjoy. The app’s EQ lets you lean further into this deep bass response or dial the lows back a bit.On orchestral tracks like the opening scene from John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary, the headphones boost the lower-register instrumentation a bit too much, though this presentation does lend some body and excitement to the otherwise bright delivery. The voice mic array works decently well. I could understand every word from a test recording on my iPhone thanks to the mostly robust, clear signal. That said, the signal level occasionally dipped, making for a less consistent transmission.Design Quirks Undermine the Deep BassThe JBL Live 670NC headphones offer a highly sculpted sound signature with tremendous bass power in a comfortable design. However, they aren’t up to par with similarly priced competitors in terms of noise cancellation in large part because of their on-ear design. Their on-ear controls could use some streamlining as well. Anker’s over-ear Soundcore Space One headphones remain our Editors’ Choice winners thanks to their more effective ANC, lower price, and broader codec support.
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