The JBL Live 680NC may sound good, but the battery life and plethora of top features are the star of the show

JBL Live 680NC: Two-minute review The JBL Live 680NC are a strong pair of headphones for the price.

They have a lot to offer, such as a whole litany of features including well-implemented active noise cancellation (ANC) and Ambient Aware, a lot of EQ-related options, spatial audio, and Auracast support.

They also offer a very, very long battery life.

But they come with some compromises to meet that $160 price point.

The sound quality, while good, does have an unruly low-end and a more rolled off high end than I would like.

The spatial audio is a bit underwhelming in practice.

They don’t come with a charging cable.

And they do put a little bit of pressure on the top of the head during long listening sessions.

If you’re trying to stretch your budget, they may be the best wireless headphones for you, but manage your expectations; they’re not going to compete with something like the Sony WH-1000XM6 .

And if you have the ability to spend an extra hundred bucks (or the equivalent in your regional coin), the slightly more expensive JBL Live 780NC do sound a fair bit better and handle the weight distribution a little better as well.

That said, these are tough times for a lot of people, and the price tag on the Live 680NC is reasonable, especially considering everything that they can do.

A view of the JBL Live 680NC from the side (Image credit: Future / James Holland) JBL Live 680NC: Price and release date Priced $159.95 / $129.99 / AU$199.95 Launch date March 12, 2026 With a price tag of $159.95 / £129.99 / AU$199.95, the JBL Live 680NC technically fit into the mid-range tier of headphones while still being a cool $100 cheaper than the JBL Live 780NC that was released concurrently in March 2026.

As you’ll see in this review, there are a few reasons to spend that extra hundred dollars (though you could spend even more for the JBL Tour One M3 Smart Tx ).

But if you’re okay with a slightly less articulate sound quality or marginally less comfortable fit, you can save that hundred bucks if you’re on more of a budget.