JBL Live 460NC 

Design and features:

This Bluetooth wireless noise canceling home/studio-style on-ear model provides very good sound and excellent active noise reduction. Its closed design and electronic noise canceling feature reduce both outside noise and sound leaking out into your environment. The headphones work with or without the noise canceling feature being turned on. You can use the noise-canceling feature without listening to music, and the audio cable can be detached to get it out of the way when the headphones are being used for noise reduction only. The headphones have low sensitivity when powered with or without the noise cancelation feature turned on, so while they can provide satisfying volume levels when used with home audio equipment and higher powered portable audio devices, they may not be a good match for lower-powered portables. When powered off, they have high sensitivity so they can provide satisfying volume levels when used with home audio equipment and lower-powered portable audio devices. The Live 460NC has a volume control plus an integrated microphone and player function controls. Earcups fold and swivel to flat for ease of carrying and storage. JBL app download for Apple and Android mobile devices adds additional features and software updates. Noise cancellation button on headphone switches between noise cancellation on/off, ambient sound, and TalkThru (lowers program volume for conversation without removing headphones) modes. The JBL app can be used to change the same settings. Has music player transport, call connect/disconnect, ambient noise/noise cancellation/ on/off, digital voice assistant activation, and Bluetooth volume controls. Has power on/off and Bluetooth pairing alert tones. Headphones pause audio when removed and resume audio when placed back on and can be turned off from the app. Has multi-point feature - allows simultaneous connection of two Bluetooth devices. The JBL Headphone app download for Apple and Android mobile devices shows the headphone battery level and can be used to adjust the ambient sound control settings, ANC on/off, adjust the tonal balance of the earphones using tonal presets or user adjustable EQ, and update the headphone's firmware. Has quick charge feature: 10 min of charging will provide 4 hr. of playtime. Supports Google Fast Pair (alternate to traditional Bluetooth pairing method). Supports Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa digital voice assistants when used with Bluetooth devices that have those capabilities and that, if needed, have the appropriate apps installed. Bluetooth connected Apple mobile devices using iOS Version 5 and above will show the battery level. This model comes with Detachable 50-inch long standard audio cable, USB-A to USB-C charging cable, Quick Start guide, Warranty card.

Sound quality:

We found the Live 460NC delivers sound quality that falls in the very good range - it reproduces music and voice very well although it does have some noticeable sonic quirks and excellent active noise reduction. With the noise cancelling mode engaged and the JBL Headphone app tone settings set to off, and the Smart Audio Mode set to Audio Mode (as received state of the headphone) the bass (as in bass drums, bass guitars, stand-up bass, etc.) has good impact and goes deep, but is slightly prominent and somewhat boomy. The midrange (voices, guitars, horns, etc.) is fairly even, but is slightly hazy, grainy, and congested, a touch etched (a bit more sharply outlined then it should be), and depending on the program material can be a bit crowded by the bass. The treble (cymbals, the upper range of violins, etc.) is fairly extended but somewhat smeared a bit subdued. While the sound has a good sense of liveliness, it is somewhat closed (sound-wise it's fairly obvious you have something plugging your ears) and does a decent job of recovering room ambience. Warm character. The overall sound can best be summarized as a somewhat bassy, grainy, hazy, and congested. The tone settings of the app do have a noticeable effect on the sound of these headphones. When cord connected to AC powered devices may produce a noticeable hissing and/or humming noise when the noise canceling feature is engaged. Noise Canceling: Excellent noise reduction across the entire frequency range with the low frequencies reduced the most. Although there is a bit of a "venetian blind" effect as the sound comes from different directions, the orientation does not significantly change the noise reduction characteristic. A faint rushing sound can be heard in quiet environments when there is no audio program to drown it out.

Comfort and Fit:
We found that these headphones produce a sense of moderate pressure on the ears. As typical of on-ear models the ear pads might feel hot and/or sticky after prolonged use. Users with larger heads might find that the headband does not have enough adjustment range resulting in the headband pressing uncomfortably on the top of the head and/or the earcups not sitting properly on the ears; the less-than-ideal fit on the ears might interfere with the earpad seal and reduce the noise reduction capabilities of the headphone. Some users may find that when they lean far forward the headphones shift forward slightly. When wearing this model while walking the muffled vibrations from each foot step can be heard slightly through the headphones. When the audio cord is used the sound of it rubbing on clothing may be heard through the earphones.

The JBL Live 460NC  home/studio-style Bluetooth wireless noise canceling headphones have a closed on-ear design. These iPod/cellphone-centric headphones can be used with the noise canceling feature turned on or off, and are intended for use with iPods, iPads, some other cell phones, as well as standard audio devices, and have a claimed reception range of around 33 feet and are intended for use with Bluetooth enabled audio devices including cell phones, as well as standard audio devices. It has a 50-inch detachable audio cord with a stereo/modified stereo mini (1/8") plug /that works with iPods, iPads, iPhones, and some cellphones, but may not be compatible with other audio devices. The headphones have an inline microphone and inline remote with and integrated volume, music player function, and call connect/disconnect controls. Earcups fold and swivel to flat for ease of carrying and storage. JBL app download for Apple and Android mobile devices adds additional features and software updates. Noise cancellation button on headphone switches between noise cancellation on/off, ambient sound, and TalkThru (lowers program volume for conversation without removing headphones) modes. The JBL app can be used to change the same settings. Has music player transport, call connect/disconnect, ambient noise/noise cancellation/ on/off, digital voice assistant activation, and Bluetooth volume controls. Has power on/off and Bluetooth pairing alert tones. Headphones pause audio when removed and resume audio when placed back on and can be turned off from the app. Has multi-point feature - allows simultaneous connection of two Bluetooth devices. The JBL Headphone app download for Apple and Android mobile devices shows the headphone battery level and can be used to adjust the ambient sound control settings, ANC on/off, adjust the tonal balance of the earphones using tonal presets or user adjustable EQ, and update the headphone's firmware. Has quick charge feature: 10 min of charging will provide 4 hr. of playtime. Supports Google Fast Pair (alternate to traditional Bluetooth pairing method). Supports Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa digital voice assistants when used with Bluetooth devices that have those capabilities and that, if needed, have the appropriate apps installed. Bluetooth connected Apple mobile devices using iOS Version 5 and above will show the battery level. The Live 460NC  comes with Detachable 50-inch long standard audio cable, USB-A to USB-C charging cable,, Quick Start guide, Warranty card and is covered by a 12-month parts/12-month labor warranty.