The JBL Live 460NC Wireless are on-ear headphones with active noise cancelling (ANC). Out-of-the-box, they have a neutral sound profile with a bit of extra thump and rumble, which is suitable for lots of different audio content. If you prefer a different sound, their companion app has a parametric EQ and presets. They also support multi-device pairing with up to two devices at once and have a continuous battery life of under 30 hours. However, while their ANC does a decent overall job of blocking out background noise, it struggles more to cut down bass-range sounds like bus or plane engine noise. Some users may also find their on-ear fit to be uncomfortable for long listening sessions.
Our Verdict
The JBL Live 460NC are decent for neutral sound. Right out of the box, they have a neutral sound profile with a touch of extra bass to bring out thump and rumble in your mixes. If you're looking for an even more neutral sound profile, their companion app offers a parametric EQ and presets to help tweak their sound to your liking. Unfortunately, their passive soundstage doesn't feel very immersive, spacious, or wide.
- Parametric EQ and presets available.
- Poor passive soundstage.
The JBL Live 460NC are decent for commute and travel. They're well-built, have a long-lasting continuous battery life of under 30 hours, and have a breathable fit. However, they're a bit bulky, which can make them hard to take with you on the go, and their ANC struggles to cut down bass-range noise like the rumble of bus and plane engines. While they're comfortable, some users may find them tight or fatiguing.
- Comfortable and well-built.
- Struggles to block out bass-range noise.
The JBL Live 460NC are decent for sports and fitness. They're comfortable, well-built, and can be used wirelessly, which helps eliminate the chances of something snagging the headphones and pulling them off your head. However, the headphones can fall off your head with moderate head movements. They also don't have an IP rating for dust or water resistance, although we don't currently test for this, and some users may find them fatiguing to wear for long gym sessions.
- Comfortable and well-built.
- Could fall off your ears with moderate physical movement.
The JBL Live 460NC are satisfactory for office use. They're well-built, have an ANC, which helps cut down office chatter around you, and have under 30 hours of continuous playback time, so you don't need to worry about recharging them throughout your day. They also have a comfortable fit, though some users may find they feel a bit tight and fatiguing over a long workday. They support multi-device pairing too, so you can connect them to your phone and work computer at once.
- Comfortable and well-built.
- Poor passive soundstage.
The JBL Live 460NC are compatible with Bluetooth-enabled PCs, but their latency is likely too high to be suitable for wireless gaming. They aren't compatible with Xbox One or PS4 consoles.
The JBL Live 460NC are decent for wired gaming. While they can be used wired, they only support audio, so you can't use their mic while gaming. That said, you can customize their sound profile using their app's parametric EQ and presets, and they have a comfortable fit, although some users may find them fatiguing to wear for long periods. On the downside, their mic offers an okay recording quality, but it struggles to separate your voice from background noise.
- Parametric EQ and presets available.
- Comfortable and well-built.
- Poor passive soundstage.
- Sub-par noise handling.
The JBL Live 460NC are alright for phone calls. They have an integrated mic which does an okay job of recording your voice, but it still sounds thin and muffled. The mic also struggles to separate your voice from moderate background noise, so if you want to be heard clearly, you may want to take phone calls from a more quiet space. On the upside, their ANC can help cut down some ambient noise around you.
- Comfortable and well-built.
- Sub-par noise handling.
Changelog
- Updated Aug 01, 2024: The Comfort section has been updated to mention the JBL Tune 770NC Wireless.
- Updated Jul 25, 2024: We updated the Sound Profile box with a link that shows activating ANC doesn't noticeably change the sound of these headphones.
- Updated May 24, 2024: We've added a comparison between these headphones and the JBL Live 670NC Wireless in Battery.
- Updated Dec 12, 2022: We've added a comparison between these headphones and the Skullcandy Riff Wireless 2 in Build Quality.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The JBL Live 460NC come in four color variants: 'Black', 'Blue', 'White', and 'Pink'. We tested the 'Black' variant, and you can see its label here. We expect all the color variants to perform similarly to our model.
If you come across another variant of these headphones, please let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The JBL Live 460NC are on-ear headphones that have an active noise cancelling (ANC) feature. While overall, their ANC doesn't perform as well as the Beats Solo Pro Wireless, they do a better job of cutting down bass range noise like the rumble of bus or plane engines than the Beats. That said, like many JBL headphones, they have a neutral sound profile and come with a companion app that offers a parametric EQ and presets so that you can tweak them to your liking. They also support multi-device pairing with up to two devices at a time, which is a nice addition.
Check out our recommendations for the best on-ear headphones, the best wireless Bluetooth headphones, and the best headphones.
The JBL Live 460NC Wireless are slightly better on-ear headphones than the JBL Tune 660NC Wireless. The Live 460NC are more comfortable and feel better-built. They have a better performing active noise cancelling (ANC) feature and are compatible with the JBL Headphones app, which allows you to adjust their sound profile using their parametric EQ and presets. However, the Tune 660NC have longer continuous battery life.
The JBL Live 670NC and the JBL Live 460NC Wireless both share an on-ear design. They're both equipped with ANC systems, too. While neither will fully insulate you from the roar of a bus engine or the cacophony of a busy street, the Live 460NC do a slightly better job of isolating you. When it comes to sound profile, the Live 460NC have a much more balanced default sound profile, lacking the overpowering bass response of the Live 670NC. The Live 460NC have a better mic recording quality, too, making them a better fit for phone calls, but their battery life falls short of the outstanding 88 hours offered by the Live 670NC.
The JBL Live 460NC Wireless are slightly better headphones than the Beats Solo Pro. The JBL are more comfortable and have a slightly more neutral sound profile, which some users may prefer. Their battery performance is better, and they have a companion app with a parametric EQ and presets so that you can tweak their sound to your liking. However, the Beats are better-built and more stable. They also have a better noise isolation performance.
The JBL Live 460NC Wireless are slightly better on-ears than the JBL Live 400BT Wireless. Although both headphones have similar battery life and are compatible with the JBL Headphones app, the Live 460NC are more comfortable, better-built, and have an active noise cancelling (ANC) feature that can block out a decent amount of noise around you.
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