The JBL Live 650 BTNC Wireless are well-built, comfortable over-ears. Out-of-the-box, they have a slightly bass-heavy sound profile that adds a little extra thump and punch to your audio, and the parametric EQ and presets in their companion app makes it easy to customize their sound to your liking. While they have an ANC feature, it struggles to block out bass-heavy background noises like bus and plane engines, which is disappointing. That said, it performs better against higher-frequency ambient noise, like chatter from people around you.
Our Verdict
The JBL Live 650 BTNC are satisfactory for neutral sound. Out-of-the-box, they have a fairly neutral, though slightly bass-heavy sound profile that adds extra thump and punch to your audio. If you prefer a different sound, there's a parametric EQ and presets available in the JBL Headphones app, which is handy. Unfortunately, their passive soundstage is perceived as unnatural, and audio seems like it's coming from inside your head.
- Parametric EQ and presets.
- Poor passive soundstage performance.
The JBL Live 650 BTNC are decent for commute and travel. These comfortable headphones have a long continuous battery life that's suitable for international flights. They don't leak a lot of noise, either, so you can crank up the volume without really bothering other passengers. However, they aren't very portable, and their ANC feature can struggle to block out the sounds of bus and plane engines.
- Well-built, comfortable design.
- ANC feature struggles to block out bass-heavy ambient noise.
The JBL Live 650 BTNC are satisfactory for sports and fitness. These well-built headphones have a comfortable fit, but they aren't very portable. They're stable enough for casual listening sessions, but they may fall off your ears during more intense workouts. Also, their over-ear design can make you sweat a bit more than usual while wearing them.
- Well-built, comfortable design.
- Not very breathable.
The JBL Live 650 BTNC are decent for office use. These headphones have a long continuous battery life, so they're suitable for long shifts at the office. Their ANC feature also does a good job blocking out the sounds of coworkers chatting nearby or the hum of AC units. While they have a comfortable fit, unfortunately, they aren't very breathable, so you may sweat a bit more than usual while wearing them.
- Well-built, comfortable design.
- Not very breathable.
The JBL Live 650 BTNC are compatible with Bluetooth-enabled PCs, but their latency is likely too high to be suitable for gaming. They aren't wirelessly compatible with Xbox One or PS4 consoles.
The JBL Live 650 BTNC are satisfactory for wired gaming. You can plug them into your Xbox One or PS4 controller for full audio and microphone compatibility, and they have low latency over a wired connection. They're comfortable, too, and their slightly bass-heavy sound profile helps you feel the rumbles in action-packed games. However, their microphone has mediocre recording quality, so your voice can sound thin and muffled to teammates on the other end of the line.
- Low latency over wired connection.
- Mediocre microphone recording quality.
The JBL Live 650 BTNC are fair for phone calls. Their integrated microphone has a mediocre recording quality, so while your voice is understandable to whoever's on the other end of the line, it also sounds thin and muffled. The mic also struggles to separate your voice from background noises, so these headphones are better-suited to taking calls in quiet settings.
- Well-built, comfortable design.
- Mediocre microphone recording quality.
Changelog
- Updated Aug 11, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
- Updated Mar 18, 2021: Updated review for accuracy and clarity.
- Updated Feb 05, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.4.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The JBL 650 BTNC are available in 'Black', 'White', and 'Blue'. We tested the 'Black' variant, but we expect the other color variants to perform similarly.
If you come across another version, please let us know in the discussions so we can update our review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The JBL 650 BTNC are wireless over-ears with a decently versatile overall performance. They have a slightly bass-heavy sound, but they're very customizable thanks to the parametric EQ and presets in their companion app. Unfortunately, their ANC feature doesn't offer a very impressive overall performance.
See also our recommendations for the best headphones, the best noise cancelling headphones, and the best wireless Bluetooth headphones.
The JBL Live 650 BTNC are a slightly high-end pair of headphones that are very similar to the JBL Live 500BT Wireless, but they have an ANC feature, which makes them more suitable for public transit. Design-wise, the 650 BTNC are also a bit more comfortable thanks to their padding. They have similar sound profiles, and both have access to the same great parametric EQ. On the other hand, since the Live 500BT don’t have an ANC, they require less power and have noticeably better battery life than the 650BTNC.
The JBL Live 660NC are slightly better over-ear headphones than the JBL Live 650 BTNC. The Live 660NC have a more neutral default sound profile, which some users may prefer, their ANC does a slightly better job of cutting down bass-range noise like bus or plane engine rumbles, and they have a better battery performance. However, the Live 650 BTNC are more comfortable and come with a 1/8" TRRS cable, so you can use the mic and receive audio when using the headphones wired.
The JBL Live 650 BTNC and the JBL E65BTNC Wireless are very similar headphones. They have a similar build and overall look, but the 650 BTNC are slightly better. The E65 feel slightly tighter on the head, and their ANC is slightly better for commuting. However, the Live are compatible with the JBL Headphones app, which offers an amazing parametric EQ. They have more battery life than the E65, which is convenient. On the other hand, the E65BTNC are better for watching video content thanks to their low default Bluetooth latency.
The JBL Live 650 BTNC will be more versatile than the JBL Everest 710 Wireless thanks to their ANC feature. However, the Everest model will be more comfortable for most and sound more neutral. They also have a unique music sharing feature that lets you sync any other Bluetooth headphones to listen to the same content. They also have amazing battery life, but aren't compatible with the JBL Headphones app, meaning the Live 650BTNC will be more customizable with a great parametric EQ.
Our How We Test Headphones article takes you behind the scenes in our lab. You'll learn how we choose and purchase products and dive into the details of our review philosophy, from testing and scoring to writing and editing.
You can also discover how we produce recommendations like this one so that you can find the best headphones (or earbuds!) for your needs.
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