The JBL Live 660NC Wireless are mid-range over-ear headphones for casual use, that are a great fit for office work and commuting. These wireless headphones have a similar design and features to the JBL Live 460NC Wireless, on-ear headphones from the same line-up. They work with a companion app with a parametric EQ for sound customization and have an active noise cancelling (ANC) feature. They're also equipped with 'Ambient Aware' and 'Talk-Through' modes meant to let you easily hear your surroundings without removing the headphones.
Our Verdict
The JBL Live 660NC are good for neutral sound. Out-of-the-box, they have a slightly bass-heavy sound profile with a touch of extra thump and punch. However, if you prefer a different sound, you can customize their sound using their companion app's parametric EQ or presets if you prefer a more neutral sound. However, their passive soundstage doesn't feel very immersive, and they're somewhat prone to inconsistent audio delivery. It's important to ensure the correct fit each time you use them.
- Parametric EQ and presets available.
- Stable and decently comfortable fit.
- Poor passive soundstage.
The JBL Live 660NC are decent for commuting and travel. They're well-built, have a decently comfortable fit, and have a long-lasting battery life to help you make it through your journey without pausing to recharge them. They come with a carrying pouch but aren't very portable, like most over-ear headphones. Their ANC also struggles to reduce the rumble of bus or plane engines.
- Stable and decently comfortable fit.
- ANC struggles to cut down bass-range noise.
The JBL Live 660NC are decent for neutral sound. They're quite comfortable for most people and, unlike many over-ear headphones, have a stable enough fit to stay in place during workouts like runs. However, like most over-ear headphones, they lack an IP rating for water resistance and aren't very portable. They could also make you sweat more as their ear cups trap some heat.
- Stable and decently comfortable fit.
- Can make your ears warm over time.
The JBL Live 660NC are satisfactory for office use. These well-built headphones have a decently comfortable fit, and their roughly 26-hour continuous battery life will last you through a few shifts. Thanks to their ANC, they can block ambient chatter around you. Their ear cups can trap in some heat over time, though.
- ANC can reduce mid to treble-range noise.
- Stable and decently comfortable fit.
- Poor passive soundstage.
- Can make your ears warm over time.
You can use the JBL 660NC with a Bluetooth-enabled PC, but their latency is likely too high for gaming. They aren't compatible with PS4, PS5, or Xbox consoles.
The JBL Live 660NC are decent for wired gaming. They come with a 1/8" TRS to TRRS cable, so you can receive audio via analog connection but not use the mic. That said, their slightly bass-heavy sound profile can help bring out sound effects in gameplay, and they have a decently comfortable fit.
- ANC can reduce mid to treble-range noise.
- Stable and decently comfortable fit.
- Can only receive audio with their TRS to TRRS cable.
- Poor passive soundstage.
The JBL Live 660NC are alright for phone calls. Their integrated mic does an okay job of recording your voice, so your voice is clear but somewhat muffled and thin. The mic also struggles to separate your voice from ambient noise around you, so you may want to take calls from a quieter location to be heard more clearly. That said, their onboard controls include functions for answering and ending calls, and they have an ANC system that can help reduce mid-range noise like background chit-chat.
- ANC can reduce mid to treble-range noise.
- Mediocre noise handling.
Changelog
- Updated Jun 07, 2024: We've updated the Battery section to compare these to the JBL Live 770NC Wireless.
- Updated May 31, 2024: We've updated this review to ensure the text remains clear and accurate and added some relevant side-by-side comparisons.
- Updated Jun 08, 2023: Checked that the text is up to date and made minor edits for clarity.
- Updated Oct 27, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The JBL 660NC come in five color variants: 'Black,' 'Blue,' 'White,' 'Sandstone,' and 'Pink.' We tested the 'Black' variant, and you can see their label here. We expect all color variants to perform similarly to our model.
If you come across another variant, please let us know in the forums, and we'll update our review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The JBL 660NC are over-ear headphones with an active noise cancelling (ANC) feature. Like the JBL Live 650 BTNC Wireless, this feature offers decent overall performance, although it still struggles to block out bass-range noise like bus or plane engine rumbles. They also have voice assistant support that you can set up using their companion app and have Google Fast Pair, which lets you seamlessly pair with your Android device. You'll want to look to another pair of JBL over-ears, like the JBL Tune 760NC Wireless, if you want to use your headphones to make calls, as their integrated mic has a better recording quality.
Check out our recommendations for the best noise cancelling headphones, the best over-ear headphones, and the best wireless Bluetooth headphones.
The JBL Live 770NC have an improved battery life and better noise cancelling than the JBL Live 660NC. While the two headphones share similar app features like EQ, the Live 660NC have a much more balanced sound profile than the Live 770 NC's excited bass-heavy frequency response. This depends on what kind of tuning you prefer.
The JBL Live 660NC are a bit better for most people than the JBL Tune 770NC. The Live 660NC are slightly better built and have more space to comfortably accommodate different ear sizes easier than the Tune 770NC, which have small ear cups. The ANC on the Live 660NC blocks more external noise, too. However, the Tune 770NC boast a much longer battery life and a better sounding mic system in noisy areas. Both headphones have access to essentially the same functionality via their companion apps, so you don't miss out on features with either pair.
The Sony WH-CH720N Wireless and JBL Live 660NC rely on different strengths. Both sets of over-ears have similar noise isolation performance. The Sony headphones have a longer continuous battery life, and their app includes virtual surround sound. If you play mobile games or often watch videos, the JBL headphones have a much lower latency between the two when using the different modes in the app.
The JBL Live 660NC are slightly better headphones than the Skullcandy Crusher Evo Wireless. While both headphones are comfortable and well-built, the JBL have a more neutral sound profile out of the box and a decent ANC, which can help block out some ambient noise around you. Their companion app also has a parametric EQ and presets so that you can adjust their sound. However, some users may prefer the Skullcandy's haptic bass slider.
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