The JBL Live Free NC+ TWS True Wireless are in-ears with active noise cancelling (ANC). These headphones have a neutral sound profile that you can tweak to your liking using their companion app's parametric EQ or presets. They have a comfortable, breathable fit and are also stable enough for running or working out. Unfortunately, their ANC does a sub-par overall job of blocking out noise around you, and it performs very similarly to their passive isolation abilities. Some users may find their 5.4-hour battery life a bit short, too, although their carrying case supplies roughly two additional charges if you need it.
Our Verdict
The JBL Live Free NC+ are good for neutral sound. Out-of-the-box, they have a fairly neutral sound profile that's suitable for a variety of audio content. However, they lack a bit of low bass, and their treble range is recessed, so vocals and lead instruments are veiled while sibilants like cymbals are dull. On the upside, their companion app offers a parametric EQ and presets to help customize their sound. They also have consistent audio delivery.
- Very consistent audio delivery.
- Terrible passive soundstage.
The JBL Live Free NC+ are decent for commute and travel and are comfortable, lightweight, and portable. They're also well-built and have a breathable fit. However, their ANC struggles to block out bass-range noise like the rumble of bus or plane engines, which could be annoying.
- Comfortable and well-built.
- Barely leak audio.
- Sub-par noise isolation.
The JBL Live Free NC Plus are great for sports and fitness. These comfortable and lightweight earbuds have stability fins, so they shouldn't fall out when you're running or working out. They also have a breathable fit and are rated IPX7 for water resistance, although we don't currently test it. They're very portable, too, and can easily fit into most pockets or bags without a problem.
- Comfortable and well-built.
- Stable in-ear fit.
- Terrible passive soundstage.
The JBL Live Free NC Plus are decent for office use. These headphones have a comfortable, breathable fit and hardly leak any audio, so you can listen to music at high volumes without your colleagues hearing it. The ANC can also block out ambient chatter around you. However, their roughly 5.4-hour battery life may not be enough to get you through your day without pausing to recharge them.
- Comfortable and well-built.
- Barely leak audio.
- Sub-par noise isolation.
- No multi-device or NFC pairing.
The JBL Live Free NC+ aren't recommended for wireless gaming. While you can connect them to a Bluetooth-enabled PC, the latency is likely to be too high for gaming. They also aren't compatible with Xbox One or PS4 consoles.
The JBL Live Free NC Plus are Bluetooth-only headphones that you can't use wired.
The JBL Live Free NC Plus are mediocre for phone calls. Their integrated mic has a poor recording quality, so your voice sounds very thin and lacking depth. It struggles to separate speech from ambient noise around you, so you may have a hard time being understood if you're talking in a noisy environment. Their ANC also does a sub-par job blocking out ambient sound, making it harder to hear the other person.
- Comfortable and well-built.
- Sub-par noise isolation.
- Poor overall mic performance.
Changelog
- Updated Dec 20, 2023: We've added a comparison between these headphones and the JBL Tune Buds True Wireless in Bass accuracy.
- Updated Nov 01, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
- Updated May 31, 2021: Review published.
- Updated May 26, 2021: Early access published.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The JBL Live Free NC+ come in a few color variants: 'Black', 'Blue', 'Pink', and 'White'. We tested the Blue variant, and you can see its 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 discussions, and we'll update our review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The JBL Live Free NC+ are in-ears with active noise cancelling (ANC). Like the JBL CLUB PRO+ TWS True Wireless, they have a comfortable fit, well-built design, and are compatible with the JBL Headphones app, which offers a parametric EQ and presets to help you customize their sound. However, their ANC feature does a sub-par overall job, especially compared to other ANC earbuds like the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Truly Wireless.
Check out our recommendations for the best noise cancelling earbuds, the best noise cancelling headphones, and the best wireless Bluetooth earbuds.
The JBL Live Free NC+ TWS True Wireless and the JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless have different strengths and, depending on your usage, you may prefer either one. The Live Free NC+ have a more bass-heavy sound profile out-of-the-box, which some users may prefer, and their ANC has a better noise isolation performance. While both headphones are comfortable, the Live Pro+ have better controls. However, the Live Free NC+ are more stable, and they have lower latency on iOS and Android.
The Jabra Elite 75t Truly Wireless and the JBL Live Free NC+ TWS True Wireless have different strengths and, depending on your usage, you may prefer either one. While both headphones are comfortable, the Jabra are better-built, have a better noise isolation performance, and support multi-device pairing. They also have under seven hours of continuous playback time, and their carrying case holds three additional charges. However, the JBL have a more stable fit, and they have a neutral sound profile, which some users may prefer.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Truly Wireless are better in-ears than the JBL Live Free NC+ TWS True Wireless. The Bose are better-built, have a more neutral sound profile, which some users may prefer, and have longer continuous battery life. Their ANC also does a better job of blocking background noise around you. However, the JBL are more comfortable, and their companion app offers a parametric EQ and presets, which some users may prefer compared to the Bose's graphic EQ and presets.
The JBL LIVE 300TWS Truly Wireless and the JBL Live Free NC+ TWS True Wireless are similarly performing in-ears and, depending on your usage, you may prefer one over the other. While both headphones are comfortable and well-built, the 300TWS do a better job of passively blocking out noise than the NC+'s ANC. The 300TWS have a better mic recording quality. However, the NC+ have a better battery performance and have lower latency on Android, iOS, and PC, although different devices and apps compensate for this differently.
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