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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you value sound quality and comfort for long listening sessions, the Bose 700 would be a better choice. They also feature superior noise cancellation, which is ideal for air travel and noisy environments, and offer more microphone clarity which can be important for calls and meetings. However, if you're more active and need something suitable for exercise or if you want the convenience of earbuds that are sweatproof and come with a portable charging case extending battery life, the JBL Live Free NC+ may serve you well, especially considering they are significantly less expensive. Remember that the Bose 700's higher-quality build and comfort may justify its premium price, but if portability and price are your primary concerns, JBL may be the way to go. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Bose 700
- Good for music
- Very good for phone calls
- Best in class for air travel
Advantages of the JBL Live Free NC+
- Good for exercise
- Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Music
7.5
5.8
The Bose 700 is good for music, while the JBL Live Free NC+ is poor.
Phone Calls
8.3
7.6
The Bose 700 is very good for phone calls, while the JBL Live Free NC+ is good.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
7.8
8.4
The JBL Live Free NC+ is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Bose 700 is good.
Noise Reduction
9.1
7.0
The Bose 700 is excellent for noise reduction, while the JBL Live Free NC+ is good.
Battery
20.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Bose 700 has 20 hours of battery life. The JBL Live Free NC+ has 5 hours of battery life.
Cost
$299
$60
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The Bose 700 has a price of $299 and the JBL Live Free NC+ costs $60.
Build Quality
9.0
8.5
The Bose 700 has excellent build quality, while the JBL Live Free NC+ has very good build quality.
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Key similarities
Gaming
5.3
5.0
The Bose 700 and JBL Live Free NC+ are both poor for gaming.
TV and Video
5.6
5.6
The Bose 700 and JBL Live Free NC+ are both poor for TV and video.
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How the Bose 700 and the JBL Live Free NC+ compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Bose 700 | JBL Live Free NC+ |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$299 | $60 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Bose | JBL | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2019 | March 1, 2021 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired + Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 7.5/10 | 5.9/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 8.3/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.4/10 | 5/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.6/10 | 5.6/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 5.5/10 | 7.7/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 20 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | Yes | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 2.5 Hours | 1.3 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5 | 5.1 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | N/A | 18 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | Yes | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 9.1/10 | 7/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | N/A | No | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 8.4/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | N/A | Large | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 263 Grams | 7 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Integrated | |
Shopping
Bose 700
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Dig into reviews and images
Sound Guys
Adam Molina | June 2023
"Bose took active noise canceling and made it mainstream but eventually, the market caught up. Well, it seems like Bose was listening, because the Noise Canceling Headphones 700 is a complete redesign of its iconic product. The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 have a new design, improved sound quality, a touch-sensitive gesture pad for playback controls, and even USB-C charging."
JBL Live Free NC+
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Dig into reviews and images
HeadphoneCheck
Maike Paeßens | 2020
"JBL has added great-sounding, rock-solid all-rounders with a pleasant, warm sound character to their range. They are equipped with a high level of functionality that can be customised via the app. Some compromises have to be made with the active noise cancellation, which has a discreet effect, while the ambient mode and the Talkthru function proved to be powerful despite a perceptible background noise."
Get a great deal on the Bose 700 or the JBL Live Free NC+
About Bose
Bose is an American audio equipment manufacturer based out of Framingham, Massachusetts. Founded in 1964 by Amar Bose with the goal of creating a speaker system that could accurately recreate the sound of a concert hall, Bose has become one of the most prominent players in the modern consumer audio market due to the premium feel of their products and their wide brand recognition.
About JBL
JBL is an American audio equipment manufacturer. Owned by Harman International which is, itself, owned by Samsung Electronics. JBL markets a wide array of monitoring speakers, professional headphones and consumer market headphones and earbuds. It was founded in 1946 by James Bullough Lansing (whose initials give the company its name) and has become one of the most prolific audio companies ever. Their products were responsible for audio during the 1969 Woodstock Festival.
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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec earbuds & headphones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest earbuds or headphones information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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