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Updated April 11, 2024·
Choosing between the JBL Live 770NC and the Sony WH-1000XM5 depends on your priorities. If budget is a concern and you want a midrange option that performs well for music and has good active noise cancelling for air travel, the JBL Live 770NC is a solid choice. However, if you're looking for top-notch noise isolation and are willing to invest more, the Sony WH-1000XM5 might be suitable, especially with additional features like an app equalizer, customization options, and Sony's 360 Reality Audio for supported apps. Keep in mind that while both have good sound quality, the Sony has a longer cable and detailed app controls, but the JBL offers better battery life and both wired and wireless options. 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 JBL Live 770NC
Excellent for air travel
Advantages of the Sony WH-1000XM5
Very good for music
Key differences
Music
7.4/10
8.2/10
The Sony WH-1000XM5 is very good for music, while the JBL Live 770NC is good.
Noise Reduction
7.0/10
9.1/10
The Sony WH-1000XM5 is excellent for noise reduction, while the JBL Live 770NC is good.
Battery
76.0 Hours
40.3 Hours
The JBL Live 770NC has 76 hours of battery life. The Sony WH-1000XM5 has 40.3 hours of battery life.
Cost
$130
$398
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The JBL Live 770NC has a price of $130 and the Sony WH-1000XM5 costs $398.
Build Quality
8.0/10
8.8/10
The Sony WH-1000XM5 and JBL Live 770NC both have very good build quality, though the Sony WH-1000XM5 has somewhat better build quality.
The JBL Live 770NC and Sony WH-1000XM5 are both poor for gaming.
Phone Calls
5.2/10
5.5/10
The Sony WH-1000XM5 and JBL Live 770NC are both poor for phone calls.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.9/10
6.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Sony WH-1000XM5 to be only fair for podcasts and audiobooks, while the JBL Live 770NC is poor.
TV and Video
5.8/10
5.8/10
The Sony WH-1000XM5 and JBL Live 770NC are both poor for TV and video.
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How the JBL Live 770NC and the Sony WH-1000XM5 compare to other earbuds and headphones
"The Sony WH-1000XM5 are the best Sony Bluetooth headphones so far and one of the most well-rounded Bluetooth headphones around. Look no further if you need class-leading ANC with a mostly inoffensive sound signature. Just be ready to pony up the price premium."
Get a great deal on the JBL Live 770NC or the Sony WH-1000XM5
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.
About Sony
Sony is a multinational corporation, based out of Japan, with over 75 years of experience in the consumer electronics industry. In the audio market, Sony has been a trendsetter several times throughout its history. In 1979 they released the first-ever portable music player, the Sony Walkman, followed by the Discman 20 years later. Today, Sony is one of the leaders in the wireless headphone and earbud market, especially in terms of Active Noise Cancellation technology.
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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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Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Luis is a Mexico-based headphones expert. He’s been making headphone recommendations for five years and has close to 100 pairs in his personal collection.