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Updated April 11, 2024·
The JBL Live 770NC is a better choice for air travel and has active noise cancelling, which is great for noisy environments; they also have a built-in microphone and controls, suitable for use without reaching for your device. These headphones are more portable due to their foldable design, although they do come at a higher price. The Soundcore Life Q20, on the other hand, is more budget-friendly and boasts very good noise isolation with a longer battery life for extended use. However, the Soundcore's build quality and additional features like app customization may not match the JBL's. If you prioritize noise cancellation and portability for frequent travel, the JBL Live 770NC might be worth the extra cost, but if you're looking for value and longer playtime, the Soundcore Life Q20 could be a more economical choice. 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
The JBL Live 770NC has no clear advantages over the Soundcore Life Q20.
Advantages of the Soundcore Life Q20
The Soundcore Life Q20 has no clear advantages over the JBL Live 770NC.
Key differences
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.9/10
4.7/10
The JBL Live 770NC and Soundcore Life Q20 are both poor for podcasts and audiobooks, though the JBL Live 770NC is somewhat better.
Noise Reduction
7.0/10
8.7/10
The Soundcore Life Q20 is very good for noise reduction, while the JBL Live 770NC is good.
Battery
76.0 Hours
32.3 Hours
The JBL Live 770NC has 76 hours of battery life. The Soundcore Life Q20 has 32.3 hours of battery life.
Cost
$130
$60
$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
The JBL Live 770NC has a price of $130 and the Soundcore Life Q20 costs $60.
"As far as headphones that cost under $100 go, the Anker Soundcore Life Q20 is a really solid option. Like any good tool, it does the job well without much guff, and it’s affordable to boot. Sure: it’s not going toe to toe with any of the higher-end models of ANC headphones out there—but the headphones do well enough for commuters that it’s a good stand-in if you were never planning on spending a bunch of money anyway."
Get a great deal on the JBL Live 770NC or the Soundcore Life Q20
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 Soundcore
Soundcore is a sub-brand belonging to Anker Innovations. Starting in 2014, initially marketing wireless, Bluetooth, speakers, Anker now offers an array of, budget-friendly, wireless earbuds and headphones that directly compete, especially in the Active Noise Canceling field, with other brands several times as expensive.
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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
Joe Golden, Ph.D
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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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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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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Earbuds and Headphones Expert
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.