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Updated April 11, 2024·
If value for money is important to you and you prefer a wireless experience with easy portability, the JBL Live Free NC+ would be a good choice; they are very good for music, calls, and are sweatproof which makes them suitable for exercise. However, for extended battery life and less frequent charging, the JBL Tune 660NC headphones stand out. They fold for easier storage and feature active noise cancelling, making them suitable for on-ear comfort and air travel, but they might be less comfortable for long periods due to their fair comfort score. Neither are optimal for gaming or TV due to their poor gaming and TV scores. 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 Free NC+
Good for phone calls
Good for exercise
Very good for air travel
Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the JBL Tune 660NC
The JBL Tune 660NC has no clear advantages over the JBL Live Free NC+.
Key differences
Phone Calls
7.6/10
5.1/10
The JBL Live Free NC+ is good for phone calls, while the JBL Tune 660NC is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.4/10
5.7/10
The JBL Live Free NC+ is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the JBL Tune 660NC is poor.
Noise Reduction
7.0/10
6.0/10
The JBL Live Free NC+ is good for noise reduction, while the JBL Tune 660NC is only fair.
Battery
5.0 Hours
42.0 Hours
The JBL Live Free NC+ has 5 hours of battery life. The JBL Tune 660NC has 42 hours of battery life.
Cost
$60
$50
$0
$20
$40
$60
$80
$100
The JBL Live Free NC+ has a price of $60 and the JBL Tune 660NC costs $50.
"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."
"The JBL Tune 660NC is the best value you can get from a set of on-ear headphones. There's no companion app so you don't get many additional features, but everything the JBL Tune 660NC sets out to do, it does well. At this price, the JBL Tune 660NC is an easy recommendation for on-ear headphone lovers"
Get a great deal on the JBL Live Free NC+ or the JBL Tune 660NC
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
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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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.