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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you need a budget-friendly option and you plan to exercise with them, the JBL Live Free NC+ earbuds offer good value and fit securely making them ideal for physical activity. However, the Sennheiser 450BT headphones have a better microphone, making them preferable for calls and meetings. Both options have active noise cancelling and similar comfort ratings, but the Sennheisers provide an immersive gaming and TV experience due to their low latency. If you prefer over-ear comfort and better sound quality for a variety of activities despite a higher cost, the Sennheiser 450BT would be better. 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 podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Sennheiser 450BT
- Very good for gaming
- Very good for TV and video
- Excellent for air travel
Key differences
Gaming
5.0
8.8
The Sennheiser 450BT is very good for gaming, while the JBL Live Free NC+ is poor.
Phone Calls
7.6
6.9
The JBL Live Free NC+ is good for phone calls, while the Sennheiser 450BT is only fair.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.4
7.9
The JBL Live Free NC+ is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Sennheiser 450BT is good.
TV and Video
5.6
8.1
The Sennheiser 450BT is very good for TV and video, while the JBL Live Free NC+ is poor.
Noise Reduction
7.0
9.1
The Sennheiser 450BT is excellent for noise reduction, while the JBL Live Free NC+ is good.
Battery
5.0 Hours
27.5 Hours
The JBL Live Free NC+ has 5 hours of battery life. The Sennheiser 450BT has 27.5 hours of battery life.
Cost
$60
$139
$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
The JBL Live Free NC+ has a price of $60 and the Sennheiser 450BT costs $139.
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Key similarities
Music
5.8
6.2
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Sennheiser 450BT to be only fair for music, while the JBL Live Free NC+ is poor.
Build Quality
8.5
8.0
The JBL Live Free NC+ and Sennheiser 450BT both have very good build quality.
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How the JBL Live Free NC+ and the Sennheiser 450BT compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| JBL Live Free NC+ | Sennheiser 450BT |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$60 | $139 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | JBL | Sennheiser | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2021 | February 1, 2020 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wired + Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 5.9/10 | 6.2/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 7.6/10 | 7/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5/10 | 8.9/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.6/10 | 8.1/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 7.7/10 | 6.1/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 5 Hours | 27.5 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | Yes | No | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 1.3 Hours | 2.3 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5.1 | 5 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | 18 | N/A | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | Yes | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 7/10 | 9.1/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | No | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 7/10 | 8.5/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7.6/10 | 7/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Large | N/A | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 7 Grams | 240.4 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Integrated | |
Shopping
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."
Sennheiser 450BT
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Dig into reviews and images
Sound Guys
Lily Katz | March 2022
"The Sennheiser HD 450BT is a very good pair of headphones for the price, noise canceling is good and sound quality is great—quite rare at this price point. Like any product, this headset isn’t without its faults."
Get a great deal on the JBL Live Free NC+ or the Sennheiser 450BT
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 Sennheiser
A family-owned company, Sennheiser is a German, high fidelity, audio equipment manufacturer founded in 1945. Their consumer audio division is now owned by the Swiss hearing aid and cochlear implant manufacturer Sonova. Sennheiser offers a wide variety of, very high quality, audio equipment solutions, from headphones to earbuds, full sets of monitoring speakers, amplifiers and microphones. They also make what is widely regarded as the best, and most expensive, headphones in existence, the HE-1 Orpheus, costing a whopping $59,000 dollars.
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Why trust us
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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