I tested JBL’s new mid-range headphones — and they’re zingy, fresh, and fun (and finally have hi-res audio!)

The jbl live 780NC in orange photographed against the blue tom's guide background.

The JBL Live 780NC are a huge improvement upon their predecessor, the 770NC. Now, they’re good enough to be some of the best headphones under $250. With punchy, rich bass that no longer overpowers the rest of the track and a huge array of customizable features, I’m really impressed.

So why not a 5-star review? Well, a couple of things: one, with a price increase of $50 over the predecessor, the competition is much stiffer. Two, unfortunately, like the previous model, they can feel a little clampy after a few hours’ wear.