The JBL Live Free NC+ TWS True Wireless in-ear headphones feature active noise cancellation (ANC). These headphones have a neutral sound profile that you can customise with the accompanying app’s parametric EQ or presets. They have a breathable, comfortable fit and are stable enough for running or working out. Unfortunately, their ANC performs very similarly to their passive isolation capabilities in terms of overall noise reduction. Some users may find their 5.4-hour battery life to be too short, but their carrying case provides roughly two additional charges if needed.
The JBL Live Free NC+ TWS has a small, bulbous body with a flat outward-facing side imprinted with the JBL logo. This surface, however, serves a purpose other than advertising because it includes touch-sensitive controls. Insert the earbuds into your tragus, and a tight seal forms to muffle the world even when the optional ANC is turned off. Furthermore, the rubber fins on the body of the buds aid in keeping the earpieces securely in place under your antihelix. This body type is similar to the slightly more expensive Live Free.
The JBL Live Free NC+ TWS earbuds have a playtime of 7 hours with ANC turned off, 6 hours with ANC turned on, and 14 hours of wireless charging from the included case. It takes about 2 hours to fully recharge them. In comparison, the JBL Tour PRO+ TWS offers a slightly increased 8 hours of playtime with ANC off, 6 hours with ANC on, and 32 total hours of battery life when the case is included. Those figures are comparable to other earbuds in this price range.
Initially, setting up the JBL Live Free NC+ TWS requires almost no thought. Remove the earbuds from the charging case, locate them in the list of discoverable Bluetooth devices in your phone’s settings, and begin listening. Bluetooth 5.1 support handles standard SBC and higher-quality AAC connections (primarily for iOS devices) and aids in connection stability.
Getting a handle on the controls, on the other hand, is more of a puzzle. You can assign different groups of controls to the left and right earbuds using the app. One group allows you to adjust the volume a single tap raises the volume, two taps lowers it. Another group allows you to control playback one tap to pause, two taps to advance tracks, and three taps to go back. A third group provides access to your voice assistant. A fourth group allows you to control the ambient sound.