Is the Nothing Headphone (a) worth the upgrade from the JBL Live 770NC?
Verdict
Clear upgrade
Going from the JBL Live 770NC to the Nothing Headphone (a) buys you 12.8 points of HearWiki score - a clear step up that reviewers agree on rather than a marketing refresh. The gains are concentrated in value (8.0 to 9.1) and battery (9.0 to 10.0). You do give up ground on calls (7.0 to 6.5). On paper: battery life 50 h to 135 h, codecs SBC to SBC, AAC, LDAC and bluetooth 5.3 to 5.4. Worth checking: weight goes 232 g to 310 g and wear detection goes Yes to No. That costs $13 more, or about $1 per point of score - reasonable value for the jump. If your current pair is worn out or the gains line up with how you listen, this one is worth the money.
What actually changes
Sub-scores both products have, on the same 0-10 scale. Bars extend right for a gain, left for a loss.
- Sound7.07.4
- Noise cancelling7.57.9
- Battery9.010.0
- Calls7.06.5
- Value8.09.1
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | Live 770NC | Headphone (a) | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 50 h | 135 h | |
| Codecs | SBC | SBC, AAC, LDAC | |
| Weight | 232 g | 310 g | |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.4 | |
| Water resistance | Not rated | IP52 | |
| Battery life (ANC on) | 44 h | 75 h | |
| Wear detection | Yes | No | |
| Quick charge | 5 min → 4 h | 5 min → 8 h | |
| Frequency response | 20 Hz - 20 kHz | 20 Hz - 40 kHz |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "Live 770NC to Headphone (a)". The other direction is a separate question with a different answer. Scores blend published review verdicts across over-ear and shift as new reviews land, so a marginal call today may not be one next quarter.