Is the HiFiMAN Ananda worth the upgrade from the JBL Live 780NC?
Verdict
Meaningful upgrade
The HiFiMAN Ananda scores 5.4 points above the JBL Live 780NC. That's a real improvement, though not the kind you'd notice on every track. The gains are concentrated in sound (7.5 to 8.0). You do give up ground on value (7.5 to 7.0). Worth checking: active noise cancelling goes Yes to No and weight goes 260 g to 399 g. That costs $49 more, or about $9 per point of score - reasonable value for the jump. Worth doing if you're replacing anyway; harder to justify as a pure upgrade if what you have still works.
What actually changes
Sub-scores both products have, on the same 0-10 scale. Bars extend right for a gain, left for a loss.
- Sound7.58.0
- Value7.57.0
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | Live 780NC | Ananda | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active noise cancelling | Yes | No | |
| Weight | 260 g | 399 g | |
| USB-C | Yes | No | |
| Foldable | Yes | No | |
| Driver | 40 mm dynamic | planar magnetic | |
| Frequency response | 10 Hz - 40 kHz | 8 Hz - 55 kHz |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "Live 780NC to Ananda". 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.