Is the Nothing Headphone (a) worth the upgrade from the JBL Live 780NC?
Verdict
Meaningful upgrade
The Nothing Headphone (a) scores 9.4 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 value (7.5 to 9.1), battery (9.0 to 10.0) and noise cancelling (7.0 to 7.9). On paper: battery life 80 h to 135 h, water resistance (IP52) and battery life (anc on) 50 h to 75 h. Worth checking: weight goes 260 g to 310 g and bluetooth goes 6.0 to 5.4. It's also $38 cheaper, which makes this an easy call. 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.
- Sound7.57.4
- Noise cancelling7.07.9
- Battery9.010.0
- Calls6.56.5
- Value7.59.1
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | Live 780NC | Headphone (a) | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 80 h | 135 h | |
| Weight | 260 g | 310 g | |
| Bluetooth | 6.0 | 5.4 | |
| Water resistance | Not rated | IP52 | |
| Battery life (ANC on) | 50 h | 75 h | |
| Controls | touch | buttons | |
| Frequency response | 10 Hz - 40 kHz | 20 Hz - 40 kHz |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "Live 780NC 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.