Is the Sennheiser HD 400 worth the upgrade from the JBL Live 780NC?
Verdict
Meaningful upgrade
The Sennheiser HD 400 scores 8.0 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 8.3). You do give up ground on calls (6.5 to 4.9). On paper: weight 260 g to 240 g. Worth checking: active noise cancelling goes Yes to No and multipoint pairing goes Yes to No. It's also $130 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.
- Sound7.57.8
- Calls6.54.9
- Value7.58.3
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | Live 780NC | HD 400 | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active noise cancelling | Yes | No | |
| Weight | 260 g | 240 g | |
| Multipoint pairing | Yes | No | |
| Microphones | 4 | 1 | |
| Controls | touch | buttons | |
| Frequency response | 10 Hz - 40 kHz | 18 Hz - 20 kHz |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "Live 780NC to HD 400". 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.