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Praise for the AirPods Pro 3 is abundant just about anywhere you get your hands on reviews and user feedback. The latest generation of these premium Apple buds sounds better than ever, and you'll have a tough time finding a stronger ANC system than the one the Pro 3 offers. They're also not half-bad when it comes to battery life: a full charge nets you 9 hours of playback, with up to 26 total hours from a fully charged case. It's solid performance for sure, but what if we told you there were a few competitive products on the market that offered better battery life than the AirPods Pro 3, and that some of these in-ear pairs cost less, too?

Don't get us wrong: we think the AirPods Pro 3 are fantastic. We just think it's worth noting that Apple isn't the only brand offering solid specs. In this roundup, we'll cover five pairs of wireless earbuds with better battery life than the AirPods Pro 3, featuring options from Technics, Sony, Soundcore, Sennheiser, and even JBL. This is by no means an exhaustive list, either; think of it more as a jumping-off point, especially since manufacturers are releasing new earbud tech all the time. 

Developers may also release firmware patches that could improve battery usability for compatible products. There's plenty to learn and discuss, so let's kick off this deep dive on battery-efficient buds by aiming the spotlight at the Technics part of the stage.

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Brands like Apple, Bose, and Sony dominate the wireless earbuds market, but if you're looking for something off the beaten path that beats the AirPods Pro 3 for battery life, we recommend the $300 Technics EAH-AZ100. On a full charge, you can expect up to 12 hours of playback per bud and up to 30.5 hours total with a fully charged case. There are also a couple of power-saving features, including an auto-off timer and a standby mode, both of which can be toggled on or off in the Technics Audio Connect app. And thanks to quick charge support, just 15 minutes in the case should net you an extra 90 minutes of playback.

Battery life isn't the only advantage the AZ100 has over the AirPods Pro 3. The Audio Connect app is packed with features and customizations to personalize your AZ100. On top of various audio presets and an eight-band equalizer for creating your own sound profile, these Technics buds have a robust ANC system that attenuates everything from plane and bus engines to chatty coworkers and keyboard clattering. The AZ100 has a warm sound profile right out of the box, but the bass tends to bleed into the mids if you don't adjust the presets or EQ.

The AZ100 also supports SBC, AAC, LDAC, and LC3 via Bluetooth LE. While they're a bit on the pricey side, the Technics EAH-AZ80 (the precursor to the AZ10) is still available, but you'll sacrifice 12-hour battery life and other features for a lower price.

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While the Sony WF-1000XM6 are the latest flagship buds from the revered manufacturer, the $250 Sony WF-1000XM5 are still available, and they beat the AirPods Pro 3 and the Sony WF-1000XM6 for battery life. You'll get up to 8.75 hours of playback on a full charge, and up to 26.25 total hours with a fully-charged case. You can also turn off ANC to get up to 12 hours of battery life before you need to recharge. Other power-saving features include an auto-off timer and automatic ear detection (the buds stop playing audio when you remove them).

Out of the box, the Sony XM5 delivers a warm, bass-forward sound profile that works well for most genres, but you can select from a range of audio presets in the Sony Sound Connect app, or build your own audio profile using the multi-band EQ. Supported codecs include SBC, AAC, LE Audio, and LDAC — the latter being a Sony staple — and the buds run on Bluetooth 5.3, so you can pair two devices simultaneously. You'll also get four pairs of memory foam ear tips to help you home in on the best fit. It is worth mentioning that the memory foam breaks down over time, so you'll need to budget for a replacement set in the future.

Once you factor in the XM5's strong ANC performance and intuitive, customizable controls, you'll realize just how good things can be with these premium Sony buds. Considering this is an older model, though, you'll want to make your purchase before the XM5 is completely sold out.

Anker's Soundcore sub-label is as reliable as it gets for cheap wireless earbuds, and the $80 Soundcore Space A40 is the most budget-friendly option on our list. Delivering up to 8-10 hours of playback — the latter achieved when listening to SBC tracks with ANC disabled — the buds are fully charged, and you'll get up to 40.5 hours total with a topped-off case. That's enough juice for four full recharges, and there's an auto-off timer that'll put your buds to sleep if they're out of the case for too long.

Battery life isn't the only Space A40 pro to write home about; both the sound quality and ANC system are impressive, too. Out of the box, you'll be treated to a warm sound profile with a boost in the bass range, but you can also use the Anker Soundcore app to select a different audio preset or build your own listening profile via the multi-band EQ. The Space A40 uses adaptive ANC to auto-adjust to the sounds around you (you can also manually choose between Low, Medium, or High settings in the Soundcore app).

Something to keep in mind: the earbud mics aren't great at handling sibilance. The ANC system can also introduce audio artifacts when dealing with wind noise, though this isn't particularly surprising; most wireless buds are stuck with this call quality drawback.

More than just a great company to buy consumer- and professional-grade studio microphones from, Sennheiser has some serious game in the wireless audio department, too. The $300 Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 are the brand's flagship in-ears, which actually fall behind the AirPods Pro 3 for bud life when ANC is enabled (7.3 hours of playback), but you'll get up to 30 hours total when the case is fully charged. You'll also get an extra hour of playback after charging the buds for only 8 minutes, and there's an auto-off timer and standby feature, too.

Users are in for a treat when it comes to sound quality and ANC performance. The Momentum True Wireless 4 delivers a warm, bass-leading sound profile out of the box, and its fidelity doesn't change much when ANC is on or off. You'll also be able to jump into the Sennheiser Smart Control app to change audio presets or use the graphic EQ to make your own sound profile. There's also a feature called Sound Zones that uses geofencing to change audio and ANC settings based on your location; you just need to create a free Sennheiser account and enable location permissions.

If you're a small-eared human being, the bulky design of the Momentum 4 buds may not be the best fit, although they do come with four sets of different-sized ear tips, as well as three sets of stabilizers to keep the buds from sliding out of your ears when you hit the treadmill. We should also mention that the touchpoints can be a bit finicky, especially if you're used to stem controls (like those on the AirPods Pro 3).

Last but not least, we have a unique selection for those who enjoy a brisk jog in the great outdoors. The $130 JBL Endurance Peak 4 is tailor-made for fitness devotees who care about battery life. On a full charge, these fitness buds deliver 8 hours per bud and up to 32 hours total when the case is fully charged. (According to RTINGS, you may actually get closer to 10 hours of per-bud playback.) There's also an auto-off timer in the JBL Headphones app, and it takes less than an hour to recharge the buds from zero.

The Endurance Peak 4 comes with three ear tip sizes, and the integrated ear hooks keep the buds in place without putting a ton of pressure on the inner ear. They're also easy to control but fall short on customization: controls are limited to three groups — Ambient, Volume, and Playback — and only two can be programmed at a time (one group per bud). Out of the box, the Endurance Peak 4 is boomy and punchy, but you can adjust presets or use the graphic EQ to fine-tune it to your listening preferences.

While there's an ANC system working behind the scenes, it's not very impactful. The buds struggle to attenuate most frequencies, and mic quality for phone calls leaves much to be desired. Still, they beat the AirPods Pro 3 in battery life, and thanks to the IP68 rating, they're a solid choice for gym-goers and outdoor exercise.

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