Does ANC significantly reduce battery life?

Yes, typically 20-30%. An earbud rated at 10 hours with ANC off might deliver 7-8 hours with ANC on. The processing required for noise cancellation is the single biggest battery drain after audio playback itself.

How do I maximize earbud battery life?

Use AAC or SBC codecs instead of LDAC/aptX which consume more power. Lower volume by 10-20%. Turn off ANC when you do not need it. Disable head tracking and spatial audio features. These steps can add 1-3 hours to your playback time.

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