Excellent AirPods Pro alternative is only $40 today at Amazon – CNET [CNET]

They fit me comfortably and securely and I got a tight seal from one of the XL ear tips. They’re fully waterproof (IPX7) and get up to seven hours of battery life at moderate volume levels with USB-C charging. (The charging case looks like a fat version of the standard AirPods case.) Call quality is good — they have a sidetone feature that lets you hear your voice in the buds — but I’ve used other models with better noise reduction during calls. I noticed a touch of audio lag when I streamed a YouTube video, but I had no issues when streaming iTunes movies.

The touch controls take some getting used to (they’re a little wonky) and it didn’t help that the instructions in the box seemed to be for an older version of the X3 (I found the current instructions online, which helped me figure things out). Aside from a few minor downsides, the X3 is a great value.

Amazon also has three other Mpow true-wireless earbuds on sale, including the decent Mpow M30 for only $23.

Read more: Top AirPods alternatives for $100 or less