The Sam Vimes “Boots” theory of socioeconomic unfairness, often called simply the boots theory, is an economic theory that people in poverty have to buy cheap and subpar products that need to be replaced repeatedly, proving more expensive in the long run than more expensive items.
Dollar store headphones. I’ve had some last a few weeks to a month, but for around $10 I could just go to Walmart and get some wired Sony headphones that’ll last for months.
Its a weird day when walmart trash is the higher quality version.
Months? A good pair of headphones should last a decade or more if you take care of them. Get a pair with detachable/replaceable cables, the wire they use in those is super thin and pretty much always the first thing to fail.
I’ve definitely thought about it before and a pair of headphones with detachable cable is something that I’ve seen thinking of getting some day.
The only reason the Sony headphones I like to buy last months is because of things like them getting caught and ripped from my phone, near constant use (I’ve gotten a lot better but am still using them a lot), and me being a little rough with my headphones.
Consider wireless!
I guess the battery dieing in a few years is better than snagging a built-in cord on a door handle but I still see it as another point of failure.
Sony MDR-XD400. Lasted ≈18 years before the cord gave out near the plug and started shorting out. Replaced the ear pads twice during that time but OEM availability is shrinking to only shitty third-party reproductions, so I moved to a wireless Sony MDR-100ABN. Needed to add a USB Bluetooth adapter to my iron, but so far (about 5 years now) it’s working decently well.