Your latest pair of upscale earphones is working great.  You regularly enjoy high fidelity music whenever you’re on the move, whether it’s taking the subway, walking your dog, working out, or performing some menial task at work or home.  Then it happens – the sound abruptly cuts off from one of your ear buds.  But this time you made sure to be careful, really!  You didn’t make a habit of manhandling the wires or carelessly wrapping them around so that they’d be subjected to maximum unwanted pressure.  And yet, you’re left frustrated by a persistent first world annoyance – another busted set of earphones.  Sure, there’s warranty, but most companies don’t offer it forever, and with your luck it’s just past the expiration date.  There’s also the DIY option, but as past results indicate, your soldering skills leave much to be desired.

If this situation sounds familiar, you may want to consider the Panasonic RP-HJE120-PPK.  After my previous 4 Shure and Apple sets all failed to last a year, this remarkably cheap option, currently available for just under $10, has pelted out my favorite tracks issue-free since October 2014 (knock on wood).  How have they managed to be so durable at a fraction of the price of most of their peers?  For such a bargain, they sound pretty good, too.  You’re obviously not going to get quality comparable to higher end options, but as long as you push them into your ears far enough, you’ll end up with a decent combination of high, mid, and even bass frequencies.  Available in 3 different ear bud sizes, they fit comfortably and sound just as good, if not better, than their Apple competitor which cost me over twice as much.  The 3.5mm jack is compatible with the vast majority of smartphones, tablets, and MP3 players.  Volume controls are nowhere to be found, but can you really complain when it’s 10 bucks?

Admittedly, I only have a decent recollection of maybe 5 pairs of earphones over my life, a rather limited sample size.  However, the RP-HJE120-PPK does have a stellar 4.3 average rating on Amazon, with a very solid sample size of over 46,000 reviews to boot.  I strongly suggest giving them a try if you keep blowing through pair after pair.  Worst case, your wallet will take a much smaller hit than before.