Well, there went the second set of iPhone earbuds...

[almost2mac]

I'm pretty hard on my headphones since I carry them in my pocket with the iPhone. The first set lasted several months, then the right earbud seemed to lose sound intermittently like a wire had come loose on the inside -- likely where the microphone lump is.

I got a new pair a couple of weeks ago at the Apple store and after two weeks the microphone clicker seems to have lost its recoil. There's no click action in it, and squeezing either doesn't pause the music, or does something random like skip to the next track. It still seems to pick up my voice for phone calls though.

I'm not an audiophile and I was satisfied with the sound quality and they didn't bug my ears like they do some people, but does anyone know of the more expensive headsets are more durable? Any suggestions?

[Taskiss]

I'm pretty hard on my headphones since I carry them in my pocket with the iPhone. The first set lasted several months, then the right earbud seemed to lose sound intermittently like a wire had come loose on the inside -- likely where the microphone lump is.

I got a new pair a couple of weeks ago at the Apple store and after two weeks the microphone clicker seems to have lost its recoil. There's no click action in it, and squeezing either doesn't pause the music, or does something random like skip to the next track. It still seems to pick up my voice for phone calls though.

I'm not an audiophile and I was satisfied with the sound quality and they didn't bug my ears like they do some people, but does anyone know of the more expensive headsets are more durable? Any suggestions?Yes.

Take the second set back and get another, then get a small fabric drawstring pouch or some such and use that to carry your 'phones in. I use a zippered pouch I got with a laptop mouse, but I've seen fabric types in Radio Shack used for iPod protectors.

[apple007]

The iPhone earbuds are clearly a weak link in the overall iPhone ownership experience. I'm very careful with my electronics but my iPhone earbuds died just as your first set did (inconsistent sound in right earbud).

I've been tempted to buy better earbuds, but then I'd lose the speakerphone feature of the Apple-branded ones, which is nice.

Aside from better durability, I wish Apple would roll out some self-coiling or retracting earbuds so I could get them in and out of my pocket quicker. Seems like I'm coiling and uncoiling the things 10 times/day. (I wrap the cords around two fingers, then jam it back into the little plastic wrapper they came in. There has to be a better way. (I've seen the cut-up credit card trick, but I've been too lazy to make one and try it.))

[almost2mac]

I find myself resorting to the trustworthy normal pair of headphones that came with my nano. They still work but I lose pause and phone call answering.

My favorite design was the lanyard that the nano hung from. That was freaking brilliant. The nano was light anyway, but the wires didn't support the thing. I frequently catch my iPhone cord on things when I walk with it in my pocket.

I often wear just one in my ear when I'm listening to podcasts, and I liked that on the lanyard the other bud could hang naturally and didn't tend to thwack furniture merrily.

Ideally I would want something like a stethoscope that hangs around your neck, but is joined with a breakaway latch. Where the two sides come together is a fob with pause and maybe two other "soft" click options. The microphone is on the short cord that runs from the lanyard to the right earbud. From the fob, the sturdy cloth cord leads into your pocket where it snaps into the dock connector. It doesn't hang, but this would protect it from dropping in a minor slip. Another short cord that is slack branches off and runs to the headphone jack on the other end of the device.

And offer it in black, dammit!

[wecallitfall]

The Vibe Duo headphones by V-Moda are [i believe] miles better than the standard Apple buds but also have a built-in mic on the cord with the same pause/play/skip/answer calls functions

If you want to spend a bit of money on a decent set of headphones but maintain the iPhone related features go for them

[jcoley2]

The Vibe Duo headphones by V-Moda are [i believe] miles better than the standard Apple buds but also have a built-in mic on the cord with the same pause/play/skip/answer calls functions

If you want to spend a bit of money on a decent set of headphones but maintain the iPhone related features go for them

That being said, I just replaced my first set of Vibe Duo's. The wire broke inside just above the connector to the iPhone. But they replaced them for free.

[Reid]

I've had good luck with the Vibe Duos. They seem pretty durable and don't tangle up as badly with the cloth cord. I do keep them in the little case, though. I think that's key to extending the life of your 'phones.