🎧 Cheap earbuds died in 6 months, again

My cheap earbuds died last week. 6 months old, bought for under 1500 rupees from a mall kiosk. The left one stopped charging and the right one drains in an hour, even after a full charge. The case rattles now too, like a small screw fell off inside. I only use them for calls and music on the commute. Nothing heavy, no gym, no rain, no dropping them. They just gave up. This is the second pair in a year. The one before lasted 8 months and died the same way. Different brand, same story. So I'm starting to think it's the price range, not bad luck. I read a few reviews saying cheap brands save money on the battery, and that matches what I'm seeing. Could be marketing talk though. I'm not sure who to believe. Now I'm looking at pairs between 3000 and 4000 rupees. My cousin has one in that range for almost 2 years. No problems so far, he says. Then again, one pair lasting 2 years is just one pair. Luck exists too. I did the maths on my own. 2 cheap pairs a year costs more than 1 decent pair that lasts. Annoying that I only worked it out after buying the second one. So the question is simple. What price range worked for you, and how long did they last? I don't want brand names from ads. I want what you bought, what you paid and how they're holding up. Battery matters most to me. I can live with average sound if they last past a year. If a good pair needs a bit more money, fine, I'll pay it this time.

I did the same sums after my second cheap pair died. 2 pairs of 1200 rupees cost more than 1 good one. Plus the time wasted going to the shop, arguing about warranty and waiting for a replacement that also died. Spending more from the start would have been cheaper for me. I'd skip the bargain bin this time. Just keep the box and bill safe, that's where most people lose out.

I paid around 3500 rupees for a pair about 2 years ago, after a coworker told me to skip the cheap ones. Daily commute use, 2 hours a day, and the battery still lasts about the same as the first week. One pair proves nothing, I know. But that price range seems to be where things stop falling apart. Check the return policy before you buy, though, in case you get a bad one.

I had the same thing with a cheap brand, 2 pairs dead in about 18 months. I opened one up. The battery inside looked tiny next to the one in a friend's pricier pair, which was clearly bigger. I'm no expert, so don't take that as proof. But it matched what you said about corners being cut. My next pair cost more and has lasted well over a year now.