All the corded ones break, or break the player when the cord gets caught on something and yanks out. Some years back the local dollar stores got a load of Magnavox branded superlight headphones. I bought like 20, and ever since have been keeping them alive with gluing on new foam, resoldering the wires or swapping out dead speakers from another unit.
I’m always startled by the “absolutists” who have to have everything just so or their world crumbles. I argue with colleagues who insist on only buying the best tools. I’d rather have a cheap version of the tool in my shop than wish I had the money for the best. I’m sure you see this with musicians too. A $100 guitar is better than no guitar, and the $100 StarCaster we bought my son when he was 11 actually sounds damn good!
My favorite electric is a Kay Strat rip…it has awesome action, sounds great…it was easy to swap out parts over its 30 years of existence…and has been utilized on at least one nominated album (I happened to have it with packed with me when a friend was complaining about not having an instrument that was cutting through the mix…that said, I will never forgive him for restringing it!!! I pride myself on aged strings!!!)
It doesn’t sound as good as far more expensive instruments, but it sure does cut through a mix.
Character > perfection is not a popular position these days. I loved the scene at the beginning of “It Might Get Loud” when Jack White makes a 1 string electric guitar from a pickup, a board, and a couple of nails and wails on it.
