iPod high end earbud dysfunction

[bandonsuz]

here's my sad story: $400 Shure earbuds went out in one channel for the entire warranty period (2 yers) I think they replaced them 3 times. I was so frustrated I recently bought the Sennheiser IE8. In less than a month the sound seriously diminished in both channels, especially the left. Yes, I can return them under warranty but my Q is: why is this happening. I'm a librarian, not using them in a sports environment. I wear the buds around my neck with the iPod in holder......do you think I keep causing these dysfunctions or what? suz

 

[mkrishnan]

Can I volunteer a ... because earbud manufacturing stinks, and no one attempts to make them durable? This is why I don't buy $200 earphones. The same thing happens with the $25 and $70 ones. It happens because they use relatively fine gauge wire, they don't use enough of it, and they don't insulate it heavily enough. So it gets twisted and it breaks and it shorts.

Now I don't know about this "sound seriously diminishing" ... that I've never personally seen. Usually shorts go from working fine to intermittent to useless.