Skullcandies here. I think they are improving their manufacturing quality because the first set I got busted when I accidentally sat on them, but the second set are a bit (ok, a lot)more durable. But the big thing is the lifetime warranty. Devices that produce sound do so by causing vibration in the air. The membrane making those vibrations is going to degrade over time, and with skullcandy you should be able to replace yours when they start going bad, with the only risk being that they go out of business and aren't around to honor your warranty.