The I paid $25 for these pretty decent ones, they go for $60 retail. Everything was fine and then I remembered the third reason this is trash technology: the screen thingie always comes off, or gets gummed up and has to be taken ‘ off, making it sound like something I wouldn’t even pay $5 for.
If it isn’t that, earbuds will either not stay put, or I’ll lose one, just one.
For the gunked up screen, you can try dipping it in some isopropyl alcohol to see if it breaks it down a bit.