After going through 2 pairs of Klipsch S4 earbuds, I now know why these earbuds get 4-5 stars for sound quality but 0 stars for durability.

So I bit the bullet and went with a brand that I used to think was overrated: Shure

Any audiophiles/sound-junkies looking to spend a few dollars for an awesome pair that are built to last:
http://www.amazon.com/Shure-SE215-K-Sound-Monitor-Black/dp/B004PNZFZ8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1381462580&sr=8-2&keywords=shure+se215

Sound quality on these are just awesome.