I've had my HD 598s since 2012 or 2013 I believe. There's small cracks near the headband adjustment (common issue I believe) but they're still great. Of course, I did have to change out the muffs once.

I imagine I won't be replacing them because they break, but rather because I want to get something better. However, the 598s sound pretty great to my ear so there's not really a huge incentive for me to get anything new.

I have the same ones, I changed the ear pads and the one on the top and they are as good as new. The sound is amazing and I doubt I'll buy any new ones until they break.

I'll second that! I have a nice pair of Sennheisers that's probably about 10-15 years old and is still the best pair of headphones in the house.

A few years back I replaced the foam ear pads and also swapped the cable out with one that has a lightning connector on the end so that my wife can plug it into her new "courage" iPhone.

In contrast, my bluetooth earbuds died after about 3 years of use. (Although, to JLab's credit, they replaced them with a new, better pair.)

>If I bought airpods today, they'd likely be useless within 5 years.

Giving too much credit to Apple. The battery will die in 3 years even with very limited usage. If you use it daily it only barely last longer than a year. Replacing Battery cost $49 each.

The AirPod is one of the worst purchase I had from Apple.

It’s fashionable to diss at the AirPods these days. They serve a specific purpose - on the go inconspicuous listening. I have a pair of Bose headphones (wireless) for about 5 years now. My old model with a family member is about 10 years old now. I swear by the Bose. All I had to change are the cups. But i use my AirPods Pro more often because I don’t want to wear a giant pair of headphones when I’m walking my dog. When I’m at my desk I wear my Bose.

Technology can be made to serve our needs.