What were you doing with your headphone cables? I've been using the same one with my current pair since I bought them three years ago. Prior to switching to cans, I used the same set of cheap wired earbuds for five years - and they're still working
I've had cables go bad in multiple sets of headphones that I barely even used, let alone subjected to the expected rigors of travel or heavy use. As far as I can tell, a lot of cheap 3.5mm plugs have strain relief that's basically just ornamental, and even a modest amount of flexing or vibration will quickly break one of the wires.
