Hi all,
 
So this is not a question about fancy headphones or anything, but I do have a highly unusual problem with all headphones I buy. Essentially, after 3-6 months, the rubber of the cords becomes very stiff and brittle, and will inevitably break at joint points like the volume adjuster or where the cord attaches to the headphone. I've gone through 6 pairs of Creative's Fatal1ty headsets over the years, but kept buying them because they were cheap and had great sound for the price. Eventually I got fed up and bought a pair of Turtle Beach headphones which had a much thicker, tougher cord... but again, months later, that cord turned stiff, brittle and has begun to break.
 
I can't figure out what's causing this problem. No other cords from devices or appliances in this room are stiff. USB wires, adapter wires, peripheral and appliance wires are all fine. It's ONLY headphone wires and I've tried Googling to see if anyone else is having this problem but I can't find anything.
 
Does anyone have any ideas what's causing this problem? Incorrect voltages going through the wire perhaps? Though I can't explain why every other wire in the room has been fine. :/
 
Thanks for any suggestions/tips people might have.

Have you ever cut the insulation off a wire that has failed to see what it looks like? Does it appear to be a fatigue fracture, or is there some sort of electrolysis or corrosion?

Wondering if it's an environmental factor like heat/cold, sunlight and moisture/sweat.
Sweat can be quite acidic. If you handle the cable often with sweaty hands this could be a factor.
 
Although I don't think I've even had a vintage headphone with a similar problem... it is curious.

Most likely reactions to UV lights due to change of rubber/plastic formula.
 
http://superbeefy.com/why-do-rubber-bands-melt-and-disintegrate-as-they-age-and-how-does-uv-light-and-heat-speed-up-the-process/

billybob_jcv, I haven't tried cutting open the insulation to take a peek, but I will when my Turtle Beach set konks out for good (I give a week at this rate!).

GREQ and DrSheep, the headphones aren't being exposed to direct sunlight or heat. There environment can be rather humid in the summer and a bit dry in the winter, but they're not near a window or a heater. I don't think sweat is the culprit either as the stiffness is totally uniform across the entire length of the wire and it doesn't really encounter sweat.

It's a very unusual problem consistent over at least 2 brands of headphones. I'm willing to consider these brands are too cheap to use quality rubber. Time to try another on my next purchase.

Thanks so much for the replies and suggestions!

UV is everywhere, and high heat and level of oxygen will how polymer reacts to it.

What would constitute high heat in this case? The room can get into the 30-33 celcius range in the summer (no air conditioning unfortunately).

Yes, but this sort of breakdown can be prevented rather easily in the manufacturing process, and 33c isn't exactly high temp.
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_degradation_of_polymers
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stabilizer_for_polymers