Sturdy sub - $50 in-ear headphones?

My recommendation is a set of theseKlipschearphones. Very good for the money. I can't really speak to their ruggedness but mine are more than a year old with no issues.

Thinksound earbuds are around that price. Very nice look and sound

I have gotten great mileage out of my ULtimate ears in ear phones. They finally started to break after 5 years of regular use. Mine are out of current stock but call headphones.com and talk to them. They are very helpful, not on commission and will help you choose. I just bought another pair from them even though these still work but get loose.

You might try the Skullcandy earbuds. I got the cheapest set, the Ink'd model, for $8.00 at TJ Maxx. For the price, they sound really good, go plenty loud, and if you don't like them, you're not out a lot of money. I have 2 sets. I can't vouch for the durability, but I've had mine about a year with no problems, but I'm reasonably careful with them. Most electronics are rather fragile by nature anyway. Good Luck, Joe

One set of headphones I think one should steer away from based on my experiences with them is the refurbished Monster Turbine headphones that sell for around $50. One headphone enthusiast recommended them to me and within a couple of days the back casing of one of the earphone got separated from the front driver. I returned it and got a replacement pretty quickly but then it happened again with that replacement pair. I was using these earbuds at work and would take them out and drop them on my desk periodically. I then got Skullcandy earbuds this time from TJ Maxx as well and they are holding up quite well.