For me "being cheap" is a derogatory term used by those that have some interest in making you buy more expensive variants when you don't need them. Many "cheap"

For me "being cheap" is a derogatory term used by those that have some interest in making you buy more expensive variants when you don't need them. Many "cheap" people are reasonable folks that make purchases for a defined value for money, not just what the marketing departments dictate. As you said, headphones are basically a commodity. But when the press reports cases of people having anxiety about losing airpods, for me it's a clear sign something went wrong.