Interesting Doc. Those Quarts had a very stiff cord which is one reason why I didn't use them much. But when I grabbed them the other day, I noticed that the cord was a little tacky feeling before realizing that it was actually falling apart. The insulation on the internal wires was in perfect shape however. So, if it's related to using some "green" material for the jacket, at least they didn't go green with the wires inside the jacket.
I've got a pair of 35 year old AKG K-141's. I sent them in for refurbishing because the external stuff was falling apart ... except for the cord. They didn't replace the cord and it's still fine after 35 years.
I'm all for a cleaner earth but not at the expense of making things like headphone/audio cables intentionally perishable. Stuff doesn't last long enough as it is. I don't think they need to make a cable out of oatmeal in order to save the planet.
