Just 60? Apple sure warps one's perspective on prices. These are just headphones, but at $60 nothing should be considered disposable. That's the daily takehome for a huge number of americans.
I didn't say that makes them "disposable". Apple could've forced you to spend another $140 if any part of package broke; instead they allow you to "repair" them by replacing just the part that's broken. That seems like a pretty reasonable middle ground.