Is it just me, or do phone connectors (e.g. 3.5mm TRS on headphones) *always* become unreliable? I don't think I've ever had earphones/headphones with such a connector which haven't, at some point, started having a loose connection. My current set of headphones that I have plugged into my laptop practically all the time sometimes sound tinny or far-away and I have to nudge the connector to get them back to full loudness. I don't think I've ever been rough with these connectors, and it's unlikely to be due to excessive plug/unplug cycles as I rarely unplug them — mainly just when I'm packing up the laptop to travel, which happens maybe a handful of times a year. Is it just that they wear out after a year or two? Or do they have to be treated like Fabergé eggs to remain reliable? Either way I'm seriously thinking USB might be best when I next buy any audio stuff for the computer.

Incidentally I also want to get something to record good audio — want to try to do audiobook reading and other voice stuff — so recommendations for something reasonably priced that would record natural sounding voice would be good. Not sure if I want a USB mic with a long lead (so I can move away from the computer's fan noise) or a stand-alone voice recorder I can take into a quiet room.