If you're looking for something that's high-quality and won't break, you're not looking for earbuds. I've owned about 15 pairs of earbuds in the past. Almost every single one has failed in very similar ways (left/right channel going out, spontaneous failure, cable becoming stripped and damaged, etc.).
I'd recommend buying Sony-brand headphones / earbuds. Here are some under $30:
Sony MDR-MA100 HeadphonesMDR-ZX300 ZX Headphones - Side note, I've owned these headphones in the past (still own them actually) and they've held up great and delivered great sound quality.
Sony MDR-EX37B EarbudsHere are some other types of earbuds by Sony.
Personally, I have had no problems with Sony headphones / earbuds - I would highly recommend Sony over any other brand - and of course, I would recommend you get headphones over earbuds, but if that's not possible, still go with Sony.