Question: The soft ring around the OEM iPhone earbud is gone, and now it is painful to use these headphones. These soft-rubber rings don't last long either.

The apple store suggested that I buy a new headphone for $30 to fix the issue. Genius!

Is there something available that I can glue in the place where the soft ring used to be? If not, how do I fix this?

**My earbuds**

![alt text](https://i.stack.imgur.com/iSsb5.jpg)

**New earbuds**

![alt text](https://i.stack.imgur.com/R6wmz.jpg)

Answer: 
This video shows how to replace the rubber ring using the end of a water balloon: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5CMVrpKxrE>
I had the exact same problem within a few months of normal use. I had the headset replaced under warranty - twice! :-/

I now use the in-ear version instead because they can block out the surrounding noise and therefore allow me to turn the volume much softer - and get a better sound experience as well. 

I'm not an audiophile; I know there are much more expensive headsets out there, but €70 is more than enough for my taste.