These are probably the most comfortable ear buds I've ever worn. They're a little smaller than many other types I've purchased, but considering most haven't fit all that well, these ones actually fit perfectly. The part that wraps around the back of the ear is soft and fairly flexible, which I find makes them tolerable to wear for long periods of time while I'm at work. So far my first pair is still in good condition. There hasn't been any sound issues, just the occasional disconnect when I'm around someone else using a blue tooth device, but that's as simple as waiting a second for it to reconnect and hitting play again. I'd honestly have to say currently I have a minimum of 1,500+ hours on my first pair (I wear them at work every shift), but I bought a second to keep around as back up, just haven't needed to use them yet, even though it's been a full year.And after I bought my first pair, so did pretty much everyone else in the family after I let them try them out. I got two pairs, so did my mom. While my step-dad, younger brother, and grandma got one as well, all this same kind. I haven't used them for phone calls personally, but my mom seems to like doing so, so I'd assume they work well enough.