Why would it wear out? I'm not an expert on material science, but this metal piece is not permanently bending, its just springing back which should just last forever.
The part is made with a specific dimension when plated; the plating wears off -- this produces an undersized spring component and results in a sloppy/loose fit.
it happens more with headphones with a very heavy wire or jacks that get plugs swapped very often.
it can be fixed by carefully using a pick to deform the spring further out, so people tend to think that if that's the case then it must be the spring itself getting lazy.
The part is made with a specific dimension when plated; the plating wears off -- this produces an undersized spring component and results in a sloppy/loose fit.
it happens more with headphones with a very heavy wire or jacks that get plugs swapped very often.
it can be fixed by carefully using a pick to deform the spring further out, so people tend to think that if that's the case then it must be the spring itself getting lazy.