[optymizer]

I said companies are acting 'evil', not that customers are evil for not spending money.

You don't get what's evil because you're reacting to the environment you know, but you don't have to. Imagine a better environment where your options are not limited to "expensive headphones" or "less expensive headphones".

[flushit]

The alternative to the "'expensive headphones' vs 'less expensive headphones'" choice is not "less expensive headphones". Best case scenario, it's "slightly less expensive headphones but still more expensive than the originally less expensive ones". Or perhaps "they stop manufacturing headphones".

We're not living in a dream world. The conditions you set have consequences in how people behave. Not just individuals, but also companies.