FWIW, I've been running < $50 headlights every day for about 5 years now (before that a variety of DIY lights). OK, the Magicshine was originally I think $80 but it's about equivalent to today's $30 lights. So far none of them has ever caused me any significant trouble, other than I replace the wiring every 2 years or so (at a cost of about $3 each time).

My taillight is a DS500, I spent money back there, but for headlights as long as I can see the potholes I'm good, so I have a $25 eBay special plus a lockblock on the handlebars and an 18650 flashlight in my bag as a backup (unneeded for years now).

I find I need pretty bright lights even on the back roads, because on my route the roads are really chewed up, with holes, grooves, really bad patch jobs that are falling apart, etc. I've had to kick my light up to high (800 to 1000 lumens) from medium (about 500) on rural paved roads with no traffic, because the holes are arranged in minefields that can herd me into corners unless I can see them all 75+ feet out.