Ronsonic 

Let's start with the most over-rated, fetishized and needlessly expensive part of all, the Chris King headset.

Yeah, they're good. Very, very good in fact.

Are they better than all the others? No. Any competent headset will last damn near forever. I've never had a headset fail except through neglect and abuse. Guess what the King can be neglected and abused as well. But they aren't why, because they cost five times as much as another perfectly suitable headset. Treat any headset with that care and reverence and it'll last. Or hell, just get it set up right the first time and never worry about it again. Come back and grease it in a decade and it'll still be okay.

Has anybody ever worn out a Tange Levin? Bueller?

How about a Shimano at or above the Deore / 105 level? Got any wore out Ultegras, Deore or even 600s? Didn't think so.

No. Good headsets don't just wear out. So what if the King doesn't either. Sure the others aren't available in all those pukey colors. They brag that one headset will last through 4 or 5 frames. I won't outlast four or five frames. And why would you keep the color coordinated headset from your old bike to go on the new one. And NO, they are not good looking. They are large and globular and clunky looking on sleek bikes and have big ugly logos on them.

It wouldn't bug me except for all the people scrimping to put together a cool bike but half the budget is gone because they think they need this thing. Read the threads around here. "I can get this artisan brazed 531 bike for $150 and I'm not sure it's worth it." Then someone plunks $120 on a headset because it's mere existence causes him to fear that a $25-40 headset will be somehow inadequate. "But it's bomber and I'll never have to worry about it"

They're all bomber and you never have to worry about them. This is technology that reached near perfection decades ago. It's like bottom brackets, they got this right. Buy a decent one, install it correctly and grease it up and go ride.

There, I feel better now.