Is there a fee or cheap way to fix my iPod Shuffle?

I have an iPod Shuffle (the first version) and it has been having problems lately. I have been able to listen to it for only around 30-90 minutes before it stops working. It will stop after the end of a song, and make a loud crackling noise. When this happens, none of the buttons are responsive. It's not from the battery being dead, because if I wait a while (like until the next day) then it starts working again, but will stop working the same way. Compare this to last September, when I was able to listen to it as long as I wanted, practically nonstop on an 8 hour flight.

I have the latest firmware from Apple. And it has been around the block a few times; my fiance bought it from eBay and gave it to me last year when he got a video iPod. So if it is a goner, that's ok with me. Just wondering if there is any way to fix it.