[lackpard]

Hello guys, lackpard here, joining to you all the way from Turkey. 
 
I am so glad that I've stumbled upon this community! I've always appreciated quality audio and it's great to find out people with the same passion. Unfortunately because of monetary reasons, I am unable to obtain cutting edge gear, that's also part of the reason why I am writing this post. 
 
I've been using this pair of Audiotechnica CKS55X for one year, but two days ago they broke. Sadly ATH technical support is not very big in Turkey and also I found out they were pretty lackluster, I decided to replace them. As I have a pretty small budget, I am looking to get the best bang for my buck. I of course searched around and read the Headphone Buying Guide but in Budget Section, I only had immediate access to Philips SHE3590(duh) and Philips Downtown. I could always order online but thought what the hell and decided to ask you guys for some further help.
 
*Looking for IEMs but if you have a good headphone suggestion, please tell.
 
*I mainly listen to Rock, Blues and Metal but I also enjoy electro/dubstep too, so I suppose I am looking for a balanced headphone.
 
*My sources are my PC and Android smartphone.
 
*As I said, I am from Turkey, so I have limited (read: no) access to most brands. I can order online as long as it's under 75€ though.
 
*My budget is somewhere 50-60$ but I am willing to stretch it if there's a big upgrade.
 
*CKS55X had pretty good isolation, and I would prefer it the same with the new headphone I am going to buy.
 
If I missed anything, please tell.
 
As I got that out of the way, here are some questions I have now that I've read the forums a bit:
 
*What does V shaped sound mean? I suppose it's heavy highs and lows but you can never be sure.
 
*This may be a weird question but, hell why not: until now, I've only used overhead headphones in my home, for gaming (Creative fatal1ty), and I am concerned about their portability. It wouldn't be too bad I suppose but, yeah.
 
*How bad of an audio player an Android smartphone is compared to a dedicated audio player? 
 
Thanks and sorry for the messy post =)
 
PS: Looks like there was a typo in the title, questions*

 

[lackpard]

Bump, anyone?

 

[getclikinagas]

Hi Lackpard! Welcome to Head-fi!
 
Unfortunately, I have not tried the CKS55X so I will not be able to base my recommendation off that.
I enjoy the RE400 for metal, but that is mainly because I am a little treble sensitive and the RE400s laid back treble take care of it. I prefer the OSTRY KC06 for Rock due to it's engaging signature. And the RE400 for blues because I like an intimate midrange for that genre.
 
The above is not a recommendation. My preferences may not match yours and a general recommendation based on genre alone is not to be taken seriously. I hope someone who has tried the CKS55X can help you out here.

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*What does V shaped sound mean? I suppose it's heavy highs and lows but you can never be sure.
 
From the Head-fi article "Describing sound - A glossary"
 

V-Shaped - The description of a frequency response curve for a speaker or headphone. In layman's terms it means more prominent lows and highs with a recessed mid-range, hence the "V" shape formed from such a sound signature. Similar to a "U" shaped response curve but is generally used to describe a more dramatic difference.

Here's what a typical V shaped response may look like (JVC HA-FXT90 in this case)
 

Here is a simple reference to understand the graph above

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*How bad of an audio player an Android smartphone is compared to a dedicated audio player? 
 
Smartphones nowadays perform well, provided that you are using gear that is easy to drive/power. Most IEMs(especially in the budget segment) these days are designed to be run off small portable players or even phones.
 
While not a be-all-end-all identifier, the impedance and sensitivity rating will give you an idea of whether an IEM/HP is easy to drive/power. IEMs 32 ohms and under + sensitivity >94bB SPL/mW are easy to drive using most modern smartphones (These numbers are within the safe range).
The output impedance of the headphone-out of your phone will also matter. As a general rule, the Output impedance of your player should be less than 1/8th of the impedance of your IEM to prevent any undesired response change. However, output impedance values are not easily available for each phone so it is sort of a gamble.
Low-mid end smartphones may skimp on the audio section thereby resulting is a less than ideal experience. But most high end phones are proving to be good replacements for portable audio players, provided the peripheral gear is easy to power (The Smartphone thread on Head-fi has some information in this regard).
 
For example, when using my RE400 or OSTRY KC06, I barely notice a difference between my LG G2 and Sansa clip.
But when power hungry gear is a part of the equation the smartphone may not be able to deliver a satisfactory experience.
 
In short, upgrade your IEMs or HPs first before upgrading your audio player. Certain specifications/audio-perceptions will give you an idea of whether an amp or better player will be of use.
 
There may be different views on this topic. What I have mentioned above is my current understanding based on my learning and experience, which is still ongoing.

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[lackpard]

Thanks for the detailed post, great insight! I looked into OSTRY KC06 and it seems very neat and I will definitely consider it. RE400 seems fitting too but a little above my price range. Do you have anything for over-ear headphones?

 

[getclikinagas]

Thanks for the detailed post, great insight! I looked into OSTRY KC06 and it seems very neat and I will definitely consider it. RE400 seems fitting too but a little above my price range. Do you have anything for over-ear headphones?

The only good Headphone I have is the Fostex T50RP. The midrange is excellent but leaves something to be desired in the bass. I intend to mod it to suit my preferences.
 
There are many people on Head-fi with extensive experience with on ear headphones.
Maybe post in this thread. I'm sure someone will help.
 
For IEMs, TheHeadphoneList is a great resource(with over 340 IEMs reviewed). The author, ljokerl, also posts his reviews on this thread on Head-fi.