abasio

Eat Static - Almost Human 💕

The MDR‑E848 definitely wasn’t the second most expensive in‑ear option in 1995. Professional in‑ear monitors already existed and cost hundreds of dollars. In 1995, the first custom dual‑driver IEMs were made. These custom monitors sold for around US $700–900 per set, far beyond any consumer earbud pricing. Westone and Shure were also producing early stage monitors like the Shure E1 and E5, similarly priced in the high hundreds of dollars. So, there were already models costing 20× more than the E848. Even within Sony’s own consumer lineup, the MDR‑E848 wasn’t the most expensive. The MDR‑E888 was Sony’s flagship consumer earbud at the time, retailing around ¥5,000–6,000 (about US $50). Other models like the MDR‑E868 and MDR‑E838 also sat above the E848 in price, in the ¥4,000–5,000 range. The MDR‑E848 cost about ¥3,300 (~US $30)—upper mid‑tier but not top of the line, even for Sony. So the E848 was neither the second most expensive earbud, nor close to the highest-priced in-ear option in 1995. At best it was a mid‑high consumer model, well below both Sony’s own E888 and the genuinely expensive IEMs.

I first got this album on cassette 😂 at an Eat Static gig in the 90s Oh man was it amazing back then, and oh my is it still absolutely brilliant. Still listen to this and it still sounds absolutely brilliant. Does it sound dated? Hell yeah, dated to an era of great music.

Sony have always made amazing budget gear. Before I got in to higher end stuff I think I used the free earphones I got with a Sony phone for ages Sony is one of those companies that make great stuff at every price point.

Try the Sony DAPs, bulky things but they have decent power to drive fairly demanding headphones without the need for an external amp so is still good for on the go music.

I'll agree on the skinny girls one. So many girls dancing a lot and taking a load of pills often lead to skinniness Especially trippy flouro girls Rather than mountains though, Goa reminds me of beach parties And parties in the jungle I guess we all feel nostalgic from where we first experienced the music. Curious to hear what other people remember when they hear Goa

There's a guy on Band camp called Framework that remixes and releases tonnes of old trance (not psy) stuff. It's really good, his latest is basically modernized Northern Exposure (Sasha & John Digweed) which I was just listening to before I realized he'd released this 😊 He puts his stuff up, then it's only up for a short time so I am suspect about the legality of his mixes, but they're oh so good and super nostalgic.

Speaking of too much real world....just got home from work, it's 1am and need to be up at 7 to go back to work 😩

As people get older they are more invested in the real world and have less time to spend online, so you end up chatting with younger people you see as more brain-dead 😂 if us old folks could come back and talk about proper old people topics like 30 year old music, it'd be great 😸

Not trying to start a fight, I am just curious about how well you regard the MDR- e848s A decent budget earphones from 30 years ago. Taste is subjective so I am really interested in why anyone would prefer these over higher end stuff.

I'm afraid that doesn't sound like a great advert for the Canton Speakers. I will definitely not be looking further in to that company if they can't outdo a 30 year pair of cheap earphones. Try the Sony IER-Z1Rs if you really want to hear good bass and detail. Or the MDR-Z1Rs if you prefer headphones. On hearing these you will never be able to go back to something like the MDR- e848s THen again, it's probably better advice NOT to try these. Honestly if you are happy with what you've got, there is no point paying tonnes of money for something else. But at the same time, don't go on forums claiming they are the best thing ever and not expect to get roasted 🔥

I just checked, they were released as a budget pair in 1995 😲 They sometimes go for stupid money on eBay because they're so old and nostalgic. But they're not good to put in your ears mate. If you have a bit of money, please try something new.

They came free with a Sony player I bought in the 90s mate. Great for a freebie at the time, but in 2025 if this is your reference, then I cannot take anything you say about audio fidelity seriously.

I finally listened to this. Not sure why you think it's Goa. Sounds like poppy euro trance. I listen to the original: Doof - Mars Needs Women quite a lot and that is a proper Goa track, very reminiscent of my time spent in Goa in the 90s The Miranda rip off reminds me more of the Euro festivals later on, which were still great, but were trying to attract a more diverse crowd.

You're right, I just listened to the Miranda track and it's much more Euro trance and nothing like the Goa feeling from the Doof track. If you like this style I recommend the Gatecrasher compilations. Superb mixes of this hyper melodic pop style Euro trance, I think you'd really enjoy them. My personal favourite was Gatecrasher Wet.

Sasha & John Digweed - Northern Exposure 1 Always some of my favourite comedown music

E8418? Ouch 😳 I know they are great for a budget option, but still....if you really want to hear your music, you need something a little more audiophile range than a pair of earbuds that come free with your phone. I did want to buy the Sony IER-Z1R IEMs but when listening to them, they were only a little better than the FInal Audio A6000s and more than triple the cost, so went with the option that was better for my wallet. If you're on a bit of a budget but still want a really good sounding IEM for your buck, the Final Audio A5000 are excellent. They're only about 300 euros and they sound like much more expensive gear. I'd recommend giving and headphones or earphones more than one day to give your ear some time to get used to the sound. It sounds like you've gotten in to gear that bleeds bass right in to you ear, so going to a more refined/detailed sound can be a bit of a shock and sound bad at first, but if you have a bit of patience then you can really get a lot out of some equipment you initially didn't like.

That DENON is a great budget amp that can power those mid range speakers very well, great choices if you have a limited budget and honestly probably as much as you'll ever really need. Buuuuut....if you're really looking for clarity and detail, I wouldn't go for something so warm a pop sounding. For critical listening I prefer something more neutral. I like warm sounding equipment when I want to have fun with the music, but for proper listening sessions, I prefer and neutral headphones or speaker all the way.

Astral Projection - In The Mix (currently Mahadeva) thanks for the recommendation @Radish6404😂

Wasn't Mars needs women by Doof and Miranda remixed it? Love the Doof version, but honestly cannot remember the Miranda remix. Doof, Manwithnoname & Electric Universe were definitely talked about a lot in the early days, like in the 90s, but apart from Doof, I don't think they all aged that well. Electric Universe have a lot more albums than I remember so I guess a lot of them were pretty forgettable. We all have different opinions, what you call "the best" are actually just your favourites, they're not going to be everyone's favourites and people are going to talk about what they like more. It's definitely a good way to expand your musical horizons. I love these sort of posts as now I want to check out these artists again and see for myself. I listened to Doof over the weekend, but the other two....it's been years.

I no longer have a stereo as I listen to everything on headphones. I have a Sony ZX707 player, with the balanced output it is big enough to get the best out of decent headphones without the need for an amp. On the go I usually use the Final Audio A6000 items and at home I recently got a pair of Sennheiser HD 560s open back headphones. I had never owned a pair of open backs before but I really like them for the spaciousness they have on the soundstage.

While there are many tracks that I prefer, when Mahadeva comes on, it's instantly recognisable and was played everywhere back in the day, so yes, I think it is definitely an Anthem

I only every listen to albums or compilations. I do not like playlists, for basically the same reason you state for not listening to albums 😂 I find there is too much filler, while with a proper album, I find the whole journey more cohesive, and while some tracks might not be as good as the others, I feel they still add to the journey. I don't want 80 minutes where everything is the same level, I want some peaks, and some plateaus. I will listen to properly made mixes when the DJ can fully understand the need for movement in the mix and not just keeping everything at the same level. There are some excellent concept albums and compilations: Pleiadians first 2 are amazing journeys and the Crystal Skulls compilations too understand this need for a cohesive journey. At least that is what I like.

Still this for me, iconic in my own journey

Filteria - Days of Our Lives Followed by Dimension 5 Trans-Addendum and Trans-Stellar Not sure why I have both of these in my NEO GOA folder. I really needs to sort that out