abasio

Now I know that you are trolling They didn't exist because YOU didn't see them on eBay? Nothing exists outside of eBay right? If they don't exist the what is this? I'll not say any more on the topic if you cannot discuss things in good faith.

Thanks for proving, once again, that you’re not really engaging with facts or reality. I’ll leave you to your car pictures and personal theories. I came back after many years away hoping there might still be some meaningful discussion here, but if this is what passes for it now, I’ll bow out of this thread. If anyone else still around wants to talk music, gear, or just share memories of the old psytrance days, I’m always happy to chat elsewhere on the forum.

Right now: Doof - Mars Needs Women By far the best track of this name

So let me get this straight: – You deny the existence of the MDR‑E868 even though it was literally in Sony’s catalog. – You think Pentium 1 processors and wood TVs somehow prove the E848 was the “second most expensive.” – And now I’m supposed to judge 1995 earbuds based on a smartphone recording of your Canton speakers and your dad’s 2006 car stereo? 🤨 Right… Anyway, facts don’t change: • The MDR‑E888 was more expensive than the E848. • Ultimate Ears & Westone pro IEMs did exist in 1995 and cost $700–900. • And yes, the MDR‑E868 also existed—catalog scans are out there if you care. If you’re more interested in uploading random car audio videos than actually looking at historical facts, that’s on you. I’ll stick with documented prices, not nostalgia and smartphone mic recordings. 😉

30 years later and this is still one of my top albums. Absolutely love it from start to finish and I still listen to it all the time.

So… Pentium processors, old TVs, your dad’s car, and Creative Audigy cards somehow prove the MDR‑E848 was the second‑most expensive in‑ear of 1995? 🤔 Interesting logic. Look, I’m not arguing whether you like the sound—that’s subjective. If the E848 is the best you’ve heard, great. But liking them doesn’t rewrite history: • Sony MDR‑E888 was actually the top consumer earbud back then, more expensive than the E848. • Ultimate Ears and Westone were already selling pro in‑ear monitors for $700–900 in 1995—literally 20× the price of the E848. • And if we go beyond earbuds, Sennheiser’s HE60/HE90 electrostatics were in the thousands. So no, the E848 wasn’t anywhere near the top—nice mid‑high consumer buds, sure, but not the “second most expensive in‑ear option of the era.”

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😂