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In your opinion, what is Hi, Medium and Low end?

Hey All,

I am new to this arena and for all the reading and homework it seems like there is a lot of circumstance out there. It seems that the comment that I see the most is, “…see how it works with your system.” And while this is true about a great many things in life it seems that we are all trying to find a sense for balance for our budget. The other thing that I learned is the spending a lot will not always yield the desired result.

So…regardless of price, here is my question. In your opinion, if your were to put together a system (say something to do it all, as I don’t know about everyone else but I couldn’t afford one for music and one for movies and other activities) in the following three categories: as high medium and low; what would it look like?

Say maybe with the following categories:

1) Processor, Preamp & Amp OR Receiver
2) Sources (CD, Phono or whatever)
3) Cables (Speak, Interconnect and whatever)
4) Power and related products
5) Other tweaks

Did I miss anything? Please feel free to add. :D

There are no motives hear but to learn, I have just bought a bunch of stuff that make me happy and I am just curious or maybe trying to prove that I am not on crack. ;-)

Cheers,

Blu
blu_audio
elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
In concrete terms:
Low end: (The audio moron) Bose, "all in one racks", wire from Best Buy, any audio equipment from Best Buy, Any audio equipment from Walmart, Any audio Equipment found in a Goodwill store.
For example: Bose 5.1 speakers, $300. receiver, Monster cables from a Best Buy, an Oppo DVD player for all formats.
Mid fi: (The struggling audiophile) anything and everything that costs between $600. per unit, and $2,000. per unit.
Adcom separates, many possible $2K speakers, Kimber PBJ or Hero, a Sony ES CD player, maybe a DA converter Plenty of used stuff, including a used TT.
"Upper" mid fi: (the typical person called an "audiophile")(most of us)$2,000 per item to $6,000. per item.
The great middle class.. tons and tons of stuff, new and used. The folks with HUGE collections of music... The folks who have been into it for years
High end: (the wealthy... and the totally crazy) minimum $6,000. per item up to $100,000. per item.
The MBL crowd... $5K cables... etc.
(sorry I copped out on the equipment samples... but I hope you get my idea...)
glory's avatar
glory
1,373 posts
 
80,

You are wound even tighter than
Chadnlz.

Sorry for using the word decent. One of the better sounding rooms at RMAF in '07 IMHO was the Harbeth room with A SS amp.

Feel better?
pacific_island_audio
49 posts
 
Some cute answers. Yet, both the serious and fun answers are using the terms hi/mid/low-END, and hi/mid/low-FI, as if they were the same. Are these terms synonymous?

Gogirl: You'll certainly get a mouthful of stuff to talk about here, but if you really want to impress them, you need to dig in deeper, otherwise your father and boyfriend will trample you with jargon and specious science. You go girl!
davidbigeye
28 posts
 
I think the definition changes as you enter and travel along the hifi path. When I first started I thought my humble, low cost system was bloody great and truly hi-end! Of course, as I travelled down the hifi path, and ultimately, the upgrade path, things became clearer.
You never have the best system. There is always a better one, and when you hear it, it is apparant. Then your perceptions alter again re mid-fi/hi-fi/etc.
Just enjoy the ride, listen to as many systems as possible, and never close your mind to the fact that some ultra piced items deliver truly astonishing performance. Even if they are beyond reach, they are well worth listening to, as they improve/hone your perspective.
To suggest that the high end is reserved for crazy wealthy people is ridiculous. By defintition this is unlikely. It is also grossly incorrect. I know a few guys who have megabuck systems, highly modified, and forgo lots of things in life to attain their hifi asperations. They are niether wealthy, nor crazy. But they are very happy!
As am I.
Just enjoy your new hobby, it can, and should, last a lifetime.
audiofeil
4,011 posts
 
Buy and listen to what pleases your ears.

Ignore all the static you're hearing here.
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