??? Where Does "High End" Start ???

I agree with Audiotroy.

@bimmerlover Well, because when people communicate it is a good idea to know definitions of verbiage being used.

I don't understand people's need to put labels on everything. Or firm definitions.

"What is high end"?

"What is an audiophile"?

"What defines a 'high-performing' car?"

This list can go on and on...

I don't get why soliciting people's opinions, which invariably will be all over the place, further any conversation or provide any actionable knowledge or insight.

I believe some of the responses are trying to simplify the meaning of a true High-End-Audio system(HEA). It is not just what one can afford or good enough for some, certain sonic parameters have to be meet. Since the OP wanted a price structure I will leave the subjective parameters for another thread.

When EVERYTHING matters.

“High end” isn’t midfi. Full stop.

High end is a state of mind. It’s what thrills you as your nirvana sound. It’s requires effort, time and money. To some a $200K system/room is unnecessary and/or is unthinkable and to some money isn’t the issue.. 

A Bugatti is high end auto in the uppermost price range. A ford Escape is a car in the lower price range. Both will get you around over to the in laws. Now just aplly that thinking to audio, watches, closing and everything. Whatever floats your boat. Toot. Toot. 

audiotroy

high end is not about price it is intention: if you are building components where features are more important then build quality not high end vs components where parts quality and sound quality are paramount you are high end 

+1. 

@toddain, you have the best answer!  I think the key is not to worry about high/mid/low, but to just enjoy what you have, to learn and explore, and to appreciate the music.  There is always a newer, shinier, object out there. 

It starts when you figure out what kind of sound you like and are able to match your components so they work well together. If you go by price, you lose. Price can't tell you anything about how a component sounds. For example, if you need 2 components and have a budget of $1000 for each one, that's exactly what you are going to get. 2 components that cost $1000 each. If you know what type of sound you like and know how to select your components, $500 for one and $1500 for the other may be a much better option for you. The more you know, the less you have to spend (within reason). 

HEA does not have a specific price point per component because it's the sum of parts not an individual component.

high end is not about price it is intention:

if you are building components where features are more important then build quality not high end 

vs components where parts quality and sound quality are paramount you are high end 

it is that simple 

Dave and Troy

Audio Intellect NJ

"Where Does High End Start???"

...Just above what you can afford.

+1 @maprik 

For me, it was a used Audionet Pre1 G3 preamp for about $3500.  It blew away my previous Classe, Parasound, BHK and other PS Audio.  It opened my ears and eyes!

I'm not sure High End sound fits into strict price lanes.  High end occurs when you hear it. It's when he sound produced exceeds your expectations of what you believed it was supposed to sound like.  Proper synergy between lesser priced components can far exceed the mismatched combination of the more expensive and to be clear all "High-End"  systems don't have to  sound  remotely similar .  What they have are strengths tailored to the ear of the designer / owner.   

My first exposure to "High-end" was at the store at which I worked.  It was Klipsch Corner Horns powered by McIntosh in a fairly large sound room.  The presentation is more like an IMAX theater instead of a no holes bared super resolution photograph.  Both have merit and in my opinion are both high-end.  After years of searching the stars aligned and I was able to have my expectations exceeded and would proudly tell anybody I own a high-end stereo.  I do have a serious investment (relatively speaking)  especially if you add all the components it took to get here but I'm more on the synergistic lower priced scale.

I have to make the judgement by looking at components. their performance, and quality of construction and then looking at the prices. From this point of view this is what I think:

Consumer level tends to be less than $2K... although for instance Schiit performed better than equivalent boxes that are consumer. 

MidFi probably $2K - $8K+ somewhere. Typically where NAD and Rotel fit in.

Typically entry level high end about $10K... Audio Research just introduced some equipment in the $9K... this is ideal high end entry level. Excellent sound quality built to last decades.  

Mid tier high end $20K - $40K

Upper tier $50K+

Rough... but most of the electronic components I have listened to fall pretty well into this... with some variation. I think over the last couple years the mid-tier moved from $15K to $20K

High end starts when you start hearing the differences between components and you change a component in search of better quality reproduction..

People misinterpret the meaning of high in high end when in fact it was the people who came up with this stuff who were high.  They even spelled it wrong leaving out 2 whole letters. 
 

A search using AI yielded this:
Entry level:$1000.00 -$4000.00
Mid Fi:$4000.00 - $8000.00
High End:$8000.00- $30,000.00
Ultra High End:$30,000.00 +.....
What do you think?

Starts between your ears! 

IME, it starts at whatever point you can finally relax and get off the upgrade train. That requires synergy. It doesn’t matter how much you spend if you don’t have synergy, and a good room in which to place the synergistic gear.