2018 exactly what is ‘High End’ audio?


Hello Sports fans!

Is everything listed on these pages actually high end audio? Are all the narratives, reviews, ads, discussions, etc., all about high end home audio?

Or is there a point wherein High End audio leaves the pack behind?

We throw the term “High End” around HERE so often YET WITHOUT ANY TRUE CLARIFICATION OR DEFINITIVE PARAMETERS BEING OUTLINED, I thought I’d see if there was an actual consensus as to what it means to the student body, alumni, and faculty on this forum.

Plenty of terms abound in audio which declare a particular piece or system deserves a lofty or loftier perch on the audio tree. State of the Art. Hi fi. Upper tier. Custon. Cottage industry at its finest. Handmade. High def. High Resolution. Ultra fi. Magnum Opus. Ground breaking. If Best Buy does not sell it. Destination. Signature. Statement. Threshold of diminishing returns. Leading edge. If you can’t buy it at the mall. Bleeding Edge. UNOBTAINIUM. Cantaffordium. If you have to ask how much it is…. If its not a four letter word beginning with B and ending with OSE.

As the very nature of this past time is entirely subjective, where do you believe ‘High End’ Audio begins or should begin?

In broad strokes and your own opinion as to where exactly High end home audio gear can be without question called or referred to as truly “High End.

Price is an obvious indicator for many albeit, price too is subjective.

At the end of the day, how do you decide who is or who is not, in the club?

Thanks all

blindjim
Until you have even a little bit of experience with PWB stuff you really shouldn’t comment on what high end sound is. After all, high end sound is all about sound, not anything else. Not “solid emgineering.” Not blind tests. Not “scientifically valid arguments.” Not cost. It’s about sound. It’s like the old dude says to Geddes the detective in Chinatown, “You may think you know what you’re dealing with but, believe me, you don’t.” This is not to say sound is not (rpt not) also about the room, directionality, fuses and being able to put it all together too.
@blindjim - you pose an interesting question.

Is it based on Price?, Performance? Component Matching? etc...

I’ve heard stories from people in the business about customers who had them install $200k+ system in a 12 x 12 room with no acoustic treatment - is that a high end system in a low end room?

And then there are other who’s system cost a fraction of that, but their systems melt the walls of their listening room for a truly concert-like image/sound quality. Is that a high end system

I have recently experienced a friends system that provided amazing sound from a 40 year old tube amp, a pair of bookshelf speakers and lamp wire for speaker cables with a DVD player as the source.

High End? - not by conventional "evaluation" methods.

Then you have to factor in an individuals hearing ability.

Do they have High-End hearing?

As for...
At the end of the day, how do you decide who is or who is not, in the club?
Why bother?

From my own experience on this forum I find people are generous with sharing what they have learned, regardless of whether their systems might be categorized as "High-End"

I really appreciate my modestly priced system.
I really appreciate the systems of others - regardless of price or performance.

I recently had my system described to me as "mid-fi" - I was actually quite amused (not offended) because that person made that assessment based on my components - he’d never heard it.

His system did sound more "refined" than my own, but even he conceded that there was more he could do to make it sound better. And I thought there would be a few things I’d change with it also :-)

We all have our own level of audio insanity - we should simply appreciate the "sanity" of others

It’s a fun hobby though :-)

Regards - Steve


@jmcgrogan2 > "High End" is simply a state of mind, just like "Happy", and there is no scientific correlation as to what physical properties constitute a state of mind.

Blindjim > thanks John. Sorry. I knew I should have said ‘genre’ – ‘ilk’ – category’ or the like instead of ‘club’, but felt people would get the point. My bad.


@teo_audio
Some years back I would have asked you just what have you been putting in your kool aid lately?

Now, I simply don’t want to know. In fact, I’m afraid to ask.


@geoffkait > Until you have even a little bit of experience with PWB stuff you really shouldn’t comment on what high end sound is.

Blindjim > uh, what and who are you talking about and to?

You did notice all of the words in the title at least, correct?
… HIGH END AUDIO

Nowhere did I intimate ‘sound’ as a particular criterion for defining what level of gear constitutes actual High end kit.. I felt to surface that aspect would be redundant.

@williewonka > Is it based on Price?, Performance? Component Matching? etc...

Blindjim > Thanks much. Build. Parts. Design. And more could dictate what a real high end component is, should one choose to use those as its defining credentials.

…and here’s the thing. Not everything made in audio can be considered High end merely by definition as the word ‘high’ dictates disparity, all by itself.

An iPhone is quite techy but certainly not High end Audio. Likewise, a Walkman or iPod doesn’t make the cut either.

Blue tooth formats, and compressed audio codecs such as MP3, WMA, are NOT high end audio contestants.

Plainly…. NOT everything is HIGH END.

Again, what makes up your mind in what is and what is not, High end audio, and or … where along the audio merchandise lineage does High end audio truly begin separating itself from the pack?

One would think from amongst the wisdom routinely shared around here this could be readily determined.





blindjim
@geoffkait > Until you have even a little bit of experience with PWB stuff you really shouldn’t comment on what high end sound is.

Blindjim > uh, what and who are you talking about and to?

>>>>Bing! 
Q - "Is everything listed on these pages actually high end audio? Are all the narratives, reviews, ads, discussions, etc., all about high end home audio?"

A - NO

Q - "At the end of the day, how do you decide who is or who is not, in the club?"

A - Sorry.  No interest in "clubs".  See here....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5ulCPZCRVg