What defines mid-fi versus high-end?


I’m in my mid fifties and I recall 30 years back mid-fi to me fell into the NAD, Adcom, B&K…. For high-end I considered Mac, some of the Counterpoint offerings, Cary…. so forth.  I had another post going where I mentioned I acquired an Onkyo  home theater receiver that retailed new for $1,100.   Yet another agoner responded that it does not rate as mid-fi.   We all have our opinions of course.   So right or wrong here.
How do you define the parameters of high-end versus mid-if?  By money range, by brand…?

 

pdspecl

You have a real talent for posting absolute nonsense. Complete hogwash. Sensitivity has nothing to do with this discussion. 

And once again we have those with the innate ability to understand the motivations of others who spend more than what is "proper" on their systems. Of course better sound has nothing to with it. 

bobpyle and I are in complete agreement. Once the million dollar audio HI-FI system is completed... who listens to it? Is it not primarily that person who owns it? So is it not only the owner's opinion that matters... if its HI-FI?

 

A souped up Honda Civic will never get itself to be in a high-end category.. High end means limited, extraordinary and crazily EXPENSIVE. Period.

 

It's totally subjective. Someone with a Bose radio would call my system high fi. Someone with a 100k system would call it mid fi.

Either way it sounds amazing.

The size of your wallet, and the amount of envy for those who can afford a better system. 😁