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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
secretguy
1,703 posts
 

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.

audioguy85's avatar
audioguy85
2,018 posts
 

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

mahgister's avatar
mahgister
13,012 posts
 

The size of your wallet, and the amount of envy for those who can afford a better system 😁will never rival my pride being able to create one at very low cost !

mapman's avatar
mapman
22,198 posts
 

In this day and age, if something sounds “mid-fi”, it just means you bought the wrong stuff. Fix that! Hifi can be had for a pittance these days. A pair of Grado headphones and a smart phone to stream from  will do to start. Move up to a pair of Vanatoo active speakers and voila…..more hifi for practically nothing. Ditch the junk if it does not sound good !

phusis's avatar
phusis
1,203 posts
 

 

What defines mid-fi versus high-end?

It's somebody's idea of a distinction that essentially comes down to a difference in price. 

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