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When are speakers considered Hi-Fi and not Mid-Fi???

What determines the status of "Hi-Fi?" I was recently considering a pair of Klipsch Heritage Cornwall speakers. They get rave reviews, have almost a cult-like following, no longer have harshness from the horns, and are very resolving. Other than not reaching down too low into the bass as some speakers do, why are they not considered Hi-Fi? They can clearly reproduce the full range of sound with an incredible image and are not missing any capability in person or on paper. Seems when we follow a thread on here about most any speaker at any price there is always a contingent that feels to need to post that the certain speakers under discussion are Mid-Fi not Hi-Fi. I only use the Klipsch Cornwalls as an example to start. Budget is not an issue, and cost should not dictate. I was also looking at the Magnepan 20.7 for another example, and they are $13k more than the Klipsch, but low and behold someone within seconds pops up and says these are Mid-Fi speakers. I kind of bet I could ask about a Sonus Faber Aida at $130k and within a few seconds someone will pop in and call them Mid-Fi as well. When do we reach "Hi-Fi" these days? Is it simply an endless and baseless dick-measuring contest? Seems like it. If we were talking cars we always have the guy who brags about the 0-60 times of certain cars, but it's clear that the 0-60 time alone does not qualify a car to be a "supercar" as there are so many other things the car must have and do to make it into that class, and like speakers there is not always 100% agreement on what the factors are. When do we reach Hi-Fi status for speakers??? 

dean_palmer
mahgister's avatar
mahgister
13,802 posts
 

Very good obervation and common sense post...

Thanks very much...

 

Keep in mind, the term "Mid-Fi" was invented by gear salesmen to yep, up sale customers on more expensive gear. There is no "Mid-Fi".

It’s all "Fi", some is better than others, some worse. It’s up to you and your own personal preferences to decide what trips your trigger but note others might think you are crazy if you sit around listening to a strident sounding BRIGHT speaker and go on and on about hearing the singer take breathes between each phrase or that you can hear that someone in the studio farted.

Is FM radio with its limited dynamic range and frequency response only 50Hz to maybe 15Khz "Hi-Fi"? Some would say yes, others no. See, it is arbitrary.

If you have a great sounding balanced system with great imaging yet it can’t reproduce 95dB of dynamic range is it still "Hi-Fi"?

This is a hobby, not an exclusive golf club. People at all price points can participate in enjoying the music. People acting like snobs is one reason this hobby is dying, particularly salesmen who won’t demo gear to newbies if they don’t come in driving a $100K car.

 
uncledemp
806 posts
 

Nobody knows.

curtdr
348 posts
 

When they sound great to you, in your system, to your ears, in your home. 

dougsat
374 posts
 

All my gear is MidFi 🙂

Speakers - 

Original LSRs 

B&W 607 S2

Triangle Bro2 

Tannoy DC4T 

Various MidFi stuff for amps and front ends. 

I have everything setup (what I like to think is) very well and very enjoyable I might add. 
 

Saying it’s all MidFi is freeing for me in a way 😁

YMMV 

Doug 

 

 

dougsat
374 posts
 

Oh yeah 

I forgot - Martin Logan Motion 15i, MidFi all the way! 

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