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??? 

128x128dean_palmer

LowFi, MidFi, and HiFi. It’s just ridiculous terminology to use as a form of price tag gate-keeping. For example, my Klipsch speakers are considered LowFi by some folks because they aren’t made from exotic materials and the brand is too common. I’ve also been told my McIntosh components are the equivalent of Harley Davidson motorcycles. All branding and no substance. 
 

Ignore the price tag gate-keeping and focus on what sounds good to you in your place. 

Any speaker that needs modified to sound good right out of the box should be considered midfi at best. 

I say this again,

"You see what is behind your eyes, not what is in front of them". You are going to get 1 million answers and each one is correct in that person's mind. The minds eye. 

The same holds true for ears and hearing...

They’re hifi when they sound the way you want and you can listen for hours! I have the Forte III and while not the most expensive speakers I own, definitely hifi.