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

I've been listening to mid-fi equipment and speakers for 5 decades now.  It wasn't until I heard/experienced a few audio systems that blew me away.  The first was 42 years ago at Michael Lane's home with 250,000 records.  He custom built his equipment (he was a genius engineer at Cal Tech) with huge corner speakers (possibly horn-I don't remember).  He played 1903 Grieg at the piano and the sound was like a 50's LP with the frequency response and dynamic limitations of 1903.  He had 25 or more stylii and varied the e.q. per record, obtaining incredibly reduced record noise.  His Remington LPs sounded spectacular, like a Maggie with dynamics.  

Then I heard the Von Schweikert Ultra 11s with my LPs and CDs.  That was a revelation (of $1+ million cost) of sound reproduction I had not experienced in dozens of audio shows.  

In the past 6 years, my goal was to get closer to that sound in my own primary listening room.  It has taken multiple changes in some equipment, mostly tweaks in getting there.  SR fuses, Tripplite voltage regulators for pre-amps (only one plug works to enhance nearest the power cable, the others yuk) and two Shakti on-lines (nothing else works for me, just one above the Tripplite power cable and the other on the power amp plug to wall outlet).  I've removed some SR HFTs and added a GIK Q7D quadradic diffuser.  Tried a half dozen DACs, digital cables and a dozen transports.  Finally got my main system sounding at least half a good and involving as the $1 million system for 1/15th the cost in equipment (the room alone was $150K though).  I kept much of the older equipment such as the VPI TNT VI mod and SME IV mod from decades ago, cabling, speakers, etc.  

Anyone would hear my main system and declare it high end.  It's not perfect (flaws include single seat/inferior diffusion of sound seating and ambiance.  Of course I listen to many 50's and 60's recordings which have left/right recorded sound, ambiance depends on the recording as well.  My 11,500 CDs are now as enjoyable as my analog recordings (about 36,000 various formats).  

By experiencing the best (one of the best) audio systems ever, I knew what to shoot for.  Getting there has taken years though and eventually, I will replace the speakers (after 20 years of stats, I went with a full range, dynamic floor standing speaker for 20 more years).  .  

If you spend more money, you get more hifi....Especially with Dacs and Interconnects. If you don't spend at least $10k on a Dac you're not allowed to even talk about what sounds great.

Just for perspective, the Dictionary.com definition of High-Fidelity is:

noun Electronics.

1. sound reproduction over the full range of audible frequencies with very little distortion of the original signal.

That leaves quite a bit of room for interpretation.

There is some interesting information on the origin of the term “High Fidelity” on Wikipedia.

Those Klipsch and Magnepan models listed by the OP should deliver something approaching a HiFi experience as defined above if set up correctly.

My personal definition of when you’ve crossed over from Mid-Fi to Hi-Fi is that your favorite sample tracks you used previously for demoing electronics because they had “good bass” or “tinkling bells” or an impressive “drum hit” or a “powdery woman’s voice” no longer sound so impressive, and may sound downright dull on your system, while other tracks with dramatic contrast in tempo and loudness, interesting or complicated spatial cues, or fantastic pace, rhythm and timing now grab your attention.  YMMV

kn

There is no room for interpretation here...😊

"distortion" is not an acoustic problem first but result from the electronical designof components...

Then as i said, "high fidelity" is not a basic acoustical concept mainly , but a concept related to optimal or not so optimal electronical design... This concept is born with the electronical industry linked to sound reproduction and engineering standards...

Timbre perception and soundfield immersiveness (ASW/LV) conditions are basic problems in acoustic and psycho-acoustic to be adress, ONCE the electronical design noise and distortion is under control and good to begin with...

And even Magnepan can deliver an inferior experience if we listen to it in a non adapted living room...I know that first hand ...My Tannoy dual gold which were potentially way better than my Mission Cyrus design were inferior as the Magnepan superior design was too ,compared to the low price Mission Cyrus IN A DEDICATED FOR IT ROOM...The magnepan and the Tannoy, Alas! were experience in living room and not in a dedicated room... This why my low cost Mission beat them...The relation speakers/room is more important for audiophile experience than just the speakers design blueprint so better it is ...

Then the best audiophile experience is determined by acoustic experience and knowledge not by price tag of electronic components and not even by superior design ... Saying that costlier design is better is not false, it is worst than that, it is an HALF TRUTH... it is consumers marketing conditioning... Not acoustic science nor my experience ....

My perspective is not popular with people owning very costly system...😊 They think that i devaluate their really better design, I did not, I never claimed that low cost gear can replace very costlier superior design, no more than my inferior Mission can replace my Tannoy or Magnepan, i claim that we must if we want to judge a system potential we must listen to it in a dedicated room or at least in a very well treated and acoustically good living room...

Then the room /speakers relation is the KEY... Not the price of a dac, especially nowadays that many dac are really good even at low price... The differential decisive factor to real audiophile experience is acoustic room treatment and mechanical control or virtual room acoustic as with Dr. Choueri BACCH filters...... If people think that in spite of their real perceived differences it is vinyl versus analog, or digital versus turntable or the amplifier price or the speakers price by themselves ALONE ,they delude themselves.....And the marketing of audio want deluded consumers  walking all over the place and upgrading without end searching out of acoustic which only acoustic can give... But it is not a good news: we must learn and work , there is no "buy and ready to plug" audiophile top experience ...

the Dictionary.com definition of High-Fidelity is:

noun Electronics.

1. sound reproduction over the full range of audible frequencies with very little distortion of the original signal.

That leaves quite a bit of room for interpretation.