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The joys of mid-fi

What I’m writing about here applies to classical music but might have parallels in other music too. I’ve brought this topiic up in different ways before.

Years ago when I was blissfully ensconced in mif-fi, I could easily compare different performances of the same classical work with the confidence that the sound quality would be essentially the same. There would be no issues of soundstaging, detail, et al that would make it hard for me to compare. It was easy to judge a performance on its own merits without complicating factors. Now, it’s almost impossible to assess a performance without placing SQ into the mix. A mediocre recording might be extremely attractive due the sound alone, Conversely, a very good performance might be shunted aside as “unlistenable.”

Oh, for the good old days of mid-fi! 😁

128x128rvpiano
mahler123
3,406 posts
 

I have 2 HT systems with midfi, and my cherished pricey 2 channel.  I always enjoy the mid Fi but really enter another zone with the higher end

jl35
4,048 posts
 

currently listening to my favorite jazz on iPod Classic attached to just returned to me Onkyo ipod dock/cd receiver, and quite enjoying it...kind of opposite of your thread about poorly recorded music on good system, this is very well recorded music on extremely limited playback system...

ghdprentice
7,262 posts
 

@immatthewj

You are correct, my systems do produce great detail, however they do so proportionally. By that, I mean if you listen for them the details are there, just not in your face. In the same way that if you listen in a quiet symphony hall you can hear the echo all around from venue, but you must direct your attention to it in order to hear it. Btw, my systems are shown under my UserID in virtual systems.

So, unless a CD or LP is actively bad, my system does not draw attention to it and it sounds pretty good. Very few albums sound really bad… having said that, there are some real stinkers out there… early Yardbirds (I think) and some Russian symphony orchestra recording. I have more than once bought a great Shostakovich by the USSR Symphony Orchestra and choir with great anticipation, only to hear the most horrible tinny recording. oh well.

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rvpiano's avatar
rvpiano OP
2,688 posts
 

Very good point (no pun intended.)   
No, you don’t hear pinpoint sound staging at a real concert.

 

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