In your opinion, what is Hi, Medium and Low end?

So,I think by Jax2 and Mapmans reply that it takes a very large investment to achieve high end performance and some either just cant afford the cost or are not into the music that much.

Did I say that? I'm not even sure where you got that inference from my response?! I think there is a threshold where your investment in "improvement" can skyrocket in terms of $ spent VS improvements gained. If I had the money I don't think my priorities would be to spend huge amounts on small improvements. I like my system as it is. I have heard plenty of all-out systems that have impressed me, but the degree of improvement does not occur to me, personally, as worth the investment. This is all speculation, mind you. I don't have that kind of money, and I have no idea what that experience may be like or how it might change me. For me, right now, the greatest improvements I could think of for my system would be in tweaks to my speakers and in changing my room to a dedicated custom designed room for listening. The later would probably render the largest improvement in my case. That is definitely something I'd be willing to invest in if I had lots of money.

Why do some still say they have high end systems if you need something better to make it truly high end.Or is this like having a faster car gets confused with having a better car ?

I said I considered mine to be a modest system. I don't try to improve it for the sake of bringing it to someone's arbitrary definition of what is "better". I improve it because the investments usually bring me closer to the music, and thus bring me enjoyment. I've reached my own threshold where the investments required to make things significantly better are not worth it to me, short of perhaps the room (which actually would be a very significant investment).

The car thing doesn't connect. I hate cars. I ride a motorcycle, and avoid 4 wheeled vehicles like so many piles of dog poop on the sidewalk. I drive one only if I have no choice. Even taking your statement about cars and applying it to bikes I don't connect. "Faster" makes absolutely no difference to me. I'm much more interested in how well the bike fits my riding style and my preferences of terrain. Fast has very little to do with it. I've ridden the same model bike for 12 years now (two versions of it) simply because it fits me and my riding style best. There are a great abundance of much faster and sportier alternatives to what I ride, yet I have absolutely no desire to go there...not even a curiosity. Been there, done that, it doesn't fit me. If I had money up the wazzoo, I am quite sure I'd still ride the same bike and would still avoid driving a car. There's a thread somewhere on here about what kind of cars we all drive if you want to bore yourself to tears, in case you aren't already.

This all may occur to you as defensive, but I have to say your response just doesn't fit me at all. If I implied what you seemed to take from my post, I didn't mean to. Perhaps it was my poking fun at my buddy, Albert, but that was all tongue-in-cheek. I do respect his passion, and the man is a gentlemen in every respect. Hope that clarifies my perspective a bit.

Hey,Calbrs03,What kind of nonsense did you post here.A while back you knocked women by saying Auto dealers had to change their show rooms and methods just to do business with women Didnt that work well for all of us.
The lady has a valid point.If someone asks "what speakers should I buy" 43 posters will respond without having any other information.I myself now use headphones.In my new environment I no longer have the room for speakers.I enjoy the music and thats what counts for me.As for hi-end and low end actually there is no end its what is important to you and how you feel when the music starts to play.Gogirl, like everything else in life some posters are more relevant then others.Good luck and stick with it

Oem: That was no knock on women. I was simply pointing out that Detroit, after god knows how long, finally took notice that women had access to money that didn't come from their husbands. That is, they earned it themselves. Detroit, as usual behind the curve, was smart enough to wrench into the rusting works and change their marketing to focus on women as independent consumers (hence, the rise of Saturn, the first car my wife bought.) This after a long time when my working mother couldn't buy a car without my father's co-signature, this at a Ford dealership. I wasn't knocking women, I was trashing American automobile marketing. If I didn't make that clear then, I am now.

Gogirl's original post was valid, and I would have gladly kept my fingers off the keys and read. However--and this is my fault--I took offense at her increasingly condescending, patronizing, and confrontational tone, and therfore, lashed out at the tired simile, which seemed to be at the time baiting all of us. She, and you, and everyone else has my apology.

As for hi end, low end, mid end, the distinctions don't make a damn bit of difference as long as the owner is happy. If you want to throw a vault of money at this hobby, go for it. If something more earth bound is more to you liking, great. Hell, buy a Bose 501 if it trips the trigger. Since it's all subjective, there's not a dime's edge of difference between the three. If it sounds good to you, then what the heck does it matter if it's high, mid or low?

I'm glad you use headphones, I use them, too. I also have also a pair of raucous Altecs a pair of more refined Merlins. I've used separates, integrateds, cds, phono, music servers, zip cord and Cardas. Who cares? I'm more interested in my library than my equipment. I'm sure it's the same for you. So if we both like the music we listen to, what's our argument?

Hi Fi lets you hear the car in the Counting Crows' Big Yellow Taxi about two minutes into the track. Heh, but it's not what you think. It's not the sound that is like a car door slamming; that's the screen door slamming. Then comes the very low level sound of the car as it rolls away, after the lyrics, "...and a big yellow taxi took my girl away."! You're not going to hear it clearly with a low to Mid level rig(You may not hear it at all or it will sound like distortion; those with hearing difficulty will say it's not there) It starts very quietly in the right channel and moves left. It's a good test of how capable your system and your ears are.

You'll need some good gear (usually the more expensive kind) to hear clearly what I'm talking about. Those with High End gear will be able to hear it cleanly.

My system is clearly not high end if the measure is $$$$s spent compared to others.

I listen to the best systems I can without regard to cost whenever I have an opportunity and use these to set my reference for what is possible. Then I decide how to best invest the funds I can to best achieve that level of performance myself.

My current setup definitely floats my boat in regards to performance and enables me to fully engage my love of music with no significant compromise, which I guess is my goal.

Believe me, I'm always looking for ways to make my system better whenever possible. I do think though that given where I am at currently, the improvements I can achieve are very very marginal.

If I could do anything to improve my system at present, I would probably invest in a bigger listening room somehow in which to really unleash some large scale audio fury!