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

You guys are embarrassing me. The equipment in my system is as Jax2 says, a lifetime achievement.

Considering all the work and time I've put in, it's really not that much. Had I spent the time studying the stock market I would be much more successful. Problem is, I'm still a child at heart when it comes to music.

Guess if I had it to do over again, I would still spend all of my energy on my art (photography), my music and my son.

My son John is the only truly perfect music in my life, equipment can only get you closer if you already have the passion in your heart.

When I think back on the times when he and my wife were dancing in the living room to my favorite LP's spinning on the turntable, everything seems perfect. Where else can a man have everything he loves, enjoying life and sharing happiness in a single spot in your home?

When we are very young, even the thought of Christmas brings excitement and joy that as old folk, we forget. Can any of you remember the true excitement of being with the family and the prospect of a toy you wanted when you were five or eight or ten years old?

Do you remember the excitement of your favorite song when you were about to become a teenager? Have you considered what you would have to hear today or find under the Christmas tree to be that excited again?

Think about that a bit and then maybe you can understand why a grown man wishes he could hold a bit of childhood again. Maybe if we push the boundaries of our systems a tiny bit more, we can listen to our favorite music and feel that way again.

Just a thought.

Dave,

"Making" yourself hear a difference NEVER works. You need to relax with your own system. Live with a system for a few weeks before ever considering a "tweak".

I agree with that 100%. I I've always advocated long term, relaxed listening. I would even say "listening from the heart" to see if it brings you closer to the music. Almost any change is audible to the well experienced listener.

What throws many people off in this pursuit is described perfectly by Gogirl in her post:

My Dad is forever changing cables. With each new purchase he exclaims "this is so much better."

I think her Dad was indeed hearing differences but confusing change with improvement. Improvements that make music better, providing long term satisfaction requires patience and discipline.

I follow my own advice, only two speaker systems in 19 years, one brand of cable in 21 years and the same preamp and phono for 10 years. Sure, I've listened to dozens of others, but to change I would have to be convinced that I was getting a TRUE upgrade, not just another set of trade off.

Experience is impossible to gain from a forum, other than to educate the listener to exercise care when making a decision. Even so, it's much like trying to find your all time favorite dining spot from reading restaurant reviews.

I can't answer maximum dollar invested and still quality as "budget." I think that's the responsibility and opinion of the system owner.

I put together a system for a friend, all used equipment bought through Audiogon. Total was about $1500.00 and sonically it qualifies as high end.

It's been four years since we did that. He plays it every day, all day and has had no reliability issues. A bit of luck here I think :^).

I still get thanks for putting it together, he was about to go to Best Buy and drop nearly that much on junk.

In my opinion, high end, medium and low end are determined by performance and quality, not price. Of course many of the best sounding components are expensive but there are exceptions and the exceptions are brought about by matching the right pieces.

Some of the worst sounding systems are the VERY expensive ones that are severely mismatched. With the power and resolution to show every detail, a mismatch only serves to make the listener unhappy and even uncomfortable.

So answering your question by filling out components that "fit" the list, is difficult. An inexpensive DAC might sound really good with a computer based system, creating a super value sound, placing it low end in cost and mid to high end in sound.

Same with speakers. A used pair of Vandersteen 2Ce might be found for $650.00 or less, making them mid line cost but delivering reasonably high end performance.

Power related products are all over the place. Some very expensive conditioning equipment damages the sound on my system and some inexpensive ones improve sound.

Cable is a little bit easier. Low end would be door bell wire or zip cord. Works and sounds OK, with everything being "lossy" as opposed to showing much in the way of flaws.

As you move up the cable chain, all of the premium brands contribute their personality but the price does not always assure an equal amount of performance increase.

When you get to source, the best value is probably a $99.00 CD player. It works, sounds OK and no money spent. You can spend 30K on a CD but unless EVERYTHING else in the system is top notch, you'll wonder why it costs so much.

Same true for analog sources (turntable, arm and cartridge) and preamps and phono amps.

Sorry if this sounds like a cop out, but audio is like cooking. Better ingredients can make a great recipe better but is no guarantee a bad cook will serve a perfect meal.

Isn't it fun when you can do that for someone Albert? It's a similar thrill introducing someone to your system who you know appreciates live music.

Yes, I agree. I must admit there was bit of selfish motive in putting this together. I wanted to "prove" to him that the limited budget he had could put him in high-fi heaven. The little tube amp I choose to drive the Vandersteen 3A is marginal for this speaker, but since it clips so gracefully I'm the only one who notices it's being pressed a bit too much.

It actually sounds very good. The losses it introduces makes for pleasant and emotional listening. Reminds me of my entry level system when I began this crazy hobby.

I think one of the biggest problems in high end audio is our failure to draw in the kids. We set the goal for high end and fun so high, that young people are turned off and just listen to their Logitech computer speakers.

I always try to support forum thread that advocate experimentation, it's a way to get people involved and thinking about what they can do to be part of the music.