hi End

Here ya go!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-end_audio

What he said hind end!

douglas_schroeder

What do you consider hi-end?  I have a very moderately priced system (Rega Planar 6, Innuos ZenMini, Chord Qutest DAC, Audio Hungary APR203 preamp, First Watt F7 and Rethm Saadhana) that sounds as good (to me) as much higher priced systems.  I would have to spend 10x my current investment to achieve significant increase in SQ.  I think its SQ that makes a system HiFi.

Almost no one here has a real high end system.

Go with the SALK Song3 Encores or his bookshelves.  He sells direct so he can put in the best drivers.  You will be blown away.  I ended up with a pair of Paradigm Prestige 85F towers and after I got them home a friend of mine sent me an article about how better a 3 way speaker design is than a 2 1/2 way.  We are no longer friends.  He purchased a pair of SALK Song3 Encores at RMAF last October so he could rub my nose in them.  No longer a friend.

I still think my speakers sound better than the Monitor Audio Silver 8 and 10's, Martin Logan Motion 60's, Golden Ear, Focal Aria line, Bowers & Wilkins (even their 804's were week in the bass extension), Golden Ear, Definitive Technology and Kef.  When I listened to the Bowers & Wilkins diamond series selling for $17,000 to $30,000 per pair, I didn't think they sounded like the price tag.

Ascend makes really good speakers and they are very affordable.  They too use high quality drivers to include really nice ribbon tweeters.  They also have a 30 day trial period.  They have a nice flat response.  The owner of Rythmik owns a pair of their towers.