What does Hi-Fi Even Mean anymore?

@mapman,

Thanks for sharing the article. IMO, Alex Munro is spot on with current state of HiFi, 

"The original proposition and purpose of hi-fi has all but gone. That is except for a hard core among audio enthusiasts, who are still making tiny incremental changes to a component audio system seeking the ultimate sound, adopting higher and higher resolution replay sources. But only those of them who attend a lot of live unamplified music have kept touch with the original aims of hi-fi.”

Yes I thought that comment was spot on too. I feel like I pass that test. I recall what got me into this stuff back in the "early days of hifi" as a kid and try not to get sidetracked. But of course to each their own. It’s all good fun and entertainment.

I still like the term hi-fi and use it all the time.  Still says it all.  Except the fidelity these days is not just higher than ever but easier to obtain for more.

I was more down with Louis Dorio myself:


"Hi-fi in 2021 really has to do with a philosophy rather than a set of stringent requirements. It’s instead a listener’s pursuit of the best playback quality, independent of the format (vinyl, digital) that the listener chooses. Hi-fi often gets thrown around as a marketing term — a way to try to get music lovers to buy products — but it’s not necessarily always about that."


Also I found the reply from the CEO of McIntosh to be almost incomprehensible.

@mapman Good read thanks.

Interesting article Thanks...

Interesting article which adress in NO way at all the Audio problem directly....

I am flabbergasted by the imperative of market consumerism on audiophile....

And all these men sells something.... Except the solutions....


 The history and evolution of tech and sources are interesting for sure...

But the definition of what is Hi-Fi is not linked to only and mainly to  the gear, but mainly to the way we install it in his working dimensions whatever it is ....