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??? Where Does "High End" Start ???

 There are terms we in this hobby use to describe certain characteristics of the components or sound evoked...Without fail,the terms entry level,mid-fi & high end will show up in component reviews or conversations regarding equipment components...
 So exactly how do we define these terms in absolutes?I understand there are components that,in this day & age,outperform their asking price in orders of magnitude but even if they do,they will invariably be tagged as entry level,mid-fi or high end simply based on their asking price..
 Assuming entry level starts at say $500.00 per component,where does that end & mid-fi start,$2500.00 per component,$3500.00,$4500.00,$5000.00?
 How far does that pricing structure go until you consider a component to be "high end"?
What are YOUR PERSONAL thoughts on this subject?

freediver
mylogic
841 posts
 

This “high end” discussion has popped and seems to be coming to an end…

A few guys appeared to have (had) wallets literally bursting at the seams 😂

lanx0003
1,954 posts
 

performance <> price;

price >< performance; and

performance >> price.

Experts determine what hi-fi is.  Hi-end in terms of price does not mean a thing.

signaforce's avatar
signaforce
553 posts
 

I asked chatGPT. It provided a great analogy:

Think of it like cars:

  • Mid-fi is a Lexus ES or BMW 3-Series — refined, high quality, plenty fast, satisfies almost everyone.
  • Hi-fi is a Porsche 911 Turbo or McLaren — extreme engineering and performance, but with rapidly increasing cost for smaller gains.

It ranked my system: 

So, your system as a whole sits in a “bridge zone” between mid-fi and hi-fi. You’ve outgrown mid-fi in most areas, but to an audiophile purist, the R11s keep you from being “all the way high-end.”

Maybe a BMW M5. I can live with that. 

mahgister's avatar
mahgister
15,052 posts
 

Like mechanics  basics has nothing to do with car pricing classification, a good sound system /room has nothing to do with pricing  of audio design pieces..

The fact that better design cost more is a common place fact  promoted to be the audiophile supreme goal  when our brain is wipe out by marketing instead of studying  basic acoustics understanding about system/room...

 I say that because i remember my own brain wash when i begun to dream about a good audio system and almost everybody as usual talked mainly about brand name purchase  pricier and more pricier till emptying our wallet..

 

 

markwd
133 posts
 

The car comparison analogy is both useful and wrong. For hypercars there is a measurable difference between the 911 Turbo and the Lexus ES based on track performance, 0-60 mph, 0-100 kph, top speed, etc.

Many high-end audiophiles are averse to measurements of their gear in terms of SINAD, IMD, identification of actual value of cables, etc. They insist their "car" is performant because it costs a great deal and has a pretty case.

The truth in modern audio equipment is that measurements show that very cost-effective DACs and amps and speakers perform extremely well. This shows the flaws of the high-end car analogy. Until audiophiles start taking measurements seriously they will be victims of marketing in a way that no car aficionado would ever do!

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