What Does “Hi-Fi” Even Mean Anymore? This Is What the Experts Say
The modern definition of hi-fi is a bit ambiguous. Is it CD or vinyl quality? Or is it something even higher resolution than that?
What Does “Hi-Fi” Even Mean Anymore? This Is What the Experts Say
The modern definition of hi-fi is a bit ambiguous. Is it CD or vinyl quality? Or is it something even higher resolution than that?
What Does “Hi-Fi” Even Mean Anymore? This Is What the Experts Say
My ears are down to 9Khz top end now so anything sounds good !
Too many years DJing and playing rock guitar and something to do with being an old fart.
Too many years DJing and playing rock guitar and something to do with being an old fart.
Youtube and Spotify quality is de facto standard today, so I would say anything better than that is HiFi. HIFI is a relative term, not absolute.
"But only those of them who attend a lot of live unamplified music have kept touch with the original aims of hi-fi.
But you would have to be a very sad person to care too much about this evolution of purpose."
Really? How interesting.
But you would have to be a very sad person to care too much about this evolution of purpose."
Really? How interesting.
HiFi means whatever you think it means. Much stuff called hifi is far from high fidelity, but even modest system sof today can often smoke something from the days that the term was coined. Which makes it a moving target.
dave
dave
Do not forget that the part of the brain that takes the input from the sensors (inner ear) and turns it into time information does not have near the fall off with age as the part that teases out frequencies.
And do not underestimate how much proper training and listening experience can have on your brains ability to process what is coming in.
dave
In Germany there is/was a norm DIN 45500 and now the European norm EN 61305 that regulates what can be called "HiFi".
Isn't it just an ethos? You can't have a system that is all things to all people. I know what I like and what I don't like and I don't expect others to like what I like nor should they expect me to like what they like.
Every system, even a zillion dollar one, will have many compromises.
If the music reproduction system disapears and lets YOU enjoy the music is hifi.
dave
Charlie Randall, co-CEO of the McIntosh Group
"...To be considered hi-fi, the equipment must be capable of playback with very low distortion, low signal-to-noise ratio, ..."
"...To be considered hi-fi, the equipment must be capable of playback with very low distortion, low signal-to-noise ratio, ..."
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Perhaps one way to find out is to look at examples of "low - fi" and "mid - fi" systems, to find the crossover to "hi - fi".
To me, I'd say low-fi is a communication receiver; you can clearly understand what someone is saying.
Mid-fi is the stock audio that comes with your LG flat panel TV or your Subaru. Distinctly has that "good enough" quality, works so that watching or driving is just into acceptable.
Hi-fi is where someone took the design time and money to incorporate most of the now well understood first principles of media playback, amplification and loudspeakers. Easily demonstrates superiority in how it sounds relative to general consumer level product.
I'm sure everyone could "write their own" definitions; as mine are probably pretty low -
To me, I'd say low-fi is a communication receiver; you can clearly understand what someone is saying.
Mid-fi is the stock audio that comes with your LG flat panel TV or your Subaru. Distinctly has that "good enough" quality, works so that watching or driving is just into acceptable.
Hi-fi is where someone took the design time and money to incorporate most of the now well understood first principles of media playback, amplification and loudspeakers. Easily demonstrates superiority in how it sounds relative to general consumer level product.
I'm sure everyone could "write their own" definitions; as mine are probably pretty low -
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Hi-Fidelity means the equipment reproducing the music makes the recorded music sound like a live performance. Nothing is better than good, live music.
Searching for the perfect Hi-Fi system makes you realize that there isn't any one stereo system that reproduces all genres of music to sound like live music. Some reproduce music better than other systems, but there are so many variables. The recording, the source device, the interconnects, speaker cables, speaker impedance, type of speaker, etc.
I'm enjoying this. It might be junk to some people. Good for anybody who has golden ears. I don't and probably never did. But I don't want to live without music. Music calms me, it entertains, I sometimes cry when I hear certain music because it is so beautiful and moving.
Then, your s.o.b. brother in law comes over and says in front of everybody that your gear should be in the garage. Nobody likes the volume or choice of music anyway. So I move most of it outside to the garage.
I've got a refrigerator out in the garage and always have only two beers. That's what I always tell my wife if she asks. They might vary in volume, but it's always only two. And since I'm in the garage, nobody is there to count.
Searching for the perfect Hi-Fi system makes you realize that there isn't any one stereo system that reproduces all genres of music to sound like live music. Some reproduce music better than other systems, but there are so many variables. The recording, the source device, the interconnects, speaker cables, speaker impedance, type of speaker, etc.
I'm enjoying this. It might be junk to some people. Good for anybody who has golden ears. I don't and probably never did. But I don't want to live without music. Music calms me, it entertains, I sometimes cry when I hear certain music because it is so beautiful and moving.
Then, your s.o.b. brother in law comes over and says in front of everybody that your gear should be in the garage. Nobody likes the volume or choice of music anyway. So I move most of it outside to the garage.
I've got a refrigerator out in the garage and always have only two beers. That's what I always tell my wife if she asks. They might vary in volume, but it's always only two. And since I'm in the garage, nobody is there to count.
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