The term "High End" needs to die. Long live Hi-Fidelity!
Rok, I liked all your submissions; Gene Harris the best, but I don't want to change the subject of this thread. Your comment in regard to Stereophile and Stereo Review tracks with the subject of this thread. There was also the magazine "Audio"; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_(magazine), it quit in the year 2000. Stereo Review; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_%26_Vision_(magazine) For all practical purposes "Stereo Review" quit at about the same time but maybe a little later. Neither of those magazines was strictly "High End" as are Stereophile and TAS. but both "high end" magazines are still around; I wonder why? I subscribed to "Stereo Review" for decades; so long that I felt as though Julian Hirsch was a member of my family. "Audio" was the most informative; I designed the crossover for my custom speakers (with the help of an engineer) based on information from "Audio". At that time my rig consisted of components Julian Hirsch had reviewed. It wasn't until about 1990 that I got into the Hi-end; that was when brick and mortar high end emporiums still existed, they opened up a new world for me. Although quite expensive, it was a leap above what I already owned. My thesis is that this is all related to the incomes of the people who subscribed to these magazines. Believe it or not, while some in the high end are very well off, the bulk of the people I saw frequenting those emporiums were people with good solid jobs who budgeted more than most on audio equipment. Since those high end emporiums are no more, I relate that to so many of those good solid jobs being no more, which leaves those who are truly well off left for the high end. Maybe others can run with what I've given. |
Rok, old buddy I've missed you! I still have many issues of "Stereo Review" that I read with warm feelings of a glorious past; especially the cartoon. I no longer subscribe to "Stereophile" because the times are long past when I could afford the equipment they review. TAS sent me a letter almost giving their magazine away, but I'm too old to be a dreamer, so I dropped it in the trash. Whenever I listen to "Mingus", I think about you because I know you're somewhere doing likewise. Unfortunately, I no longer have much time for chit chat; too busy dealing with reality. It's good to know that you're in the land of the living. |
The difference between high end and high fi is your bank account; one is thousands of dollars higher than the other. Kind of like the difference between "Stereophile" and Stereo Review; one is "high-end" while the other was hi-fidelity. Those who can no longer afford "high end", wish the term would just die, but that wont make your "lo-fi" sound any higher. |
