??? 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

If you look at the top most expensive systems on here or other "extreme" audiophile hang-outs (god help you if it’s WBF), you’ll quickly find that even $5K per component is considered very cheap. 

"Performance" is a different matter and a whole ’nother can of worms. But I’d say that "normal high end" these days - loosely defined as some unquantifiable aggregate of: performance, build quality, aesthetic, esoteric factor, desirability, price, and brand cache - is going to start at ~25K per component and 50K for speakers. That’s not even "ultra" high-end, not even close. It gets more expensive each year; kind of nuts at this point. Definitely not sustainable.

Maybe rephrase the question 

What is the cost of admission to officially join the elite high end audio club? 
 

Some even accept riffraff like me so don’t give up hope!

Putting a dollar value on it is not an objective measure. Listen to many systems at all price points, develop your listening and evaluation skills. Hearing systems that appeal to you, try to replicate that at home, once you've reached your goal you're on the mountain top. 

There’s no set definition for "high end", and I’m sure it varies by person and is somewhat relative.  To me high end isn’t a focus on a price point....it’s an attitude and philosophy that requires a commitment to make the best you know how, but price understandably tends to be a part of that.   

Big conglomerates buying up smaller companies trying to tap into the profits of the more expensive end of the market, while cheapening as many parts as they can to increase profit is not indicative of how I perceive a true high end approach.  They’re just expensive pretenders.  The true contenders are the businesses that have a real passion for making the best they can that push the envelope of true state of the art. .  

high end is not about price it is intention

Exactly.

 

MidFi probably $2K - $8K+ somewhere. Typically where NAD and Rotel fit in.

@ghdprentice why, you are certainly in a generous mood today! The only place NAD fits in is the trash, and only if the can is large enough 😂