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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
kennyc
2,087 posts
 

sounds great "FOR IT's PRICE" or "Competes with products well above it's price point" or "punches well above it's price point"?

None of these suggest that there definition of “high end”.  It’s merely a comparison of components at a specific price point.  

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mylogic
500 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
1,243 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
352 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. 

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