When are speakers considered Hi-Fi and not Mid-Fi???


What determines the status of "Hi-Fi?" I was recently considering a pair of Klipsch Heritage Cornwall speakers. They get rave reviews, have almost a cult-like following, no longer have harshness from the horns, and are very resolving. Other than not reaching down too low into the bass as some speakers do, why are they not considered Hi-Fi? They can clearly reproduce the full range of sound with an incredible image and are not missing any capability in person or on paper. Seems when we follow a thread on here about most any speaker at any price there is always a contingent that feels to need to post that the certain speakers under discussion are Mid-Fi not Hi-Fi. I only use the Klipsch Cornwalls as an example to start. Budget is not an issue, and cost should not dictate. I was also looking at the Magnepan 20.7 for another example, and they are $13k more than the Klipsch, but low and behold someone within seconds pops up and says these are Mid-Fi speakers. I kind of bet I could ask about a Sonus Faber Aida at $130k and within a few seconds someone will pop in and call them Mid-Fi as well. When do we reach "Hi-Fi" these days? Is it simply an endless and baseless dick-measuring contest? Seems like it. If we were talking cars we always have the guy who brags about the 0-60 times of certain cars, but it's clear that the 0-60 time alone does not qualify a car to be a "supercar" as there are so many other things the car must have and do to make it into that class, and like speakers there is not always 100% agreement on what the factors are. When do we reach Hi-Fi status for speakers??? 

128x128dean_palmer

A guy once told me that if he owned it, it was HiFi.

If he felt the need to later sell it, it was because it had become MIDFI. 

I bought what i tought was mid-Fi but it become High-FI  after acoustic  application of basics...

😊

 

A guy once told me that if he owned it, it was HiFi.

If he felt the need to later sell it, it was because it had become MIDFI. 

@dean_palmer 

"why are they not considered Hi-Fi?"

 

Err... I think they would be by 99.99% of people if they heard them.

Since the vast majority of the public regard Bose as being Hi-Fi, to all intents and purposes, they must be.

I think it's only us audiophiles that worry and obsess about the minutiae of sound reproduction.

HiFi is when I have buyers remorse the next day.

Hi-Fi is when i know that even a "better" upgrade will made me remorseful because almost useless...