High End

Clare Newsome

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Great question!

We're putting together an Ultimate Guide to High-end Hi-fi and AV to go on sale this summer, so will be very interested to hear what you think we should include (we have plenty of our own ideas, obviously, but always great to hear yours).
 

Thaiman

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When you paid far too much for what it worth
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Anonymous

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to me i think you start to venture into "high-end" when each seperate has a price tag of four figures. Serious high-end is when each seperate has a five figure price tag. obviously this is just my opinion and probably just reflective of my wage more than anything...?
 
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Anonymous

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Hi-end hifi costs more than a car and sounds really bright and fatiguing.
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Thaiman

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[quote user="stormbringer"]
Hi-end hifi costs more than a car and sounds really bright and fatiguing.
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[/quote]

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, nah, you must heard some bad rigs.
 
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Anonymous

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[quote user="Thaiman"]

[quote user="stormbringer"]
Hi-end hifi costs more than a car and sounds really bright and fatiguing.
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[/quote]

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, nah, you must heard some bad rigs.

[/quote]

Every single really expensive system I've heard, without any exceptions, has sounded dreadful. Too much detail isn't a good thing and that's what they strive for...
 
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Anonymous

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[quote user="stormbringer"][quote user="Thaiman"]

[quote user="stormbringer"]

Hi-end hifi costs more than a car and sounds really bright and fatiguing.
emotion-45.gif


[/quote]

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, nah, you must heard some bad rigs.

[/quote]

Every single really expensive system I've heard, without any exceptions, has sounded dreadful. Too much detail isn't a good thing and that's what they strive for...
[/quote]
I just heard the MA Platinum floorstanders (huge) and I have to admit that while they produced a breathtaking amount of bass quantity and detail, it was alarmingly powerful. It was so powerful that it detracted from the music. It was too powerful. I found myself turning it all down because it was like a bomb going off. The speakers were on the end of MF kW stuff. To be fair, perhaps it wanted a bigger room where you could be 15m from them. Dunno. All very interesting.
 

drummerman

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High end, in my opinion, is a product that has no constraints as to design and build quality. It has to be machined exquisitely (excuse my bad spelling), built like the proverbial tank but with the touch of an italian painter/designer. It has to sound heavenly, with far less sonic compromises than cheaper products. It has to use the finest components available regardless of whether they make a difference whatsoever. It has to be exclusive, perhaps available through one outlet only countrywide. That outlet will want to install it personally in my home, making sure it is set up in the best place ensuring optimum performance. That high end product will keep its value better than cheaper/mainstream alternatives. The manufacturer of that high end product will introduce a successor perhaps every five years instead of the normal two or three.

But more than anything, it will give pride and joy of ownership with sound quality to match. Something I dont feel I have to/can successfully upgrade every year or with every new highly praised release of a rival product.
 

PJPro

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I think high end is individual based and can be determined by the cost of the kit divided by the amount of media you have.
So, if you spend £1000 on a system but only have 2 cds, thats £500 per cd. If you have a 1000 cds, it's only a £1.
An alternate measure but the level of use it gets. That cdp you bought for £500 but have only used for a couple of hours is seriously high end kit.
The point I'm trying to make is the more you use something the cheaper it is (building argument for my wife). A £1500 tv seems expensive. But if you use it more or less every day for 5 years, you are paying about a £1 a day.
 
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Anonymous

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[quote user="PJPro"]I think high end is individual based and can be determined by the cost of the kit divided by the amount of media you have.
So, if you spend £1000 on a system but only have 2 cds, thats £500 per cd. If you have a 1000 cds, it's only a £1.
An alternate measure but the level of use it gets. That cdp you bought for £500 but have only used for a couple of hours is seriously high end kit.
The point I'm trying to make is the more you use something the cheaper it is (building argument for my wife). A £1500 tv seems expensive. But if you use it more or less every day for 5 years, you are paying about a £1 a day.[/quote]

I like your thinking and its a very good point which could have made life a little easier whilst I was married
 

Thaiman

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[quote user="stormbringer"]
Every single really expensive system I've heard, without any exceptions, has sounded dreadful. Too much detail isn't a good thing and that's what they strive for...
[/quote]

You are a lucky guy then!

I can't possibly down grade and be happy with the sound! My last system was £12,000 and current one is £6,000. Admittedly the last one doesn't sound twice as good for twice the price (thanks to my current amazing Naim SuperNait) but comparing to my friend's mid-price gears the different in details, dynamic and PROPER bass responds are un-comparable.

I am not a HiFi snob (most members here should know that) but I rather drive an old banger and have a truly great system than the other way sound.
 
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Anonymous

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[quote user="Thaiman"]

I am not a HiFi snob (most members here should know that) but I rather drive an old banger and have a truly great system than the other way sound.
[/quote]

Ah yes, but what you're missing is that some of drive a really old banger and still can't afford a high-end system :)
 

drummerman

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[quote user="Clare Newsome"]

We're putting together an Ultimate Guide to High-end Hi-fi and AV to go on sale this summer, so will be very interested to hear what you think we should include (we have plenty of our own ideas, obviously, but always great to hear yours).

[/quote]

Panel blind listening sessions to guess how much the system/product they listen to is
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Thaiman

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[quote user="jimwall"]
Ah yes, but what you're missing is that some of drive a really old banger and still can't afford a high-end system :)

[/quote]

My car is 11 years old :-(
 

Anton90125

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[quote user="stormbringer"]Too much detail isn't a good thing and that's what they strive for...[/quote]

Not sure I understand this. How can you have too much detail. Extra detail (ie detail that was not there when the music/sound was being recorded) is actually distortion. High end system in my experience tend to have a higher %age of real detail (ie like the actual event that was recorded) and a lower a %age of false detail (distortion) as compared to the normal variety of hifi. In fact high end systems may even expose poorer recordings which may remain hidden in normal systems.

The real question is are high end systems worth it? IMO if you can easily afford it then probably.
 

drummerman

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[quote user="drummerman"]
[quote user="Clare Newsome"]

We're putting together an Ultimate Guide to High-end Hi-fi and AV to go on sale this summer, so will be very interested to hear what you think we should include (we have plenty of our own ideas, obviously, but always great to hear yours).

[/quote]

Panel blind listening sessions to guess how much the system/product they listen to is
emotion-11.gif

[/quote]

... independantly regulated by ... myself
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Anonymous

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High end hifi ,for me at least, requires a highly convincing repreduction of the original sound. I.e. instruments and voices should sound very natural. Price shoudn't interfere in judging high end qualities- altough the more expensive items, say 500+ are likely to contain better quality components and casing....which contibutes to a more natural sound.
 

Alec

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[quote user="Anton90125"][quote user="stormbringer"]Too much detail isn't a good thing and that's what they strive for...[/quote]

In fact high end systems may even expose poorer recordings which may remain hidden in normal systems.[/quote]

I think that was the point. You dont want to find out that music you've enjoyed for ages is really terrible when given the most faithful reproduction, do you? Then, you'd own some great kit, and enjoy your music less. Or at least, enjoy less of your music.
 

Thaiman

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[quote user="al7478"]. You dont want to find out that music you've enjoyed for ages is really terrible when given the most faithful reproduction, do you? Then, you'd own some great kit, and enjoy your music less. Or at least, enjoy less of your music.[/quote]

Al my friend, the so call High End system equipments are a lot harder to work out system matching for the right balance sound....when get it right, you should enjoy your favorate music even more, much much more.

BTW, This is not a sweeping statement Mr. E. It something that I have a lot of experienced with and I can even prove it.
 
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Anonymous

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[quote user="Thaiman"]
[quote user="stormbringer"]

Every single really expensive system I've heard, without any exceptions, has sounded dreadful. Too much detail isn't a good thing and that's what they strive for...
[/quote]

You are a lucky guy then!

I can't possibly down grade and be happy with the sound! My last system was £12,000 and current one is £6,000. Admittedly the last one doesn't sound twice as good for twice the price (thanks to my current amazing Naim SuperNait) but comparing to my friend's mid-price gears the different in details, dynamic and PROPER bass responds are un-comparable.

I am not a HiFi snob (most members here should know that) but I rather drive an old banger and have a truly great system than the other way sound.

[/quote]

Just out of curiosity Mr T what cdp and speakers do you have hooked up to your SuperN?
 

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