The Ultimate Guide to High End Entertainment needs you!

[John_S]

We need your help!
We’re putting the finishing touches to The Ultimate Guide to High End Entertainment - and it’s time for you, the readers, to have your say for the Why Buy? section.
So, here’s our question: what does high-end kit mean to you? If you had ten grand to blow, would you spend it on a high-def projector instead of a luxury family holiday or a car? What is it about the heady heights of the gear stratosphere that’s so enticing? The sound? The look? Or are you looking for top-notch circuitry and components?
Tell us your thoughts and you might get into print. How exciting! EDIT: OK, ten-grand is pocket change. Let's say £50k; that's a much more robust sum!

 

[Anonymous]

Okay, so your question is "What does high end kit mean to me".

For me high end means build quality like a tank yet elegant and subtle, nu flashy stuff. A balanced sound/picture with loads of detail. Atention to every little detail, surpising me by making me think "Wow, they even..."

Hope that answers your question.

 

[Anonymous]

For me, high-end only means one thing - ultimate performance. Ultimate performance in audio and video. It doesn't really matter if the gear is not the most attractive on the planet.

I want to hear and see the best quality possible, but most importantly, I want to FEEL enveloped in every performance - every concert, every movie, and every musical piece.

I want every bit of detail to be reproduced in a natural way, whether it be glorious full high-definition images, or the slighest decay of musical instruments.

It is all about being completely immersed. It is about being able to stop thinking about work, about problems, and just switching on high-end equipment and forgetting everything and just relaxing and enjoying a movie or a piece of music.

It is about pausing to have a short listening/watching session but end up spending all night up listening/watching.

It is about having a big grin on my face, being awestruck by the incredible clarity of sound and vision, and thinking to myself, "Can it possibly get any better than this?"

Dan.

 

[pwiles1968]

For me Audio is King I would be looking at a really nice Processor Power Setup and Universal Disc Spinner that is highly musical and Some suitable speakers, Smething Like-

Electronics - Classe SSP-800 + CA-5100 for the surround Channels, 2 CA-M400's For The Front Channels. CDP-502 for source. I don't think the CDP does Blue ray so a Pioneer LX91 would handle that.

Speakers - B&W all round 802 on the Front End HTM4 in the Center, 4 SCMS for surround and an ASW855 or two for Low Frequency Duties.

Of course there is no point in havving a musical syatem that looks poor so some of it would go on picture.

I would need somewhere to send the Picture to so would try and Find a 50in Pioneer for daily use, a JVC projector and Motorised Screen for special Occasions.

If I haggled Enough I am sure I would have enough Change form 50k to get a Decent Mains conditioning Unit and Cables to do the system justice, anything left would of course be sent on music and movies to play on the system.

 

[shado]

For me it was my Uncle who converted his Loft into a Cinema way back in 1978 and he had a curved screen/red curtains which he projected super 8mm. He had Superman, Airport 77, Planet of the Apes, with Deckchairs, Green and Red light bulbs towards the screen and a Waltham system for playing soundtracks. You can imagine how impressed I was as a teenager. He now has an Epson but not full HD projector, 5.1 speakers, Denon Blu Ray, Onkyo Receiver plus six seats staged and lowered towards screen in a soundproofed garage and I watched Hellboy last year with sexy lighting and remote control red curtains.

Most Impressive! He has most likely spent that sort of money and to me an outfit like that is more wow factor than a 50K Hifi!

 

[mgillespie05]

for me it means the best i can get for my budget, 50 grand buys a nice bit of kit pioneer 60 inch .sim projector and ultra wide sceen serious amp and 7.2 speakers system and not forgeting cables and furniture.now a 100 grand well , dream dream dream .nice do.

 

[TKratz]

dantan:

For me, high-end only means one thing - ultimate performance. Ultimate performance in audio and video. It doesn't really matter if the gear is not the most attractive on the planet.

I want to hear and see the best quality possible, but most importantly, I want to FEEL enveloped in every performance - every concert, every movie, and every musical piece.

I want every bit of detail to be reproduced in a natural way, whether it be glorious full high-definition images, or the slighest decay of musical instruments.

It is all about being completely immersed. It is about being able to stop thinking about work, about problems, and just switching on high-end equipment and forgetting everything and just relaxing and enjoying a movie or a piece of music.

It is about pausing to have a short listening/watching session but end up spending all night up listening/watching.

It is about having a big grin on my face, being awestruck by the incredible clarity of sound and vision, and thinking to myself, "Can it possibly get any better than this?"

Dan.

Very well put Dan!