Lo-fi, Mid-fi, Hi-fi: how to define

[bluesky]

Lower end 'Hi-Fi' works for me. Sounds outstanding.

Nothing wrong with Mid-fi amps. Some mid-fi amps sound great. I do have a '89 Sony amp that I bought new in '89 that I seldom use, I do energize it from time to time and it sound pretty darn good really.

Also had an old Hitachi, mid-fi of course, mini-component system. That system sounded simply amazing.

My former main amp, a Sansui AU-717, crashed out hard years ago so I plugged in my Sony amp I had. I was honestly pretty surprised at how well it did sound. Kinda forgot, well, I did forget. Sounds great. It's mid-fi but a really nice sounding amp never-the-less.

 

[Kosinki]

Mid-Fi = Solid State
Hi-Fi = Tube

 

[just dave]

Mid-Fi = Solid State
Hi-Fi = Tube

NOT

 

[Akustic]

Mine goes something like .. and we're talking about playback gear here .. can't affect the recording process

Hi-fi = equipment that's detailed and neutral enough to expose the recording chain ..
i.e. using acoustic music it sounds like real music on good recordings and noticeably deteriorates on bad recordings
mid-fi - listenable but it doesn't really expose differences in the source material ..
Low-fi - ya know it when you hear it and nobody here is listening to it willingly ..

 

[ev13wt]

I think everyone here has hifi.

If the DIN 45500 where still active, and worldwide so, it defines under the amplifiers section:

"

AMPLIFIERS

Frequency response is specified as 40Hz to 16kHz with permissible deviations (at 6dB below full power output) of ±1,5dB for non-equalised inputs and ±2dB for equalised inputs. Tone controls may be adjusted to secure the best response characteristics and volume controls can be fully advanced."​

Source: http://www.hifimuseum.de/45-500-die-englische-version.html



But I bet most don't have hifi in-room frequency response.

 

[quiet]

Mid-Fi = Solid State
Hi-Fi = Tube

Nice try, but no.

 

[SoCal Sam]

Nice try, but no.

If just dave prefers solid state over tube, his disagreement is valid.

 

[musichal]

There are no definitions. These are loosely-used terms that can facilitate communication - or muddy it, if exact meaning becomes an issue. Probably some out there would class my signature system as mid-fi. No skin off my nose. I'd be interested to hear theirs 'cause it will be pretty impressive.

Those who think it all about price already missed the boat, confusing high end and hifi. Sure, the best costs more, so money is inherently an issue - just like better cuts of meat cost more than gristle. That's just the way the market works, most of the time. Now and again you find an exception - that component that performs very well for the money, and that's a good time to buy because it won't last. Worse is that exception that underachieves for the price. It won't last, either.

I find those who try to make this a class issue most tiresome. The terms have a loose meaning for those of us who see eye-to-eye due to our experiences. If you don't know it when you touch it, see it and hear it, then the terms lose all meaning.

 

[JoeESP9]

Artfully done porn exists, but it's quite rare.

Check out the DVD of Beyond The Realm Of The Senses. Many consider it to be art. Just as many consider it to be porn. IMO it's an artful combination of both.

 

[Alobar]

I find those who try to make this a class issue most tiresome. The terms have a loose meaning for those of us who see eye-to-eye due to our experiences. If you don't know it when you touch it, see it and hear it, then the terms lose all meaning.

I believe that it (Hi fi, Mid fi etc) in and of itself has nothing to do with class. It is when people themselves apply it to class that it takes that on (to them).

 

[jcamero]

Dave summed it up the best.

Gear you want: HiFi
Gear you've got: MidFi
Gear you don't want: LoFi.

 

[UncleBingo]

1. Original 1973 pressing of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Pronounced..." vinyl played on a Pioneer PL-7, through an AT10 cartridge into a JVC R-S7 receiver through a pair of Infinity QE's. Low, mid, or Hi?

2. Spin Doctors "Pocket Full of Kryptonite" CD played on a Sony 5-disc changer into the Aux channel of the same JVC R-S7 through the same Infinity QE's. What if I swapped in my QB's?

3. Same as option 2, but played on an iMac from CD ripped to Apple Lossless out through Dragonfly Black DAC as the source (receiver and speakers the same).

Examples #2 and #3 are solidly in the "NO-FI" camp around here.

 

[Powertech]

This is only my opinion, so please don't shoot me.

It's not about lo-fi, mid-fi or high-fi.

Let's use an analogy - All cars are designed to carry people and stuff about. The main design concept for most cars is concerned with carrying capacity, load space size, economy, price etc. Sports cars can do the same basic thing as these 'normal' cars, but their design is aimed specifically towards high performance, good road handling, high speed etc. Within this area there are a whole range of vehicles, from small quick hatchbacks to Lamborghinis - they are all sports cars and they are all designed with sports performance in mind.
So:
Any piece of equipment where the primary design aim is specifically targeted towards sound quality as opposed to just reproducing sound in any form falls into the category of 'high fidelity'.
After this point there is then a whole range - but if the primary design target is to high quality sound reproduction (I didn't say how high) - Then it is hi-fi.

 

[4-2-7]

Those who think it all about price already missed the boat, confusing high end and hifi.

I have High End HiFi and I play my High Fidelity records on it...

 

[4-2-7]

Let's use an analogy

You had me hooked to read your post till this

 

[Powertech]

Aw shucks - And I tried so hard

 

[SoCal Sam]

This is only my opinion, so please don't shoot me.

It's not about lo-fi, mid-fi or high-fi.

Let's use an analogy - All cars are designed to carry people and stuff about. The main design concept for most cars is concerned with carrying capacity, load space size, economy, price etc. Sports cars can do the same basic thing as these 'normal' cars, but their design is aimed specifically towards high performance, good road handling, high speed etc. Within this area there are a whole range of vehicles, from small quick hatchbacks to Lamborghinis - they are all sports cars and they are all designed with sports performance in mind.
So:
Any piece of equipment where the primary design aim is specifically targeted towards sound quality as opposed to just reproducing sound in any form falls into the category of 'high fidelity'.
After this point there is then a whole range - but if the primary design target is to high quality sound reproduction (I didn't say how high) - Then it is hi-fi.

Quality in design and production is objective. However, once the product is used by people, quality becomes subjective. How well does the product match personal preference is entirely subjective and can only be decided by the end user. As this applies to audio, it is possible to prefer inexpensive low powered gear over mega-buck boutique as long as the listener has heard and compared them. It's really up to the listener to decide.

 

[Powertech]

absolutely right Sam

 

[MyLastWord]

Everyone is correct. Here's my take.. Without LoFi, there will be no Mid-fi. Without MidFi there will be no HiFi. Since no one come up with this yet, without Hifi there will be no UltraFi (borrow from TV definition)...evolution...

 

[darin g]

Every system is a compromise. We are trying to accurately reproduce a musical event that has already happened. DG