Discussion Of What Is "High End"

[mark_h]

Given the impending/immediate rise in price of some medium range audio equipment, will this price increase elevate them into the High-end category, though there is no change in the component specification, only the cost?

[krmathis]

Originally Posted by mark_h

Given the impending/immediate rise in price of some medium range audio equipment, will this price increase elevate them into the High-end category, though there is no change in the component specification, only the cost?

Don't see why.
Imo High-End is not determined by a products price tag. If that was the case you could take an Apple iBud, rebrand it, sell it for $10,000 and claim it to be High-End. Its all about design, build and components quality, and not to forget sound quality.

Based on this there are of course a strong correlation between price and High-End. Cause design hours, high quality components, testing, ... don't come for free.

[ktm]

Time helps define high end. The good stuff still sells for top dollar
after the product goes out of prodution. It has the look/feel/and sound
that screams "good stuff". My real high end item is an Audio Research
VT-60 tube amp. Best item I ever bought. And it sounds good.
IF priced well, they sell very fast. I never see used ARC stuff stay
on the market very long.

[nick_charles]

Originally Posted by krmathis

Don't see why.
Imo High-End is not determined by a products price tag. If that was the case you could take an Apple iBud, rebrand it, sell it for $10,000 and claim it to be High-End.

Didn't Goldmund do a badge job on a $200 Pioneer DVD player and sell it for $12000 ?

Its all about design, build and components quality, and not to forget sound quality.

My hunch is that the key is design. No amount of boutiqe parts can save a poor design, but even cheap parts as long as they are according to spec and fit the requitements of a given circuit should work as well as megadollar parts.

Based on this there are of course a strong correlation between price and High-End.

With respect to perceived sound quality I have to be skeptical about your assertion. In a ideal world this should follow but I have never found a strong correlation, or really any correlation at all, with the possible exception of speakers and headphones.

Nor have I ever seen any really strong consistent evidence for such a correlation when only SQ is taken into account and the listeners are blinded to the identity of components - excepting transducer.

[Trav]

THIS is high end...

YouTube - Greek Audiophile

[krmathis]

Originally Posted by Trav

THIS is high end...

YouTube - Greek Audiophile

Indeed!

[istari_knight]

Im not sure if this has already been posted as i haven't the time to read all 10 pages

Matrix HiFi --> Blind testing high end full equipments

A very interesting read, of course "high end" owners will scoff at it & pick fault but they do need to justify their purchases so that's fair enough !

[Slickman]

If you got your entire surround sound, reciever and all, in one box, it isn't high end.

[martini1]

Price should be a by-product in what is High end IMHO.

High end should be:
- top sound quality (better than 95% of what's out there)
- top build quality
- great design on achieving the sound quality
- durable
- nice looking, different from most stuff out there

... and most importantly

high end equipment got SOUL~!

[Duggeh]

I fail to see what appearence has to do with anything.

[martini1]

Originally Posted by Duggeh

I fail to see what appearence has to do with anything.

Craftsmanship shows in appearance. Good design (even if you are a fan of "form follows function") also shows in appearance.

I am not saying all good looking objects are hi end but hi end objects are sure good looking.

[davidhunternyc]

Originally Posted by martini1

Craftsmanship shows in appearance. Good design (even if you are a fan of "form follows function") also shows in appearance.

I am not saying all good looking objects are hi end but hi end objects are sure good looking.

Everyone on this forum knows what my position on this topic is, but what do you think of the HD800 then? High-end or not high-end?
Jude pretty much said it is sound from the gods, but it is made with cheap plastic.

[martini1]

Originally Posted by davidhunternyc

Everyone on this forum knows what my position on this topic is, but what do you think of the HD800 then? High-end or not high-end?
Jude pretty much said it is sound from the gods, but it is made with cheap plastic.

I haven't tried the HD800 so I can't comment on the sound. Let's say it's way up there for argument sake. On my previous post I have also put down "durable" as a criteria. It is OK to be plastic. Some plastic is also very good material. However, if this thing breaks within a year with normal use then it is really questionable high end. And the manufacturer should really have used a better material / construction.

Fair enough?

Sound for sure is an important factor but I would include the other things I have talked about before. It should be a total package to be high end. And of course price is a by-product.

[Duggeh]

Originally Posted by martini1

Craftsmanship shows in appearance. Good design (even if you are a fan of "form follows function") also shows in appearance.

I am not saying all good looking objects are hi end but hi end objects are sure good looking.

Theres a whole load of high end gear that's ugly. No matter which way you cut your aesthetic preferences, not everything thats not pretty can be called "industrial chic" or some other kind of bs.












Appearence has got nothing to do with something qualifying as high end. Only with whether it looks nice. I also find your definition of "durable" to be indefinate and I've no idea how one quantifies soul.

[SR-71Panorama]

Originally Posted by davidhunternyc

Jude pretty much said it is sound from the gods, but it is made with cheap plastic.

Please dont bring this into the High End forum. Kthxbai.