Discussion Of What Is "High End" - Page 12

Lets just hope that some of you don't spend thousands on a system, and then turn around and listen to Brittany Spears.

Some do it for the music and sadly some do it for the equipment fetish. It is the latter that would listen to Ms. Spears, Coldplay, Shakira, etc. For sure there are many of those

What's Hi End?
This is Philosophy of Quality and some of the mucho bravado

Undoubtedly, the money spent on a high resolution system would really highlight the flaws in many of today's recordings.

I'm into sound. Any idea how great it is to hear the details of a recording while at the same time enjoying the recording? That sound in music makes my day.

Please, Coldplay shouldn't be in the same list as B. Spears or Shakira. Coldplay makes some beautiful music. Coldplay may be popular on the radio and more but in its own right the band and its music is better than pretty much most of todays popular music, just a short opinion.

A few thoughts from an ageing cynic.

The High End is the final outcome if left un-treated of a mental health condition known as ‘being a Hi-Fi enthusiast‘.

It begins with just having an uneasy feeling that one’s music could ’sound’ better. Then follows a period of reading magazines, trawling the internet and generally lurking around specialist shops. Many opinions are to be found at this stage by those known as ‘experts‘, each having what are known as ‘golden ears‘ (or at least think they have).

The consensus becomes that is necessary to provide as much money as possible, naturally far more than one can afford, for the acquisition of various rare and precious artefacts. These will bring highly desirable properties, such as: ’great imaging’, ’articulate bass’, ’smooth midrange’,’ a shimmering treble’ and that very applicable acronym: PRAT.

Unfortunately, while satisfied for the time being that uneasy feeling never quite goes away, and so a further round of learned research and consultation reveals that even more precious and expensive artefacts (and letters from the bank manager) are needed to give an even ‘better sound‘. This time these often overpriced and financially ruinous items are mixed with large amounts of expensive snake oil to take us into the true hinterland of ’The High End’.

The whole process can be repeated a number of times depending on one’s cash flow, dentists seem to have an advantage here, though being in any of the professions helps. Until at last we achieve the true High End: high being elevated and end being final.

With perhaps an Merc and a Porker parked in the garage we can take our ease and enjoy what truly obscene amounts of money have brought us: odd banana shaped loudspeakers with lumps, amplifiers that need a fork lift truck to move them, a chrome plated turntable from a Victorian gothic mansion, all connected with wires thicker than hose pipe. Perhaps a chapel, er room acoustically designed to house the precious objects, has also been constructed, such is the land of dreams at the High End.

That is until we perhaps by chance find ourselves at a concert where a real orchestra is playing, and it becomes all too obvious how much further we have to travel. Even more serious though is when one starts thinking ‘not much detail in the bass’ or ‘the imaging isn’t to good’. It is at this point that medication may be needed.

Hey ho, such is the lot of the serious Hi-Fi enthusiast.

Is there a physiatrist in the house?

As with all audio debates...subjective....!!

ex:

I have a £200 ($400) setup of some kind....I listen to my friends 3 million £/$ studio setup/listening room etc etc... and...to ME...the lower priced setup sounds better....that is MY high end!!

Ex.:

I have ath a700's and HD600's...unless I do an 'A/B' the differences are not noticeable for non-critical listening, let's face it...if you want to enjoy ANY music you can't be thinking; 'ooooh, the voice thru these is slightly sibilant compared to the other headphones....'.... if you are ...

YOU ARE NOT ENJOYING THE MUSIC!!

What I'm trying to say is that music is supposed to take you to a happy place and wether that costs 20 or 2million is irrelevant...if it takes you there, whatever it is, is 'high end'!

LOL...Thermionic..you posted as i was posting...yes, agreement!!... perception of high end may be more appropriate. I have been to many gigs, I also play guitar(not too well, maybe my amps bass is not well defined....or the highs are sibilant.......lol), but i also play acoustic...can any equipment improve upon the sound coming from my acoustic 6-string?????

LOL...I am not knocking the pursuit of audio reproduction nirvana but it seems to me that many people could go to live gigs every nite for their whole lives to experience the true sound and still have change compared to the price of some 'high-end' gear...lol!!

PS: +1 DEEP FUNK, agree about coldplay, certainly should not be lumped in with BS, (which certainly is..), also, try some MUSE....

YEP

Very GOOD POINT!!!! Then we would also have to include Excellent or at least High Quality Recordings, especially The New Vinyl Releases or that high dollar "RARE RECORDING" we long for..........$$$$$$$$ It's all relative this HIGH END "THING" we love...

I thought some of you might enjoy George Cardas "BACK PAGE" comments in the latest Absolute Sound ......... I won't Quote him for "infringement rights trouble"!!!!!! Mr Cardas answer to What's High End, (The obsessive pursuit of the sound of the music we heard as children)...I thought it was interesting, don't you think.....Also, What he listens for in a high end system, (Suspension of disbelief), is his 1st comment... Check it out guys, you'll love what he has to say about cables.......

cardas cables are great :P
he has an interesting reference system

for me, "high end" means the best, no place for compromise, no place for relativizations, just the top of the top, the highest quality the human kind can do in terms of everything, not only on hardware but also software, not only reproduction equipment but also recording equipment, not only top notch instruments but also best players. High end is for me when you listen to an orchestra record with all the clinical analysis you can do and still you get evolved by the music and fell like you will cry just as you were in the middle of it, no place to say: hum, here the mids are lacking, or the basses are not realistic or whatever. High end audio equipment is the one which reproduce in the purest and most immaculate away the sounds you can hear in the nature or produced by an analogical instrument, something that makes you feel as you were not listening to a recorded sound, with no electronics in the meddle, but just the air. High fidelity, this is high end for me

lao

Why? Only certain music is 'ok' for a expensive set up.. I like some songs from Spears, Menudo, Back street boys, NKOTB, disco, etc... We all have our personal taste.. That should have no bearing on your system.. I find your comment silly.

Luckily "Brittany Spears" do not seem to give any music related search hits on Google.
Brittany Spears - Google Search

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