High-end or not high-end?

 I've always associated high-end with luxury, except in the  audio category where I've come to understand it as music reproduction products which simply bring about the most satisfying experiences. Recently, for me, one such  product standing out as being quite satisfying is the Creative Sound Blaster X-FI HD, which I use, for the most part, to get computer audio to my  HT via USB to S/PDIF conversion. Using this product as mentioned,  I cannot now distinguish 256k in my iTunes library from SACD direct when played over my HT, in stereo mode with bass management.  This makes me think my very spartan plastic cased under $80.00 X-FI HD is indeed high-end. What say you?

Yes, I'm using this component as a USB to S/PDIF converter, sending tunes from my iTunes library to my HT. This library has recordings from 256k to 24/96. Using the X-FI HD,   material on the computer sounds as good as SACD, when enjoyed through my HT speakers. So, if high end is synonymous with a most satisfying music listening experience, that's exactly what I'm saying. 

About a year ago I came out of an electronics comma, that's to say the HT I installed about 10 years ago had been sitting idle, as well as. my computer. But, about a year ago, one of my sons introduced me to iTunes; and, I came out of my comma, thinking that getting music from iTunes to the HT would be a convenient way to get back into Hi-FI, which I had abandoned  about 10 years ago for more interesting pursuits. At any rate, connecting the laptop to HT with analog RCA cables did not have the outcome I expected. Dropouts in sound and occasional pops caused me to look for an interface which promised audiophile performance. Research on the subject ended with the purchase of a Creative Sound Blaster X-FI HD. Now, no dropouts, pops, etc. to compromise the illusion.  And, with this interface passing information upsampled to 24/96 from Windows 7,  I cannot now reliably distinguish whether I'm listening to SACD direct or  music stored on my laptop. It seems I now have it all and want for nothing. I have unbelievable convenience and quality; and, I can listen to music for hours, when I have the luxury of time to listen to music for hours.

 With such an outcome, and since I believe most folks appraise all their components and connections as being somewhere on a scale from low-end to high-end, and considering that the X-FI HD permits me to hear audio from the computer with the fidelity I've come to expect from SACD direct, could not this inexpensive interface be considered high-end?

BTW, my other components consist of a Sony TA-E9000ES pre/pro, DVP-S9000ES SACD player, TA-N9000ES amp, TA-N80ES amp, TA-P9000ES mulit-channel preamp, PS-4750 turntable with Shure V15 vmr and PCM-7010F DAT recorders. The speakers on my front end are JBL L100t3's with JBL B380 sub.

Quote:

Originally Posted by estreeter 

Thats two from two, sterling1 - I think its pretty clear where your soundcard belongs.

Well, if it's so clear to you then why not provide details?  Can a sound-card be high-end?  You obviously, think my sound-card is not high-end, but why? I'm  interested in what audiophiles like you think about why something qualifies as high-end while something else does not.
 

So, it's not high end because it's  not expensive, is that right?  Surely, you have some criteria for high end other than a high price.Perhaps, you'd consider the product's effect on  the listening experience.  Also, what does a genre of cars have to do with computer audio? There is no analogy or metaphor there, but nice try. One more  thing, I don't throw my money around. I have no money to throw around. I am frugal with what little money I have for luxury's like audio equipment. But, buying the X-FI HD was little risk. And since, using it as an interface for USB to S/PDIF, I cannot now distinguish the music stored in my iTunes library with SACD direct; I'd say that spending more for something else was  not necessary. At any rate, the X-FI HD has proven to be  the audiophile grade product it  was  advertised to be. And whether it's viewed as high end or not,  I am very happy with the unexpected high end sound I'm now getting from  my computer for an equally unexpected low cost.

My  desire was not to "hear the recording exactly as intended" but just to hear audio stored on my computer without pops and dropouts. The X-FI HD solved that problem, as well as enhanced my pleasure, making my computer audio, when enjoyed from my HT, indistinguishable from SACD direct  from my HT. Now that's what I call brilliant, an inexpensive product that can get the job done and more.

I appreciate your comment, but, after all, since greater enjoyment is the  desired outcome; and, since  the relationship here is cause and effect, the design of the X-FI HD contributing to better fidelity, the question, is the X-FI HD high-end, seems logical as  presented.  BTW,  the Miles Davis recording Kind Of Blue, although artistically awesome, I find too harsh to listen to without extreme equalization mustered from my high-end equipment. Without equalization, the trumpet sounds to me like fingernails on a chalkboard. So,  I think I understand your comment. Thing is, I can listen to this album on my low-fi getto buster and still cringe; and, listening from that player  EQ is not possible.