[NeObliviscaris]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duggeh /img/forum/go_quote.gif Low-fi was what you had, mid-fi is what you have and hi-fi is what you want.

amen to that!

 

[SactoMan101]

For ripped CD's into digital formats, my definitions for portable music players are:

Low-Fi--128 and 160 kbps variable bit rate

Mid-Fi--192 and 224 kbps variable bit rate

High-Fi--256 and 320 kbps variable bit rate

Once you reach 256 kbps VBR, to hear the difference from the original source requires equipment that most of us couldn't afford.

I usually rip my CD collection at 192 kbps VBR in AAC format for the best balance between decent sound quality and storage space used on my 3G iPod nano. I remember reading that in double-blind testing there's no real difference in sound quality between MP3, AAC and WMA formats once you reach 160 kbps variable data rate.

 

[kool bubba ice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by webbie64 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've read threads, both here and elsewhere, that define Mid-fi and Hi-Fi in terms of equipment, cost, perpective ("One person's HiFi is another's MidFi"), etc. For me I've always thought HiFi is about fidelity. It's about the quality of the sound I hear. It's not about the equipment or the dollars but about the sound. So, for me, Mid-Fi is where the music is all there but it still sounds like a recording of the music. It moves to Hi-Fi (for me) when it transcends that sense of clinical reproduction and the level of recorded detail gives me a sense of actually being at the recorded event; what Wikipedia tries to describe as that 'Semblance of realism'. (I know this is vague but it depends on the recording and the details within it - echoes, decay, etc). What's Mid-Fi and Hi-Fi for you?

I'm going to get in trouble for this But, I don't really see a true Hi end can in production as of right now.. The E9's are debatable.
Mid Fi
Sony SA5000
Sen 650
AKG 701
Beyer 880
Beyer 990

Hi Fi
K1000
R10
Q10
L3000
He60/He90
Omega's
& various 70's Grado headphones..

& I'd call my DAC1 entry level Hi End, if there is such a thing.. But compared to 5,000 plus DACs, I'm sure mid fi would be better.

 

[Duggeh]

I would class the HD650, K701 et al as hi-fi. I'd have the K1000, HE90 et all in the 4th teir, reference class or world class. but then we start to move beyond the terminology of the original question.

 

[webbie64]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quaddy /img/forum/go_quote.gif my portable definitions, for portable stuffs: i define Mid-Fi as 320 MP3 or equivalent lossy with good source, good amp, good cables, good phones i define Hi-Fi as lossless with excellent source, excellent amp, excellent cables, excellent phones i define Xi-Fi AKA Nth-Fi as tweaked lossless* or WAV*, superlative source (with electret rainbow foil attached to hard drive sources) with world class pass through audio note/teflon/oimp v-caps, superlative ampage with eneloop battery power only, superlative short cables, superlative phones (recabled - and custom tips if IEM), golden ears. *difference between lossless and wav, please dont worry, its just my own perceived differences, i already know what 99% of you think regarding this p.s to the OP, the sound in my small experience is inextricably linked to the quality of the equipment, and tweaks applied, hence my hardware and snake oil based reasonings.

Thanks, Quaddy, for focussing on 'portable' as a different slant. In fact its my recent exploration of 'portable' gear that re-raised the question in my mind.

And I'm sure we fully understand the equipment focus. As krmathis says, quite often you do get what you pay for and Uncle Erik's comments on knowledge and product specialisation carry strong merit here. I just prefer to focus on the sonic outcomes of the equipment

Quote:

Originally Posted by chesebert /img/forum/go_quote.gif hi-fi means you can reach out and pinch the singer's ass....its that real

Oh to have HiFi at that level...

Quote:

Originally Posted by mofonyx /img/forum/go_quote.gif Mid-Fi is where you are now. Hi-Fi is where you always dreamed of being. If you have stopped dreaming about a better tomorrow, then Hi-Fi is now!

Yes, a mate keeps reminding me to enjoy what I have...

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis /img/forum/go_quote.gif Something like this. Where 100% is the "perfect" sound we all strive after... [size=xx-small]Entry point of the different grading[/size] 0% -> Low-Fi 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% -> Mid-Fi 70% 80% 85% -> Hi-Fi 90% 100% For me its all about sound and build quality, not a specific price point. But you usually get what you pay for..

krmathis, I like your logic; there's a strong analytical side to the way we both listen at times. When I review multiple gear I quite often get down to a percentage comparative assessment...

Quote:

Originally Posted by FeedMeTrance /img/forum/go_quote.gif My Mid-Fi is when I am really enjoying my music, but still aware that it's just a recorded version of the artist/band singing, it's where I am tapping my feet but not totally grooving! My Hi-Fi is when I am so engrossed by the quality of my music that I even turn around to see where the drums are coming from, it's where I can feel as if I am in the studio watching the artist/band record their song, and I can totally visualise where all the instruments and elements of the music are located. It's where I am so engrossed I am somewhat detached from what is going on around me (true story: was so engrossed I crossed a road without looking once - not a good idea!).

Watch those roads, FeedMeTrance! (I work in Australia in transport and road safety is an issue for me

). But, yes, isn't it great when we're hearing things as if they are there when we turn around to discover they're not

(which must be a risk when chesebert is on public transport and reaches out to pinch the singer's...

)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duggeh /img/forum/go_quote.gif I would class the HD650, K701 et al as hi-fi. I'd have the K1000, HE90 et all in the 4th teir, reference class or world class. but then we start to move beyond the terminology of the original question.

OMG, why a fourth class, Duggeh (or should I be more formal, Douglas

)?

When I started (20+ years ago) I only knew of 'HiFi' and 'not-HiFi'. Then we went to Low-Fi, Mid-Fi and Hi-Fi (some referred to the equipment as High End). I guess it does come down, for some, to the original thread quote of "One person's HiFi is another's MidFi" except you're saying one person's HiFi (at HD650, K701 et al level) is not up to the highest reference HiFi (at K1000, HE90 et al level). And you say this because the HD650, K701 et al produce such high quality sound that you could not group them with other 'lesser' Mid-Fi sounding equipment??

 

[kool bubba ice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duggeh /img/forum/go_quote.gif I would class the HD650, K701 et al as hi-fi. I'd have the K1000, HE90 et all in the 4th teir, reference class or world class. but then we start to move beyond the terminology of the original question.

I was thinking about having them as hi fi, then having Ultra Hi Fi like the R10's.. But a bit redundant..

 

[EhJayKim]

I have a different opinion than I have seen so far... I think of everything as trying to reproduce the sound of instruments/voice and that's what I think of when I listen. I've never gotten the same feeling as when I am part of an ensemble or when I am in the concert hall listening, and I've listened to some (what I consider expensive setups).

So, I guess that to me it goes like this

Hi-fi = Real-fi = real instruments

Mid-fi = the kind of stuff people tend to talk about on these forums

low/budget/bad/bose-fi = cheap stuff, or stuff that should be really cheap.

I mean, there are of course variations in between, I mean, there is a huge difference in sound between some of the phones that I would consider mid-fi based on this, but I just want to reserve hi-fi for the real thing.

 

[amphead]

Mid-Fi--192 & 256 kbps with iPod source with CMOY and Bose phones.

High-Fi--320 & 1410 kbps>new Walkman with Beta-22/Millett Max and K701/HD600/HD650/(other high end phones)

 

[ronin74]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chesebert /img/forum/go_quote.gif hi-fi means you can reach out and pinch the singer's ass....its that real

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis /img/forum/go_quote.gif Something like this. Where 100% is the "perfect" sound we all strive after... ..

Burn me as a heretic, point and hiss ala Body Snatchers, but if you're getting your music from headphones, it won't be Hi-Fi. Even if you can achieve krmathis' 100% "perfect sound" you'll still be missing a quarter of Hi-Fi, the soundstage.

If you can tell me that you can reproduce the ambiance of Carnegie Hall inside your head (between your ears) I'll tell you that you've got a big head.

 

[amphead]

You can approximate the sound of a live performance enough that your aural experience is realistic and pleasurable to the degree that hi-fi represents. That is, if you put together a chain of high performance gear that is worthy of hi-fi(IMHO). Will it be as good as live? No, but you will enjoy the experience very much.

 

[chesebert]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronin74 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Burn me as a heretic, point and hiss ala Body Snatchers, but if you're getting your music from headphones, it won't be Hi-Fi. Even if you can achieve krmathis' 100% "perfect sound" you'll still be missing a quarter of Hi-Fi, the soundstage. If you can tell me that you can reproduce the ambiance of Carnegie Hall inside your head (between your ears) I'll tell you that you've got a big head.

I use spkr.

 

[fordgtlover]

Hi-Fi, to my definition, is defined by a reasonable recreation of the origin material with very few introduced artifacts, such as distortion or unnatural coloration.

Whereas Mid-Fi would be defined as a recreation of origin material with artifacts that indicate, to many listeners that it is a recreation.

Lo-Fi, then, would be recreation of origin material with enough discernable artifacts, colouration or lack of quality that almost any listener would know that it is a low quality.

 

[Elephas]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kool bubba ice /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm going to get in trouble for this But, I don't really see a true Hi end can in production as of right now...

SR-007

I've reported your post to the Stax Mafia, you're going to be in trouble.

 

[00940]

Hi-fi for me would start with the Grado SR60. Hi-fi is any equipment designed with sound quality as primary goal.

But then, hi-fi can be divided in many categories, from low-end to high-end.

 

[ronin74]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chesebert /img/forum/go_quote.gif I use spkr.

Magnepan Fi!