Describe hi fi

[paulf-2007]

As the illusion of vinyl thread has lost its way and hifi has been mentioned. Describe what you think is hifi and its sound.

[southall-1998]

I just see Hi-Fi as a slightly more sophisticated cousin of the boombox.

S.

[Jimbo]

I think you can find a lot of your answers in the illusion of vinyl post.

[Boyse6748]

I’ll post this before I go to bed!

Hi-Fi is nothing to do with hi end equipment! It about enjoying what you listen to, regardless of what gender! Stuff sounds better in some systems than others, that’s for sure! But that’s not a given!!!

Vinyl / CD/ SACD / Hi Res download/ Tidal / or any others you may wish to mention is up to the individual listening.

Just enjoy it all.[emoji7]

Peter



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Puffin]

How long is a piece of string......................................

[narabdela]

How long is a piece of string......................................

Indeed. For me personally it's always been Peter Walker's "The Closest Approach to the Original Sound" philosophy; but fifty years of hearing equipment demos have shown me that it seems to be 'all things to all men'.

[IHP]

I recall seeing a documentary on Greek Audiophiles (worth a Google and watch) where a chap says something like.......it's said that a good speaker should disappear but I want my system to make me disappear. Something like this anyway, and I get it as many of us here will. On the occasions I sweet spot lone listen with all focus on the music, this is what I want. Music can transcend us when we let it and this is what Hi Fi is about to me. Well, this and owning cool gear and talking rubbish on forums ;-)

[agk]

High Fidelity. Done. End of thread.

[narabdela]

High Fidelity.


If only. ;)

[Yomanze]

HiFi is not: a fancy case, a price tag / price point, or a five star review. There are many extremely humble-looking systems that will absolutely destroy blingy audio show stuff.

High fidelity to me is simply about having a system that is better than what is available in consumer or cheap pro-audio gear. Coming back from holiday recently was a lovely experience, really 'hearing into' recordings and having them hang in space again reminded me why I'm in this hobby.

Interestingly HiFi is used more to describe a home system, as a real pro-audio setup should be "high fidelity" on the production & mastering side anyway.

[Pharos]

A domain in which a small subsection of society manifests its perfectionist and obsessive tendencies, and where after many years of pursuit, they realise that they are as mad as hatters just like the rest in the human predicament.

But they are at least innocuous.

[Macca]

High Fidelity = reproducing the recording with as little added noise and distortion from the replay equipment as possible. It's that simple.

Whether you like what that sounds like = totally different subject.

[Puffin]

High Fidelity = reproducing the recording with as little added noise and distortion from the replay equipment as possible. It's that simple.

Whether you like what that sounds like = totally different subject.

What you (one) has is your take on High Fidelty, your mate and countless others will have different ideas. If you like it what else matters.

[Oddball]

Hi fi to me is - The ability to play and hear a format of music ,through equipment ,of a standard ,that allows the hearer to percieve the different pitch and tones of music ,in a superior way to lesser mediums ie radios laptops etc

[Michael loves music]

Hi fi to me is - The ability to play and hear a format of music ,through equipment ,of a standard ,that allows the hearer to percieve the different pitch and tones of music ,in a superior way to lesser mediums ie radios laptops etc
I totally agree

[Audio Al]

Its a marketing ploy for us minions to get involved with , no different to fishing / golf / bikes / watches I could go on

[Michael loves music]

Or women Susanna Reid Louise Minchin Carol Kirkwood Ruth Langsford mmmmmm

[Haselsh1]

All hi-fi is to me is a certain 'sound'. That sound that gives me goosebumps and often tears. A sound that is clear and precise. A sound that above all is emotional. If it is none of those things then to me, it is simply not good enough.

This is why I usually refer to my setup as my sound system.

[Edward]

HiFi, to me, is a ecosystem that encompasses polar opposites ranging from gold plated machined works of art (think d'agostino) to bedroom built amps contained in houseware (think breadbin) populated by (predominantly) males with lots of time on their hands and (some) spare cash who continually obsess about cables/capacitors/resistors/psus/etc - in the hope they can get closer to a 'real' sound.

Love every minute of it! :lol:



[and for the avoidance of doubt I'm joking of course]

[Puffin]

"I invented the phrase 'high fidelity' in 1927 to denote a type of sound reproduction that might be taken rather seriously by a music lover. In those days the average radio or phonograph equipment sounded pretty horrible but, as I was really interested in music, it occurred to me that something might be done about it."

Errr....no not me but H A Hartley (1958)

[struth]

"I invented the phrase 'high fidelity' in 1927 to denote a type of sound reproduction that might be taken rather seriously by a music lover. In those days the average radio or phonograph equipment sounded pretty horrible but, as I was really interested in music, it occurred to me that something might be done about it."

Errr....no not me but H A Hartley (1958)

the jam guy or the fishing guy?;)

[Oddball]

Or women Susanna Reid Louise Minchin Carol Kirkwood Ruth Langsford mmmmmm

Ha ha !!! I love your avatar by the way:eyebrows:

[walpurgis]

I haven't been for years, but going round Hi-Fi shows used to be an eye opener. There'd be dozens of systems from various makers on demo and the one consistent thing was that most of them just didn't sound great. Occasionally, you'd come across something special and the 'rightness' of the sound would leap out at you.

But. I entered one room where a vintage system was in use. It was a display by minor cable maker I believe. There was a pair of 15" Tannoy Lancasters fronted by an older valve amp (can't recall which, could have been a Radford) a Garrard 301 with SME 3009 holding a Decca Mk.IV and remember thinking, 'this is going to be nice'. It wasn't. The sound was flat as a pancake and woolly. A big surprise. It must have been the room's unsuitablility I think. A real shame, as it had great potential.

When something sounds right, you just know. Spendor usually left a good impression, genuinely fine sounding as a rule. Avant Garde speaker displays always make their mark, they may not be entirely tonally accurate, but they sure make music.

One of the most enjoyable sounds I recall ever hearing was from C R Developments, their own CD player, and amplification, driving a pair of Jean Marie Reynard 'Offrande' speakers. This was just an amazing sound. Full bodied, sweet, detailed and really natural and transparent, strikingly so and easily the best of the show. It was definitely an 'I want' moment!

[Joe]

Hifi is basically some over-priced boxes and wires, about which some people get their knickers in a twist.

I've only been to a handful of hifi shows, but my experience has been that the most expensive set-ups tend to sound worse than the less expensive, simpler ones. Whether this is down to the unsuitability of the rooms in which the equipment has been set up, I don't know.

I was at a wedding this weekend, and the sound system sounded so awful* that I realised to what extent I have become used to the sound of a good hifi system.

*Way too much bass, ear-piercing treble, shite music programme.

[Floyddroid]

I think hi-Fi is of it's time. It is different things to different people. Hi-fi for the best part is a remnant of the 60's, 70's and early to mid 80's. To some it replaces train sets and reminds us so much of our youth and better days gone by. Hey, no harm with this. To others it is an ongoing Engineering project a strive for the lost chord and the will to put their design skills, know how and artistry to work and have the opportunity to demonstrate them or even sell them. This is amazing and along with the other elements here represent the best of what Hi-fi is.
However, there is also the male jewellery philosophy of which i have been guilty of myself on occasions where people display their Hi-fi like peacock feathers. This is the darker side of Hi-fi and not fot the none competitive. It can set friends against each other and create jelousy which is what happened to me. Once a new piece of equiptment is purchased it isn't long before your friend becomes a riveal and purchases a similar item a few notches up the product range. This is easily remedied by getting off the merrygoround.

Due to my age and thought process Hi-Fi to me is still the most enjoyable way of listening to music in the home.

[rigger67]

Hifi is a separates system used to play music.

The music will vary from much loved favourites, experimental sounds which may be instantly discarded as a mistake or kept in the "collection" forever and of pieces the owner feels they should have or may just keep out of sentimentality despite never actually playing.

The same can description can also apply to the system itself ..

[Beobloke]

Hi-Fi is a wonderful way to acquire stuff, play with it, fiddle with it and fill your house with lovely things.

It's the whole "playing music" nonsense that just gets in the way of this enjoyment, as far as I'm concerned.

[Macca]

It's the whole "playing music" nonsense that just gets in the way of this enjoyment, as far as I'm concerned.

Exactly. If you're doing it properly you really shouldn't have time for that.

[Michael loves music]

We all think our seperates sound best to our ears indeed as I write this I’m listening to OMDs new album on my pioneer PDS 505 stable platter CD player with Denon 350se amp and Tannoy V1 speakers on atacama stands sounds wonderful

[MrRadish]

Lo-Fi - not worth listening to
Mid-Fi - holds my attention for a bit
Hi-Fi - absolutely captivating

Lo-Fi - can't tell what the song is (hello bluetooth speakers)
Mid-Fi - I might recognise the song
Hi-Fi - makes me want to buy the album

Lo-Fi - I don't want to listen to anything
Mid-Fi - I enjoy the song once or twice but then need to listen to something else
Hi-Fi - I can play the same track again and again and again and again...

Lo-Fi - makes me wince
Mid-Fi - makes me ask what the equipment is
Hi-Fi - leaves me spellbound

Lo-Fi - just turn it off already
Mid-Fi - turn it down a bit so we can chat
Hi-Fi - shut up, I'm listening to the music!

[magiccarpetride]

Lo-Fi - not worth listening to
Mid-Fi - holds my attention for a bit
Hi-Fi - absolutely captivating

Lo-Fi - can't tell what the song is (hello bluetooth speakers)
Mid-Fi - I might recognise the song
Hi-Fi - makes me want to buy the album

Lo-Fi - I don't want to listen to anything
Mid-Fi - I enjoy the song once or twice but then need to listen to something else
Hi-Fi - I can play the same track again and again and again and again...

Lo-Fi - makes me wince
Mid-Fi - makes me ask what the equipment is
Hi-Fi - leaves me spellbound

Lo-Fi - just turn it off already
Mid-Fi - turn it down a bit so we can chat
Hi-Fi - shut up, I'm listening to the music!

+1

[magiccarpetride]

As the illusion of vinyl thread has lost its way and hifi has been mentioned. Describe what you think is hifi and its sound.

The way I would put it, hi fi is a sound reproduction system that faithfully reveals how the sound was recorded, mixed and mastered. If a sound reproduction system is not hi fi, every album played on it will sound very similar. It's as if the reproduced sounds are cut from the same cloth, regardless of which CD or LP is being played.

But to me, hi fi is not the same as a system that aims at approximating the sound of live performance. When I go to a concert hall and listen to acoustic instruments play, the sound I hear is completely different from the sound of that same performance that was recorded and played back on a hi fi system. Hi fi reproduction tends to sound more like a collage, where you can see the seams, while real live performance creates a sound that is seamless.

[Macca]

Lo-Fi - not worth listening to
Mid-Fi - holds my attention for a bit
Hi-Fi - absolutely captivating

Lo-Fi - can't tell what the song is (hello bluetooth speakers)
Mid-Fi - I might recognise the song
Hi-Fi - makes me want to buy the album

Lo-Fi - I don't want to listen to anything
Mid-Fi - I enjoy the song once or twice but then need to listen to something else
Hi-Fi - I can play the same track again and again and again and again...

Lo-Fi - makes me wince
Mid-Fi - makes me ask what the equipment is
Hi-Fi - leaves me spellbound

Lo-Fi - just turn it off already
Mid-Fi - turn it down a bit so we can chat
Hi-Fi - shut up, I'm listening to the music!

You nailed it I think.

[Marco]

Lo-Fi - not worth listening to
Mid-Fi - holds my attention for a bit
Hi-Fi - absolutely captivating

Lo-Fi - can't tell what the song is (hello bluetooth speakers)
Mid-Fi - I might recognise the song
Hi-Fi - makes me want to buy the album

Lo-Fi - I don't want to listen to anything
Mid-Fi - I enjoy the song once or twice but then need to listen to something else
Hi-Fi - I can play the same track again and again and again and again...

Lo-Fi - makes me wince
Mid-Fi - makes me ask what the equipment is
Hi-Fi - leaves me spellbound

Lo-Fi - just turn it off already
Mid-Fi - turn it down a bit so we can chat
Hi-Fi - shut up, I'm listening to the music!

Post of the year so far? I think so! :)

Now all we need to define is which gear represents "Mid-Fi", or "Hi-Fi"... ;)

Marco.

[MrRadish]

Now all we need to define is which gear represents "Mid-Fi", or "Hi-Fi"... ;)
.

That's where it all gets rather subjective. :)

For me Hi-Fi has to meet all the following requirements and drops into Mid-Fi if it fails on any one of them:

1. Great rhythm
2. Great transparency
3. Well balanced
4. Doesn't do anything distracting (its only sins are of omission)

It seems to be surprisingly hard to find gear like that. I did have some Sonus Faber Electas a long time ago that were brilliant, but constantly bugged me because they weren't mirror imaged (the tweeters were offset to the left on both of them). I'll let them off though and call them hi-fi anyway.

[MrRadish]

duplicated

[Beobloke]

Post of the year so far? I think so! :)

Now all we need to define is which gear represents "Mid-Fi", or "Hi-Fi"... ;)

Marco.

When it comes to "hi-fi", the DIN 45500 standard is a good place to start! ;)