A recent customer comment on an Instagram post about "real world Hifi" got me thinking, what is Hi-Fi these days? And who does it appeal to?
Hi-Fi as a term sounds very out dated, but what else do we refer to it as? It is a a difficult term to understand these days, where not everything and everything is High Fidelity. At what point do we stop classing products as High Fidelity when you can stream Hi Resolution Tidal files to a system that costs less than £500?
Wikipedia describe Hifi as:
High fidelity (often shortened to hi-fi or hifi) is a term used by listeners, audiophiles and home audio enthusiasts to refer to high-quality reproduction of sound. This is in contrast to the lower quality sound produced by inexpensive audio equipment, or the inferior quality of sound reproduction that can be heard in recordings made until the late 1940s.
Ideally, high-fidelity equipment has inaudible noise and distortion, and a flat (neutral, uncolored) frequency response within the human hearing range.
By this description, HiFi is a mixture of good equipment and good recordings, listened to by somebody who knows what an uncoloured sound is. Maybe its a little bit like Red Wine, you have to start drinking it even if you dont like the taste and, over time, will be able to tell the difference between a good and bad bottle. If there is such a thing as a bad bottle of wine! Or perhaps, you will just start to learn what you do and don't like in taste. Either way, you have to start somewhere.
It is easy to get seduced by the "out of reach" Audio systems that you can see in shops and on social media. People live by different means and something that is attainable to one person isn't to another. That shouldnt stop people enjoying music through a system that might not be classed as "Hi-Fi" to everyone. If it is an enjoyable experience, then brilliant! The moment you can stop and listen to the music without thinking about the equipment thats playing it, then you know you have it nailed. For you. And that is the important bit.
Being able to sit down, turn a system on and enjoy what is being played, without picking it apart, should be an important part of life. It can relax you, help you think or get you excited and energized. Music is one of the purest art forms and able to take you on an emotional journey. We try our hardest to guide you to the right system for you, not what we think is best.
Hi-Fi should appeal to everyone who enjoys any type of music. Don't be put off by the name, there is something out there for everyone and it will enhance your listening experience.