High End Audio

High end audio is a popular searched for term in Goggle. I always wondered what high end audio really means. What do people who search for the phrase high end audio really want to see in their search results? What does high end audio mean to most people?

Is high end audio a search term that is based on price? I hope not. High end audio classification should be based on sound quality delivered by the manufacturer in their respective product line. An amplifier manufacturer would be considered high end audio if their goal is to produce the best sound possible within their targeted price point they have decided to market in. Sound quality is their primary focus. It is not the number of features an amplifier has or how many watts it can produce. It is the sound quality of each watt whether it is 5 watts or 500.

Does a hi-fi product qualify for high end audio classification if it looks expensive? One can answer that question both ways. I have owned amplifiers that look expensive but lack the necessary sound quality based on their looks and cost. I have owned speakers that look inexpensive but sound balanced and detailed. I have owned speakers that look and are expensive that are not balanced or musical at all.

The bottom line determining factor for high end audio should always be sound quality whether it is expensive or not. What determines good sound quality is a topic for another blog. It can vary from individual to individual. I think, however, that most would agree that any high end audio product should be able to provide good detail, good channel separation, and strong imaging with low distortion. After these basics, I am not sure what people are looking for when they use the search term high end audio. Your guess is as good as mine

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