I thought this would be a great place to discuss something that gets brought up from time to time....

What does HIGH-END mean?

Is it a magic number that once you have spent that exact dollar amount then you are classified as HIGH END?

Is it a matter of having all those right components from all the right manufacturers?

Is it having everything purely calibrated and perfectly matched with precise EQ?

Ok, so let's say YOU are high end...or replace high end with terms like Audiophile or the 70's term 'hifi'. What then sets the men from the boys? Florian for example is a self-described ULTRA HIGH-END contestant. Looking at his gear it certainly looks like it's in a league of its own....expensive? yes. fine tuned? yes. good manufacturers? you bet. However, without sitting in that room or anyone elses room who meets those requirements...how the heck do we reallly know what that HIGH-END sound is like. Is it possible to get that HIGH END sound from something that costs less, involves less, and has far less time in calibration and tweaking?

Here's a deep thought...if someone could give you a 1"X1" tiny little black box, yet this magical box could sound better than any system known to man...would you trade all of your gear for something so simple as just a tiny box? I know i know....how could that box possibly sound as good as something huge? Well, bear with me for just this simple exercise. It's not a matter of size, or shape, but rather the concept. Is it possible for less to sound better than more. Is it possible for someone who has SUPER EXPENSIVE AND PERFECTED SYSTEM to sound like crap? Absolutely. I know of a nearby shop that has some very sweet gear. Nothing super expensive, but some nice models of B&W etc etc. However, people are always in their listening rooms turning nobs and switches that it's NEVER calibrated and sounds like crap.

This brings me to I suppose my one and only point...the importance of the listener's ear. We are all born naturally with various abilities of hearing and developing our ear is something that partly comes naturally and somewhat with more training. I developed perfect pitch when I learned to play my first of several instruments at a young age. I would like to think that I can hear better than most...often times I hear things that others don't ...sometimes it's freaky. Does this handicap my ability to hear things better or worse than others? Someone else might listen to the same thing as me and think it sounds good, or better, or worse, or whatever.....who is right?

Obviously I think we are all aware that it's harder for a good system to sound bad, but is it possible to make a semi-good system sound better? Sure. I've set up lots of peoples gear and helped them with little tricks of the trade in order to enhance what they have. At what point does HIGH-END peak out? Is there a point where it just can't sound any better? If so, how do you know? Could making more tweaks possible make it sound worse?

Too many deep questions that I suppose lots of people will have contrasting opinions over....so eat em' up.