Mainstream audio is getting afraid

[BowsAndArrows]

I'm very sure that this is one of the rare (?) occasions where subjectivists and objectivists come together in peace, harmony and universal love: CCA is crap.

lmao, exactly! but don't forget there are some that say it's not a CCA vs OFC thing - they swear by the cryogenically treated virgin copper mined by naked monks in the mountains!

 

[eByGum]

Must admit I'd not heard of the term "Chi-Fi" before. I must live under a rock. Not sure what it really means though when you look at companies like Wharfedale, Monitor Audio, KEF, Cambridge Audio, Audiolab, Castle, Mission, etc. etc. that all manufacture in China to varying extents. Even good ol' US brands like JBL are made in China and are ultimately owned by Samsung. Using "Chi-Fi" as pretty much a derogatory term seems misguided. Never did like the Andrew Robinson reviews.

 

[Malkie]

There is a point where quality is already reached, and you buy based on what you like having in your listening room, and I find that anything above $2000 per component does start to have diminishing returns.

Due to different pieces sounding different, different rooms sounding different, and different pieces sounding different in different rooms, when you reach a certain price, you are best just listening to the gear in your listening room, and if you like it, well it's the system for you.

That said if you can afford a $20,000 system, you should probably look into room treatment, as you'll able to make massive changes, and still order that $2000 system and have it sound better than imaginable before the acoustic treatment.

I had a dedicated treated room etc.... I just prefer the sound of a studio monitor. It's very analytical and clean. To say it's better....no! But define better. I've been doing this hobby for 25 years and diminishing returns is definately true. I believe I just stopped looking at gear and realized all the bling I had was fantastic but sound and pleasure along with listening to the music instead of the electronics made me a better audiophile. Kind of hard to explain.

 

[harkpabst]

Not sure what it really means though when you look at companies like Wharfedale, Monitor Audio, KEF, Cambridge Audio, Audiolab, Castle, Mission, etc. etc. that all manufacture in China to varying extents.

More precisely: that are owned by Chinese companies in more cases than not ...

 

[MKUltra]

Must admit I'd not heard of the term "Chi-Fi" before.

It refers to the new wave of manufacturers that produce small and often cheap audio gear, such as amplifiers, phono preamps and DACs, and they are "unknown" (to the general public) brands such as Loxjie, Topping, SMSL, etc...

And the term is extremely derogatory and racist, so please don't use it.

 

[Brantome]

It refers to the new wave of manufacturers that produce small and often cheap audio gear, such as amplifiers, phono preamps and DACs, and they are "unknown" (to the general public) brands such as Loxjie, Topping, SMSL, etc...

And the term is extremely derogatory and racist, so please don't use it.

I agree, I’d rather not see the term being used either

 

[BowsAndArrows]

Must admit I'd not heard of the term "Chi-Fi" before. I must live under a rock. Not sure what it really means though when you look at companies like Wharfedale, Monitor Audio, KEF, Cambridge Audio, Audiolab, Castle, Mission, etc. etc. that all manufacture in China to varying extents. Even good ol' US brands like JBL are made in China and are ultimately owned by Samsung. Using "Chi-Fi" as pretty much a derogatory term seems misguided. Never did like the Andrew Robinson reviews.

hmm... i'm not sure the use of the term Chi-Fi is necessarily used in a derogatory sense in most cases. cos if you look at the landscape now - the products under the umbrella are the ones that dominate at least in terms of total units sold, no?

+ as you and @harkpabst also point out many of those legacy brands have been taken over by chinese companies (or samsung, haha)! + most of them even transitioned to manufacturing in china before they were acquired anyways...

(It has nothing to do with race or anything like that, c'mon guys - its a location descriptor, RELAX )

BTW, i posted another similar video review over in the FOO thread if anyone's interested. i really think there are some decent points being made by andrew robinson and others... especially when you consider the value of an AVR vs the alternatives
be WARNED tho, it might trigger some people...

 

[Brantome]

I'd still prefer it if the term was avoided tbh

 

[es6rd6z]

What should we do if someone introduces
USFi, JapFi, BritFi, FraFi, GerFi? Would it also be derogative or racist?? The issue only applies for our friends in China? Is that not pure bigotry? Or is it not allowed because so many people in this forum build a golden calf around?

The thing is that no one's going to introduce any of those terms (and/as all of those countries are geopolitically west-aligned). The other term was coined specifically to play into existing negative stereotypes about China and Chinese products (and/as China is geopolitically not west-aligned). It was never meant as an objective way to mean "hi-fi developed and produced in China". (And as others have said, all of the other brands produce their stuff in China as well, yet the term is not used for them.)

 

[Brantome]

What should we do if someone introduces
USFi, JapFi, BritFi, FraFi, GerFi? Would it also be derogative or racist?? The issue only applies for our friends in China? Is that not pure bigotry? Or is it not allowed because so many people in this forum build a golden calf around?

If they were typically used in a similar derogatory sense, then I'd discourage their use as well.

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

Personally, if a person or group of people find a term used to describe them offensive, I try to avoid it.

I dunno, I think that’s just reasonable and polite. There’s no need to use the term, so why deliberately choose to be offensive.

That’s just my take on it.

 

[cooky560]

I think with hi-fi being essentially the home of a few established brands, charging whatever they want, that a disruptor product like the WiiM is exactly what the industry needs to bring in competition. Competition always brings in increasing features at decreasing prices.

I don't like the term "chi-fi" but it is astounding how quickly Chinese products are getting better in every industry. I don't see this as a bad thing, more choice for the consumer is always a win in my book.

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

I think with hi-fi being essentially the home of a few established brands, charging whatever they want, that a disruptor product like the WiiM is exactly what the industry needs to bring in competition. Competition always brings in increasing features at decreasing prices.

I don't like the term "chi-fi" but it is astounding how quickly Chinese products are getting better in every industry. I don't see this as a bad thing, more choice for the consumer is always a win in my book.

As far as that goes I agree. And I could almost see Chinese manufacturers reclaiming the word.

But for now, offence is in the ear of the (potentially) offended.

 

[Matterhorn]

In car forums the term "ricer" or "rice" is often used to describe a style of modding cars. People claim it's not racist against Asian people. I tend to think it is. The members that use it have often been banned. In my opinion Chi-Fi is on the same level. I don't think most people use that term to describe a superior product even though many many things that we buy everyday are made in China. Just watch how people would scream about product prices if the savings from foreign manufacturing vanished. Even those bright gold sneakers sold by a former president are rumored to be manufactured in China...

 

[dangermouse]

I've never heard "Chi-Fi" used in anything other than a derogatory fashion.

I really do not like it.

 

[steadyshot]

Yes chifi like lumin , auralic ,aurender, Hifi rose, denafrips ,eversolo and so on . China dominates in streaming tech. For amps and speakers they still have a way to go

 

[onlyoneme]

I have no issue with "chi-fi" term personally. Even "polnische Wirtschaft" doesn't make me upset.

 

[hoohoohoo]

Still have my opinion of relations between companies and YT and may be I'm a bad boy again, but this in tennis I would name a return winner ;-)

They are a bit sensitive and taking any comments personally. Oh my

 

[harkpabst]

Still have my opinion of relations between companies and YT and may be I'm a bad boy again, but this in tennis I would name a return winner ;-)

Sorry, I had to stop after 2 minutes (playing at 1.5x speed already), because I could no longer stand it. That famous Onkyo house sound ... that's where they lost me, already.

As for the term chi-fi: I am strongly in favour of not simply leaving certain words or even parts of the language to those who want to spread hate in one way or another. You can turn derogatory terms around if you use them in a different way than the haters like.

 

[hoohoohoo]

Sorry, I had to stop after 2 minutes (playing at 1.5x speed already), because I could no longer stand it. That famous Onkyo house sound ... that's where they lost me, already.

As for the term chi-fi: I am strongly in favour of not simply leaving certain words or even parts of the language to those who want to spread hate in one way or another. You can turn derogatory terms around if you use them in a different way than the haters like.

I skipped all that and went to the last section...it doesn't get much better