Do you have that friend that spends a hundred of dollars on a pair of headphones? Such headphones do exist and what sounds like madness to most of us is necessary for some to feel like they’re getting a better Hi-Fi experience. What is this Hi-Fi? Well Hi-Fi or high fidelity is a term used by audio enthusiasts referring to the high quality reproduction of sound. It can be found in home theater setups as well and if you are thinking about getting home theater installation. Feel free to contact RMS Installs Atlanta GA.
History
The journey started as early as 1930s. When a violinist wanted to make a radio that sounded like he was listening to a live orchestra. He wanted a sound that would reach high fidelity when compared to the original recording by experimenting with the acoustics of speaker casings.
In 1948, even greater innovations brought about a revolution in high quality audio. Some of the key developments being reel-to-reel tape, microgroove vinyl records and FM radio. So the point of Hi-Fi is to get as close to the original recording as possible. Therefore, it is fun and it might sound good to crank the bass, but that would no longer be high fidelity when compared to the source audio.
So what separates Hi-Fi from a consumer grade audio system?
The most obvious thing is the speakers. A Hi-Fi speaker’s job is to produce sound exactly as it was originally recorded and received by the speaker with as little alteration or coloration. They are generally constructed with higher quality materials to reduce resonance, mechanical noise and interference. This makes them more expensive to manufacture and leaves less room for defects.
Amplifiers also play an important role in reproducing sound accurately. It’s important that these amplifiers have high quality power supplies capable of AC to DC power with very little interference. Being in analog setup, more premium cables and wires in some cases can make a slight difference. Since they are made up of more conductive materials and have better shielding.
The source audio itself plays a huge role in the quality of the finished output. So in consumer systems it’s easy to tell the difference between a high quality MP3 and a low quality bootleg. But Hi-Fi systems take that one step further and really bring out the detail with high resolution audio. One fact to be considered is that it’s difficult to hear the difference between high-quality MP3 and a subpar quality.
How are headphones different from speakers?
Well Hi-Fi headphones have significantly higher impedance than normal headphones. This means they actually offer more resistance than standard headphones. This is a carryover for when they were originally designed for studios. Where multiple listeners would be connected to a single amplifier lowering the impedance of an individual set.
These headphones became a standard for Hi-Fi listening because of their compatibility with higher quality more powerful amplifiers. These Hi-Fi equipment can sure be expensive. In 1991, Sennheiser released a set of headphones called the ‘Orpheus’. It came with a dedicated tube amplifier and claimed it was the best Hi-Fi headphone in the world. At 30K, these headphones were the most expensive headphones in the world at one point.
With this in mind though, Hi-Fi is high not perfect and there are high fidelity solutions for almost any budget. Talking about Hi-Fi sounds, if you want optimum home theater sound installation, do contact RMS Installs Atlanta GA. They are professionals when it comes to installation of home theater setups. For more information, visit our website.
