| High fidelity or hi-fi reproduction is a | | | | reach for anyone of modest means. |
| quality standard that means the | | | | After World War II, several innovations |
| reproduction of sound or images is very | | | | created the conditions for a major |
| faithful to the original. High fidelity | | | | improvement of home-audio quality: |
| aims to achieve minimal or unnoticeable | | | | Reel-to-reel audio tape recording, based |
| amounts of noise and distortion. The | | | | on technology found in Germany after the |
| term high fidelity tends to be applied | | | | war, helped musical artists such as Bing |
| to any reasonable-quality home-music | | | | Crosby make and distribute recordings |
| system, though some believe that a | | | | with better fidelity. |
| higher standard than this was intended, | | | | the advent of the 33? RPM Long Play (LP) |
| and in 1973, the German Deutsches | | | | microgroove vinyl record, with low |
| Institut für Normung (DIN) | | | | surface noise and |
| standard DIN 45500 laid down minimum | | | | quantitatively-specified equalization |
| requirements for measurements of | | | | curves. Classical music fans, who were |
| frequency response, distortion, noise | | | | opinion leaders in the audio market |
| and other defects and gained some | | | | quickly adopted LPs because, unlike with |
| recognition in hi-fi magazines. | | | | older records, most classical works |
| High-fidelity enthusiasts are often | | | | would fit on a single LP. |
| known as audiophiles. As the term hi-fi | | | | FM radio, with wider audio bandwidth and |
| is today used generically, the luxury | | | | less susceptibility to signal |
| end of home audio electronics is often | | | | interference and fading than AM radio. |
| termed "high end." | | | | better amplifier designs, with more |
| History | | | | attention to frequency response and much |
| The 1920s saw the introduction of | | | | higher power output capability, allowing |
| electronic amplification, microphones, | | | | audio peaks to be reproduced without |
| and the application of quantitative | | | | distortion. |
| engineering principles to the | | | | In the 1950s, the term high fidelity |
| reproduction of sound. Much of the | | | | began to be used by audio manufacturers |
| pioneering work was done at Bell | | | | as a marketing term to describe records |
| Laboratories and commercialized by | | | | and equipment which were intended to |
| Western Electric. Acoustically-recorded | | | | provide faithful sound reproduction. |
| disc records with capriciously peaky | | | | While some consumers simply interpreted |
| frequency response were replaced with | | | | high fidelity as fancy and expensive |
| electrically recorded records. The | | | | equipment, many found the difference in |
| Victor Orthophonic phonograph, although | | | | quality between "hi-fi" and the then |
| purely acoustic, was created by | | | | standard AM radios and 78 RPM records |
| engineers who applied waveguide | | | | readily apparent and bought 33 LPs, such |
| technology to the design of the interior | | | | as RCA's New Orthophonics and London's |
| folded horn to produce a smooth | | | | ffrrs, and high-fidelity phonographs. |
| frequency response which complemented | | | | Audiophiles paid attention to technical |
| and equalled that of the electrically | | | | characteristics and bought individual |
| recorded Victor Orthophonic records. | | | | components, such as separate turntables, |
| Meanwhile, the rise of radio meant | | | | radio tuners, preamplifiers, power |
| increased popularity for loudspeakers | | | | amplifiers and loudspeakers. Some |
| and tube amplifiers, so there was an | | | | enthusiasts assembled their own |
| anomaly of a period of time during which | | | | loudspeaker systems. In the 1950s, hi-fi |
| radio receivers commonly used | | | | became a generic term, to some extent |
| loudspeakers and electronic amplifiers | | | | displacing phonograph and record player. |
| to produce sound, while phonographs were | | | | Rather than "playing a record on the |
| still commonly purely mechanical and | | | | phonograph", people would "play it on |
| acoustic. Later, electronic phonographs | | | | the hi-fi". |
| became available, as stand-alone units | | | | In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the |
| or designed to play through consumer's | | | | development of the Westrex single-groove |
| radios. The now ubiquitous RCA connector | | | | stereophonic record led to the next wave |
| was first introduced by the Radio | | | | of home-audio improvement, and in common |
| Corporation of America for this purpose. | | | | parlance, stereo displaced hi-fi. |
| The development of Sound film in the | | | | Records were now played on a stereo. In |
| 1930s led motion picture companies to | | | | the world of the audiophile, however, |
| develop amplification and loudspeaker | | | | high fidelity continued and continues to |
| systems to fill movie theaters with good | | | | refer to the goal of highly-accurate |
| quality sound at a reasonable volume. To | | | | sound reproduction and to the |
| achieve this result, they employed | | | | technological resources available for |
| loudspeakers with separate sections for | | | | approaching that goal. A very popular |
| low and high frequencies ("woofers" and | | | | type of system for reproducing music |
| "tweeters"), connected via an audio | | | | from the 1970s onwards is the integrated |
| crossover network, and more carefully | | | | music centre--the successor to the older |
| engineered enclosures. This development | | | | stereogram or radiogram. Purists will |
| exposed the public to better fidelity | | | | generally avoid referring to these |
| than home equipment was capable of at | | | | systems as high fidelity, though some |
| the time. Some movie stars purchased | | | | are capable of very good quality sound |
| movie theater sound equipment for use in | | | | reproduction. |
| their homes but the cost was out of | | | | |