I have two solid prosumer systems at home with many different size speakers trying to cover the spectrum but the more i dig into the hobby the more i feel like I actually have no idea what im doing. I really notice a huge difference when i play through my computer using an audio enhancing equalizer (boom 3D). Definitely night and day difference from just raw dogging the receiver and speakers but im sure itll never actually qualify as hifi. I notice some places around the room sound incredible but moving around the sound changes and im very aware of the physics that make this happen. How else would true hifi feel different? I can play pretty loud music with no destination and my woofers handle the bass well feeling the notes not just a rumble like some other systems ive heard. Anything i try to play without the equalizer becomes super flat and i lose alot of the mids and highs is there gear that could replace this i could add to my receiver.
Whether a particular setup qualifies as “true hi-fi” is ultimately a personal judgement.
The goal of a Hi-Fi (High Fidelity) system is to reproduce a recording accurately without adding or subtracting anything. This means that it must cover the entire audible range of frequencies from 20 Hz to 20,000Hz evenly (without peaks or dips.). It should play quiet sounds without any added noise, and the loudest sounds without any distortion. Stereo imaging should be distinct allowing the localization of voices and instruments in space. There should be no speed variation (wow and flutter.), which is not generally an issue with digital music, but could affect playing records or tapes.
There is no perfect system, but some do a better job than others. Speaker placement and room treatment matters, as does synergistic matching of components. There is only so much that can be done with poor equipment. And even very good equipment can disappoint if these factors are not carefully considered. My advice is to experiment and get it to sound as good a possible before applying any EQ. (It’s very easy to go overboard with that, and it can’t fix everything.) To further complicate matters, different music may require radically different tonal adjustments to sound good.