High fidelity

: High Fidelity is also the title of a book by Nick Hornby and a film directed by Stephen Frears, based on Hornby's book.

Modularity

Integrated, midi, or lifestyle systems contain one or more sources such as a CD player, a tuner, or a cassette deck together with a preamplifier and a power amplifier in one box. (Midi has no connection with MIDI technology in electronic instruments.) Such products are generally disparaged by audiophiles, although some high-end manufacturers produce integrated systems. The traditional hi-fi enthusiast, however, will build a system from separates, often with each item from a different manufacturer specialising in a particular component. This provides the most flexibility for piece-by-piece upgrades.

Related Topics:
Tuner - Cassette - Preamplifier - Power amplifier - ''MIDI'' - Audiophiles - High-end

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For slightly less flexibility in upgrades, a preamplifier and a power amplifier in one box is called an integrated amplifier; with a tuner, it is a receiver. A monophonic power amplifier is a monoblock. Other modules in the system may include components like cartridges, tonearms, turntables, DVD players that play a wide variety of discs including CDs, CD recorders, MiniDisc recorders, hi-fi video-cassette recorders (VCRs), reel-to-reel recorders, equalizers, signal processors, and subwoofers.

Related Topics:
''integrated amplifier'' - Cartridges - DVD - CD recorders - MiniDisc - Video-cassette recorders - Reel-to-reel - Recorders - Equalizers - Subwoofers

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This modularity allows the enthusiast to spend as little or as much as he wants on a component that suits his specific needs. In a system built from separates, sometimes a failure on one component still allows partial use of the rest of the system. A repair of an integrated system, though, means complete lack of use of the system.

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Another advantage of modularity is the ability to spend one's money on only a few core components at first and then later add additional components to one's system. Because of all these advantages to the modular way of building a high-fidelity system instead of buying an integrated system, audiophiles almost always assemble their system from separates. Some of the obvious disadvantages of this approach are increased cost, complexity, and space required for the components.

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