An Audiophile is Anyone Who Loves Audio Regardless of Monetary Status. Agree?

@jtcf pretty funny. Never knew mr bean was into audio

There is nothing wrong with differentiating between novice and experienced audio enthusiasts. What doug wrote about the value of experience and exposure is spot on. People that dont know what they dont know are very hard to reach. These type of posts always get to a point where those with knowledge and balance stop casting pearls before swine and call it a day. 

Are you not the same guy who wanted to put reel to reels out to pasture? And now an audiophile is anyone who luvs audio despite monetary status??? Where does that leave guys who dig reel to reels? Your questions are silly and pointless to me. Maybe just click bait and to start arguments?

@brettmcee said:

"If you are proud of that kind of excess you probably don’t really care about ‘the music’ or ‘the sound’ anymore"

You could say that about almost anyone else who spent more money than you did right?

In other words, you say six grand is the price of admission to true hi-fi sound quality. Vinny, who is happy at 4 grand could say you just spent the extra 2 grand just to flaunt your money and admire the pretty lights on your gear.

Get it?

Likewise, the guy with a $50,000 system will say $40,000 is the real price of admission for true high fidelity and anyone who thinks they are doing it for $10,000 is simply a Philistine. 

See?

That sort of relativism gets us nowhere.

The point of the whole thread is that the lowest number anyone has trotted out and claimed to get high fidelity is 2 grand. Again, that's a lot more than most music lovers will be willing to spend and more than a lot of people could spend even if they want to.

So again, the answer is yes, it takes money to be an audiophile. If that upsets sensitive egalitarian sensibilities, well, sometimes the truth hurts a little.

I bought my first decent system in the Army in 1969/70.  Sansui integrated amp and tuner, Dual 1229 turntable and Sansui Sp-100 speakers with an Akai reel to reel.

I was so happy with that system after using cheap grind o matic stuff.  All my friends were impressed when I returned and went to college.  

Now I have 3.6 Maggies, MC501 amps with tube Mac C220, etc.  I love my current system, but not ant happier than with my first one.

Marginal coat, marginal gain.   Happiness is not related to money, but rather the joy you receive from your music.

Thinking you are better because of a very small marginal difference in sound is a fool’s errand.

It really is all about the music.