are any of your friends audiophiles?

Saygrr, I share your experiences. I have known many who used to even attend shows who either now have home theaters or just don't listen at all. For at least two it is the decline in their hearing that may explain this.

I have gotten accustomed to my kids and relatives comments. It helps to be getting to an age where one eccentricities are tolerated rather than dismissed.

Mrtennis, I am sure that pedophiles, etc. do not help. Perhaps we should call ourselves audio or music lovers or audio enthusiasts.

Wow - this thread has gotten more responses than any I've posted.

So it seems my experience is not unique. Most people simply don't have the ear, wallet or patience for this hobby.

I often tell people (half jokingly) that a good audio system is better suited for regular people than audiophiles like us. A typical person spending a few thousand on a stereo is a fantastic deal. They will probably keep most of the components for 15 years, so amortized over the years, it is a small yearly cost and of course rewards greatly.

For people like many of us, who are always looking for better performance, buying and selling gear (usually loosing money), trying cables and tweeks, etc it is not nearly as good a deal!!!

Another recent experience that opened my eyes to how skewed many of our value system is. Someone who works in my building mentioned to my Girlfriend that a package I had delivered looked like an LP, ans he mentioned he loved vinyl, etc. Hearing this I talked to him about his collection, etc, and he said his table was broken. I replied "then I have a great deal for you" I have a used WTT I am getting ready to sell (since I got a Raven One and Phantom) I told him the table was only around $750. He looked at me like I had 2 heads. It seemed to him $750 was an outrageous sum to pay for a turntable, new or used. I finally saw it from his perspective, and thought he would think there was something seriously wrong with me if he knew the retail cost of my new table (bottom of the line)/arm/cart/cable was close to 14K.

It was a real reality check and eye opener.

I don't have a single audiophile friend. Unfortunately, a lot of people who think I'm nuts with no one to share the pain or show me some understanding. Fortunately, I manage it well and listen to a lot of music.

At work a few of us were at a training session. One of the guys asked about my system. Another who I know but rarely see asked a question about the LPs and how much the Nitty Gritty cost. When I said "about $100 but that was years ago" he said "I would never spend a $100 for a ******* record cleaner". That made for a pleasant day.

Saygrr, DO NOT be apologetic for your hobby! Stop frowning and feeling bad for yourself! I've met you and know from what I've seen that you're a considerate and softly spoken man. You tend to speak as though you're apologetic, and people will take advantage of that and verbally skewer you.
Consider if this individual has his own tendencies toward behavior that is clearly idiotic. Does he spend money on lotto tickets? Does he blow ton's on car accessories that depreciate? etc. (Hey, people, that's my perspective and maybe not yours; I'm not out to start anything, just leading Saygrr think a bit about the situation. From what I know of Saygrr, he's conservative and can relate to this comment.) I doubt that he's fiscally perfect. And if he has a "hobby" or sport I'll bet he drops PLENTY on it, unless he's a total cheapskate. In that case, he's likely not worth knowing better than on a working relationship level. Consider the source of verbal put-downs; often they should be weighted zero importance.

You need to drop by my place for a good time listening session! Get your tunes ready and give me a call!