At what price is one considered an Audiophile.

It is about passion for the gear, not price.

The fallout from my assault on the low end has resulted in a garage full of boomboxes and mini-systems.

As a self-proclaimed transport junkie, a high-end CD system starts at about 2K for the transport alone. If you don't get the transport right, the rest of the system will sound "mid-fi" no matter what you spend. Spending more on downstream equipment will only reinforce that "mid-fi" sound.

The actual cost of music is next to nothing, a Qobuz subscription gets you more high quality music than one could listen to in decades (ok, that might be an exaggeration 😂).  The equipment to stream it, amplify it, and speakers to listen to it on in a decent quality sound system would likely be $3k on the cheap end, less if used, the sky’s the limit from there!

I guess I figure my Audiofile enthusiasm started back in 1962 when I got my first 2 transistor radio. I’ve been a lost cause ever since. It’s not the investment but rather your state of mind.

There was a reason I never joined a fraternity in college, or joined a political party. I’m in it for my enjoyment. Don’t need the title or anyone to tell me how to get there.  

Even what most would consider a modest system, it is nicer than anybody that I know so I figured that makes me a de facto audiophile amongst my friends.