Wow, am I late getting on this question! — Nothing changed.
I would say, as a budget-minded person interested in audiophile-level sound, that money does matter in this hobby. If you don’t spend at least to a certain level, you are just a pseudo-audiophile to many here. I base this on two things:
I see questions that ask for suggestions for buying audio equipment. Before I can respond, I look at the other responses/suggestions. Oh my! I was going to say I was satisfied with my $3,000 amp, or my $1,000 pre-amp, or my CD transport that cost less than $1,000. But all these recommendations from others are for equipment many times more expensive than anything I have ever owned. I think I must be slumming it! And their listening rooms, sometimes custom built, dedicated rooms that are huge! All that — money, money, money! The equipment I aspire to, I can imagine these folks giving a skeptical look and “Well, if that’s ALL you can afford!” Yes, it’s all I can afford — sorry!
The second thing — look at the pages on Audiogon that list equipment for sale. Especially the featured items: Speakers and amps that costs $30,000, $40,000, $50,000, some over $100,000 or $200,000. I glance over such things, knowing “never, ever”. Am I envious? Somewhat, but I also wonder how much of a hit these people take when they go to sell that equipment? Yeah, you list it on Audiogon or other sites, but how many people are out there thinking, “Oh, that’s what I’ve been looking for! And only $50,000! Bargain time!” And if you can afford to spend this much on the hobby, I imagine your house is worth in the millions, you have a boat, maybe your own airplane, scads of overseas trips and holidays, sauntering around the country club, martini in hand, saying, “Darling, please be a dear and have them pull around the Bentley”.
I think that if you are talking less than $20,000 total for your equipment (not room), you aren’t really in the audiophile category on these pages. And maybe even $20,000 is disappointing. Seems that the higher you can go, the more you earn the title Audiophile.
