Should people with no turntable or reel to reel be considered audiophiles?


Just like those driving a Porsche SUV can join PCA (digital audio fans can join Audiogon) but are certainly not Porschephiles unless they also own a coupe (Panamera owners I guess gets a pass here).

Please respond with a yes or no and we'll tally a vote for the first 100 responses.

sokogear
This is how silly your overall position is, and even bringing Porschephile into the discussion. What exactly does that mean?  Does owning a Porsche and being a member of PCA mean anything other than you have the resources to buy a Porsche (and even then it does not always mean that). Nope. Does it mean you know anything about cars? No. Does it mean you are at all a superior driver? No. Does it mean you know how to handle a high performance vehicle at limit? No. Does it mean you know how to properly drive a car for maximum performance? No. Does it mean you have some meaningful pursuit of "automotive" nirvana whatever that is ... no again. Just means you could afford to purchase one.

Used to be really into cars, more consumed by other things these days. In the "crowd" I ran with, unless you had built some aspect of your car, had probably completed a few racing courses, and had actually raced, your were just a "poser". You could tell the type, they would show up on track day, sign their waver, get checked out, visibly "sneer" at the "lesser" humans, then proceed to tear up a lot more dirt than lap times, always coming off the track swearing and blaming this or that, but never their own lack of ability. I have driven racing go-karts that would scare the crap out of most "Porschephiles".

Saying you can't be a "real" audiophile unless you own a turntable or reel-reel is about as valid as claiming "Porschephile" has any useful meaning within the automotive world. I consider a kid with a budget amp and set of speakers who uses his phone as a source, but who takes the time and makes the effort to learn something about acoustics, speaker placement, room treatments, room correction, and the science of audio, a heck of a lot more an "Audiophile", than someone who would attempt to exclude people from "the club" based purely based on their own likes for sources.
Porsche Club of America has 130 000 members? That is more people than some countries.

Total in the world is only 230 000 members.
(http://www.porsche-club-deutschland.de/Mitgliedschaft/index.htm)

On the other hand, AARP has 38 000 000 which is 1.5 times more than a whole continent.
Glupson, I have driven a Cayan Turbo and it is an overweight tub that has more in common with a tank than a 911 or Cayman. All you have to do to join the PCA is know how to pronounce Porsche correctly. It is not a Porsch it is a Porsche. Nobody ever has trouble saying Ferrari. 
Mahlman, thanks for the kudos. I was feeling all alone out here. 
For those of you who do not like a spirited discussion I suggest you take up needle work. If it were not for Cleeds I would not be having any fun. 
This is how silly your overall position is, and even bringing Porschephile into the discussion. What exactly does that mean?

Its not silly at all. If you would just for one moment open your closed mind and consider, Porschephile and audiophile are very much related. Understanding one even helps you to understand the other.

Neither one is about anything as crass as stuff. Porschephile means literally love of Porsche- which by the way was a man, Ferdinand Porsche, who made the car and not the other way around. Ferdinand Porsche was an engineer who when he looked around for a car could not find the car he wanted. Practical, fast, efficient, durable, sporty. Above all he wanted a car that was enjoyable to drive. Couldn't find one. So he made one. He figured, and this is near word for word, that if he built the car he liked others might like it as well.  

You missed this the first time so let me lay it out for you nice and clear. This is exactly what high end audio is about. Ted, Keith, Eric, Peter, Krissy, all these different people making stuff sound the way they think it should sound. Just like Porsche. Not a one of them did a market study. They just made stuff they thought sounded good. People who care more about sound than anything else bought what they made. Just like people who care more about driving buy Porsche.

owning a Porsche and being a member of PCA mean anything other than you have the resources to buy a Porsche (and even then it does not always mean that). Nope.

Nope is right. Or else everyone with money would have one. Which they do not. Because way more people with money than love of driving. Logic. Try it some time.


 Does it mean you know anything about cars? No.

Right. Who said anything about cars? We're talking Porsche. Trying to change the subject. Weak. Lazy. Lame. 

Does it mean you are at all a superior driver? No
.
Not if all you do is own one. PCA regions coast to coast do however have driver development programs run on a level second only to Bondurant, Barber, et al. In many cases they are the same instructors. Reality. Deal with it.

Does it mean you know how to handle a high performance vehicle at limit? No.


It does if you take DE and let myself or other PCA Driving Instructors help you learn.

Does it mean you know how to properly drive a car for maximum performance?

Yes. Something you would know if you had even one day as a Novice: all the same skills and techniques apply regardless of what you are driving.

Just means you could afford to purchase one.

My what a narrow, small, petty little view of the world you have. Divisive too. Porschephile and audiophile are united in their enthusiasm and love. Bet you didn't even see that one coming. 


Exclusion of people always sets up red flags to me. People who prefer Mp3 to Flac is where I draw the line. I have a friend who has 10s of 1000s of files and always prefers them as Mp3. We enjoy speaking about musical discoveries together but I find it difficult to listen to readily available files in the Mp3 format. If it's rare and only available in Mp3 of course I make allowances. I still enjoy vinyl but retired the Reel to Reel many years ago