I am an avid fly fisher, and lots of people that enjoy that sport are crazy about expensive gear. In my opinion, audiophiles are far crazier about gear than people who fly fish. Fly Fishing on-line forums, however, do not have special sections on these forums for listing all of the crazy expensive gear that they have. Just saying.
Have you also noticed that members mentor others with equal attention regardless of how expensive their personal gear might be? Very few were gifted at birth the ability to purchase expensive gear. Most spent a good part of their lives living within a limited budget, but this hobby seems to attract older people and some, when retired, treat themselves to items that they couldn’t afford while supporting a family. Most remember the challenges of building systems at various price points.