Are you too old to be an audiophile?

the hobby is about what one buys, not what one hears. you don't have to be an audiophile to be passionate about music.

I am a 58 y/o audiophile, have poor hearing, always have, yet I enjoy my system. When I hear someone sit down and play a piano or any instrument, that is my base line hearing of what a real piano sounds like to me.

Now when I listen to different stereo equipment, cables, tubes, I can hear differences (soundstage, depth, imaging, coloration, etc...) I can tell what equipment, doing A/B comparison, sounds the most like my base line hearing of a real piano. Isn't that what it’s all about?

The "scientific fact" that my/our hearing isn't what it used to be is actually fairly complex. Some relatively young persons have degraded hearing in consequence of prolonged or frequent exposure to rock concerts, jack hammers, and so on. Genetic differences, pathogens, and a variety of other factors and circumstances may also account for hearing differences. So the aging process -- still imperfectly understood -- is not the only variable (or set of variables)that ought to be considered insofar as "hearing" is concerned. And, as some of the posts suggest, the matter of "enjoyment" is even more complex (and, I think, hopeful).

According to Merriam-Webster's definition: "Audiophile: a person who is enthusiastic about high-fidelity sound reproduction".

Merriam-Webster says it's all about enthusiasm. That specifically doesn't say anything about actual audio acuity/Golden Ears (nor about a whole lotta other stuff... ;~).

I do kinda wonder - what did you really expect for responses? Do you consider yourself an audiophile? And do you know how much audio acuity you've lost since you were ~17 and how has that affected you as a potential audiophile? You didn't live your formative years w/ earphones jammed in and cranked up, did you?

Since we're here on AudiogoN I'd sure hope you receive many enthusiastic responses. For many/most, this hobby almost by definition ain't about being rational so probably enthusiasm is the next best alternative...

The "nuances of high end gear" do not exist exclusively in frequencies above 14K. Dynamic contrasts exist at all freqs.

You lose some abilities when you age and you gain others.

I would rather have the ability to "get" 100% of the 90% I can hear verses 70% of the 100% I was able.