Why are audiophiles perceived as being wackos?

There are two reasons:

1) unlike wine, watches, bespoke clothing, high end boats, designer mineral water, italian sheets, sub zero refrigerators, viking stoves, modern art, luxury automobiles, dualit toasters, cashmere blankets and expensive coffee - just to name a few things...

...high end audio is marketed BY geeky audiophiles and TO geeky audiophiles

(God love "geeky" audiophiles, by the way. I have been one for 25 years now.)

Our hobby has not been successfully marketed to affluent people who simply appreciate fine things.

I continue to have an obviously contrarian view that a $30,000 CD player, for example, is more of a luxury item than say, a hobbyist's necessity.

But there is no luxury goods cachet associated with audio.

2) Also, this hobby requires some degree of cultural literacy.

And people who don't really care about music (a growing segment of the population?) are unlikely to prioritize a big investment in audio.

Of course, genuinely appreciating impressionist pictures (and even enjoying good wine) also requires a degree of cultural literacy, but even if you really dont understand it, you can still hang it on your wall (or serve it at your dinner parties) and show your friends how rich you are.

This could happen to audio one day, but not until someone changes the model.

In the meantime, we are all weird.

God bless audiophiles and have a nice day.

I don't know why audiophiles are perceived to be screwballs--if they are.

Unable to speak for "them",I'll say that someone with a passion for something,as long as it is not socially destructive has my respect.

Perhaps someone who takes the time and makes the effort to play a musical instument or write a novel or put together an audio system is a screwball--who's to say? But I don't think that is a bad thing.

Wow, what Marco said!

I always thought the secret audiophile handshake was a little off putting.

I think Cwlondon has nailed a big part of it - high end is marketed by audiophiles to audiophiles and not to the greater masses. Coupled with the fact that, aside from a college students dorm room or apartment, which also has stellar furniture such as milk crates and cement block and pine board bookshelves, audio equipment typically doesn't appear in normal home decor.

Most of the other "finer things" fit nicely in the home, garage or "lifestyle". Think about it, many people who drink fine wine do so because it is expensive and they can. In other words a "status" or "lifestyle" thing. Eventually, some may even come to appreciate it for what it is and stop buying just the most expensive stuff and start buying just the best stuff. Rolexes and BMW's are as much statements of "I've made it" as anything else. Even stamp collections laid out on a desk in the "library" are a fashion statement.

I live in one of the more affluent counties in the US and, when looking at real estate, seldom run into dedicated listening rooms or meaningful stereo equipment of any kind. Indeed, I was told by a realtor friend of mine that he advises people with large speakers and electronics out in the open to put them away when selling their house to make it more attractive to potential purchasers.

Contrast that to home theaters, however, and now you have something with the cachet of fine wine, boats, and other luxury items that fit attractively into a house, garage or marina. Even if unused, they are "status symbols" that are easily marketed to the affluent or anyone that aspires thereto. They even buy expensive/good equipment, even if they don't know the names, because they want the best.

Unfortunately, high end audio was never effectively marketed in a way that made it a must have in ones house in the 60's and 70's. For stereo, the "best" is often small and unobtrusive, which plays to Bose and not high quality sound reproduction. For home theater, the "best" is often big and ostentatious. Too bad nobody got it right 30 years ago.