An Audiophile is Anyone Who Loves Audio Regardless of Monetary Status. Agree?

Problem is what is the definition of "high-fidelity" sound?

I know my definition has changed dramatically since I started this hobby 42 years ago.

The other assertion that isnt a given is that the wealthy are less scrupulous with their dollars than the poor or middle class.

Most of the wealthy that I know dont have time to listen to their systems because they are working. But, perhaps unlike vinny and brett, I actually have some wealthy friends.

I play a doctor on TV, therefore, I am a doctor.

I am passionate about space travel, therefore I am an astronaut.

I have never been on a boat but I love luxury yachts, therefore I am a luxury yachtsman.

I read Air and Space Magazine, therefore I am a pilot.

I watch pro football every Sunday, therefore I am a pro football player

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Doctors, astronauts, pilots, and football players go through rigorous training (and weeding) to get to these *professional* accreditations. Maritime training is available and occasionally required, depending on waterway and vessel. Yachts also have to stay afloat and get to their destination. Really bad captains are eliminated through accidents and insurance costs. Being a really crappy audiophile (does this exist?) doesn’t lead to any sort of Darwinian sorting. Even if having an opinion on Audiogon sometimes leads to childish piling-on, that doesn’t forcibly remove anyone from their audiophile aspirations.

Yachtsmen and audiophiles are typically *amateurs*, typically do not go through this training, and are identified more by enthusiasm than accomplishment or certification.

So the yachtsmen analogy is only OK, the rest are completely inapposite to audiophiles. The audiophiles are, indeed, the ones reading the magazines, loving the equipment, and listening every Sunday.

I dont think that the point of the original post was really about audiophiles. I think it was about class distinction and exclusivity. Born out of bad taste in vinny's mouth about who knows what. 

@bignamehere and @ahofer:

As I've said before, don't try to carry the analogies too far. Try to get the point rather than picking an analogy apart. And for the record those analogies were meant to be over-the-top for the sake of vinny. 

Yes, if you drive your Porsche on a racetrack then you are likely a sports car aficionado. (I'm a track instructor.) But as you say, no you are not a race car driver. 

But if you just happen to like Porsches and sports cars but don't own one and have never driven one then you are neither an aficionado or a race car driver.

I truly don't understand why people are struggling with this. I guess part of it is that they are getting hung up on this patently stupid definition:

“An audiophile is a person who is enthusiastic about high-fidelity sound reproduction.”

Just put it into application. Someone tells you they have a low paying job, struggle to make ends meet but are very enthusiastic high fidelity sound reproduction but have never had or heard any high end reproduction but are quite sure their new bluetooth Walmart headphones are just as good.

Is this person an audiophile? They meet the definition. Right?

Time for a better definition. Maybe one where "enthusiasm" (how do you measure that?) is the prime criteria.

@vinny55 : " @N80 i have multifaceted interests not just audio. Ive read about and owned lots of equipment and thousands of records cassettes and cds. Audio is a big passion of mine."

How is that relevant to anything being discussed here except for the fact that it pretty much confirms that you are an evil wealthy person like the rest of us?