Should people who can't solder, build or test their speakers be considered audiophiles?



  So, if you bought that Porsche but can only drive it and not fix it do you really understand and appreciate what it is? I say no. The guy who can get in there and make it better, faster or prettier with his own hands has a superior ability to understand the final result and can appreciate what he has from a knowledge base and not just a look at what I bought base. I mean sure you can appreciate that car when you drive it but if all you do is take it back to the dealership for maintenance and repairs you just like the shape with no real understanding of what makes it the mechanical marvel it is.
  I find that is true with the audio world too. There are those who spend a ton of money on things and then spend a lot of time seeking peer approval and assurance their purchase was the right one and that people are suitably impressed. Of course those who are most impressed are those who also do not design, build, test or experiment.

  I propose that an audiophile must have more than a superficial knowledge about what he listens to and must technically understand what he is listening to. He knows why things work and what his end goal is and often makes his own components to achieve this. He knows how to use design software to make speakers that you can't buy and analyze the room they are in and set up the amplification with digital crossovers and DSP. He can take a plain jane system and tweak it and balance it to best suit the room it is in. He can make it sound far better than the guy who constantly buys new components based on his superficial knowledge who does not understand why what he keeps buying in vain never quite gets there.

  A true audiophile can define his goal and with hands on ability achieve what a mere buyer of shiny parts never will. So out comes the Diana Krall music and the buyer says see how good my system is? The audiophile says I have taken a great voice and played it through a system where all was matched and tweaked or even purposely built and sits right down next to Diana as she sings. The buyer wants prestigious signature sound and the audiophile will work to achieve an end result that is faithful true to life audio as though you were in the room with Diana as she sings. The true audiophile wants true to life and not tonally pure according to someones artificial standard.

 So are you a buyer or an audiophile and what do you think should make a person an audiophile?
mahlman
" To me it’s sad if your only intention for posting what you did was for the value of the reactions. Must still be stuck at home with nothing to do, no new tv programming and running out of constructive activities "
  Initially it was as mentioned earlier in the thread a sarcastic response to a thread seriously offered for consideration on Audiogon. It was asking if a true audiophile had to have a turn table and reel to reel.  And no, no more bored or running out of constructive things to do than those who reply here.
Three types of responses here: #1 Sincere, honest, and meaningfully helpful. How much can be said? #2 Intendingly humorous by knuckleheads like me. #3 complaints of the obvious. #1 is probably played-out. #3 respondces give #2 responses reason to continue. 
Really, am I allowed? If not, who do I need to request permission from? I need to know. 

You can ask me... Yes you have permission. Now go and have a good time. But be nice....;-)

Regards..

Yesterday morning, I went to the Indiana Audiophile Society’s Indianapolis office to apply to become an official member. To earn official membership and the coveted Official Indiana Audiophile Member credentials that are bestowed, the process requires each applicant to take their very demanding Audiophile Entrance Exam. Membership is only granted to those paying the $5,000 entrance fee and answering the Official Entrance Exam’s 100 true-false questions with complete and total accuracy, a single incorrect answer results in permanent membership disqualification and forfeiture of the entrance fee.
If the entrance fee is paid and all 100 entrance exam questions are answered 100% correctly, Official Indiana Audiophile membership status and credentials are bestowed upon the applicant.
About an hour later, as I handed my completed exam back to the office clerk, she must have noticed my concerned manner because she stated: "Relax Mr. noble100, I probably shouldn’t be telling you this but the whole exam is actually based on whether question #2 is answered correctly or not, all the other questions are superfluous, not even checked and just there for appearances."
I quickly looked down and reread question #2 on the exam, along with my answer, before handing it over to the clerk. Question #2 asked:
"True or false, People who can't solder, build or test their speakers are not considered to be audiophiles?"

There it is my friends, Irony in Action!

Is this a true story or a made up story?
Consider this a fable with a moral to the story.

What word best describes my feelings about my performance on the exam?
Yahtzee!

How did I answer question #2?
Those who paid close attention understand this point is moot.

I don’t wish to stifle further debate and discussion, however, so please carry on.

Tim