At what price is one considered an Audiophile.

czarivey, that's the real point. To compare speakers to acoustic instrument. I would only add voice to your list. Voice is the most basic and most important instrument. And we all have it.

@

laoman

I helped a friend curate one of the best sounding systems I’ve heard in real life (ie in a home not in a show room or audio show) for $3k.

Okay, I'll bite. What is it?

Audiophile is an illness.  Something you don't want to contract.  Like dealing with a disease, gets very expensive.  AND health insurance does not cover an Audiophiliac,  Sorry Steve.

Audiophile is an illness. 

You are not  completely wrong...

But as with many illness, the cure is knowledge...

Improving our hearing consciousness by acoustics basic concepts and experiments...

For example most peoople are oblivious and unconscious of the destructive crosstalk efects in speakers listening... How to test it mechanically in near listening is a very important simple experiment... the price of your speakers will not do anything better here than less pricey one...

Acoustics rule...

All subscribers to TAS and Stereophile are audiophiles!