I think we’ve gotten some "hits" and "misses" here. Mostly "hits."
Being an "audiophile" can worn as a badge of honor. It depends on how we use it. Yes, we can weaponize our "audiophile status" to belittle others and position ourselves in a position of superiority. Or, we can be a humble servant -- worthwhle asset in helping to deliveri the best musical experiences for others. Perhaps, turn them on to some great music in the process? Our inner audiophile makes ours, and other’s lives better -- on many levels.
Somewhere along the way, our experiences have navigated us towards the pursuit of better sound. The "price of admission" the to obtain the goals of better sound required an intellectual journey, an investment in time and, yes, resources. It is the pursuit that defines us, not what is sittling in/on the rack at home. As mentioned earlier, I believe the "audiophile system" is that system that best fulfills the objectives of the listener after following something resembling an "audiophile path." IF that system is budget/space constrained, so be it. The fact that we took the "audiophile path" -- research, listening, peer review etc. to make those choices is what defines us. And, makes it "an audiphile system."
This process also leads us to an understanding of a component/system’s limitations and we make it a point to do so. There have been several posts here by those stating they went to Big Box and bought a <insert popular brand name consumer product> and "LOVE IT." Well, this may be the case. But, if we haven’t taken the time to evaluate other components at, near, or even multiples of price point above that, we don’t know it’s limitations. The "audiophile path" is missing, therefore, its is a "one and done consumer choice" and not a carefully selected product based on it’s performance vs the rest of the world, as a true "audiophile" would have done. I am familiar with many of the items listed here, and can politely state that there’s a lof of music that never leaves those boxes -- compared to other choices in the category.
