At what price is one considered an Audiophile.

@ghdprentice wrote:

On the other hand there are audiophile components. These are built to exacting requirements where component costs are unimportant… sound quality is the only objective.

So, if one is really to adhere by the boldfaced part, the components involved could, strictly speaking, be either cheaper or more expensive, right? And yet you continue with..

These tend to start around $10K to $20K. So every aspect is optimized… the best… not cheapest subcomponents are used.

If sound quality truly is the only objective, then why is it automatically assumed price always has a strict bearing? To your logic then price is the only objective, to which sound quality must follow by necessity. I mean, which is it?

If sound quality really is where you're coming from (and your specific position on what constitutes good sound quality likely isn't shared by everyone) I would imagine the outcome is somewhat more varied in price range, segment, brand, principle, design and what not than what you would propose or imply. 

So, budding audiophiles seek out off brands, used audiophile equipment and off beat techniques to get the best sound they can.

So, the man of freshly produced audiophile gear, widely known brands and "on beat" techniques is at odds with, or really throws a slightly condescending glance at the individuals who'd choose used (and in effect cheaper) "off brand" gear and "off techniques" (compared to what, one might add), as someone aspiring to be a true, seasoned audiophile. I fail to see the relevance of what you write with anything that's a true bearing on an individual's pursuit, goals and actual achievements in regards to audio reproduction - regardless of price and approach - other than telling me more about you. 

@deep_333    If your current system is your final audio destination kudos. What is offensive is claiming anyone that has or desires an audio system of better build and sound quality cares less about music and more about gear? That might get the award for "most convoluted" statement on Audiogon!

Everybody knows that my 700 bucks system cannot rival many more expansive one we can see in the virtual system pages as a real or potential better audiophile experience 😁...

This is a common place indisputable fact ...I dont brag about any system myself including mine , i invite people to STUDY AND EXPERIMENT instead or before upgrading ...

What many people ignore is that we can have an audiophile experience at low cost ANYWAY, provide we know or learn how to create synergy and know or learn how to control mechanical, electrical and acoustical embeddings of any audio system ...

Claiming otherwise is reinforcing the false belief that the relation between good sound and a better sound is depending on the gear mainly and more depending especially only on the gear price...

This is double falsehood : Synergy and the acoustics/psycho-acoustics knowledge and not only room acoustic here, is the basis of audiophile experience not merely the gear design , and more than that there is no linear relation between audiophile experience value and gear price ...

Now if someone read my post as meaning that i deny the audio quality value of high end designed component compared to low cost solutions , he misread my post COMPLETELY... I say that acoustic and other basic  knowledge are more valuable than gear price and as much as important to create and reach the MINIMAL ACOUSTIC SATISFACTION THRESHOLD ...When we cross this threshold music became so immersive we forgot upgrades, most of us at least ,  save the obsessive compulsive consumers who anyway focus on gear price scale  upgrade not on knowledge or acoustic  experiments... ...

bigtwin

haha you got me. Good one!!!