At what price is one considered an Audiophile.

@carlsbad2 has a point here... I have a friend who asked me to spec out an audiophile-grade vinyl system for at/under $1k.... I thought I could do it, but it's really not possible. I've found that I need at least ~$1.6k ($400 for a decent turntable with something like an Ortofon 2M red, $400 for a decent amp/avr, $500 for decent bookshelf speakers and stands, and $300 for rack, surge protector, and basic cables) to get to a very entry-level "audiophile setup." while there are plenty of people that wouuold turn their noses up at a system like this, with the proper acoustic treatments and room positioning, a system like this could sound pretty good.

I think there are plenty of audiophiles that are super interested and enthusiastic about audio reproduction, but aren't ready to spend the kind of money it takes to unlock true hifi sound. So I guess your question breaks down like this: anyone can be an audiophile, but an "entry-level, audiophile-grade system" will cost you ~$1.6k-$2k.

Finally, as @designsfx points out, just because someone spends a lot on a system, that doesn't automatically make them an audiophile. Thoughtlessly throwing money at gear is the antithesis of what this hobby is all about in the first place!!!

That sounds a lot like asking a teenager if they cleaned their room and getting the answer that they thought about it. 

@waytoomuchstuff      Appreciate the intelligent and mature reply!  I agree with most of your comments but few if any will agree on what a deeper soundstage, lower noise floor, longer note decay or any other Audiophile nuances should cost. This is why any price/performance ratio standard IMO is nearly irrelevant. Another issue is most would disagree where the starting point(cost) for a true HEA system begins. My guess is it could range from $1k to $25K depending on the individual. On a side note I made a comment on an older thread that I never heard an "incredible" complete system for $4500 and got blasted for my honest opinion. FWIW "Incredible" is a very subjective word, quoting Paul Simon..."one man' s ceiling is another man's floor" can be applied to our audio journey/destination.

few if any will agree on what a deeper soundstage, lower noise floor, longer note decay or any other Audiophile nuances should cost. This is why any price/performance ratio standard IMO is nearly irrelevan

Such an unintelligent falsity/ the common lie propagated by guys (dealers incognito) who try to sell sht that’s completely not worth the selling price.

Deeper soundstage? Lower noise floor? Audiophile nuance? It all comes down to the competence level of the engineer...all with negligible/zero perceptible gains beyond a certain limit even for a golden ear bat.

When one buys things from very intelligent guys like Andrew Jones, Peter Comeau, guys at Yamaha, etc, great things can be very affordable. When one buys things from dumb dudes like Daryl Wilson, mediocrity can be very expensive.

Intelligent dudes will get things made by intelligent dudes. Dumb dudes will get things made by dumb dudes. Birds of the same feather tend to flock together.