how much to $pend to claim i am an audiophile?

Ask not how much you need to spend but rather, how much have you got? Think black hole sucking money!

to answer your question about the grado head phones,yes but only if you listen to patricia barber on them thru a tube amp.

An audiophile is a person who spends exorbitant sums of money on hype and then discovers it's not about what others think but rather what one hears.

It's a bit like buying a boat isn't it? Been There! My audiophile buddy has $100K in his system. But he readily admits there is a bit of ego in there. He is advising me on the initial system set-up - I will be in there for about $15 - 20K He's a friend and his advice has been good. Maggies, Bryston, not sure yet on the processor, cables, etc.