Whether one is an audiophile or belongs here should be self determined. At present I'm vacillating on whether I consider myself an audiophile anymore. My system is truly finished and I'm not deluding myself on this. I've been through many systems over forty years in this, and I now finally have the sound I always dreamed about, and I'm too old to start over. The thing is my curiosity in regard to new equipment and all the tweaks has diminished to the point I rarely check out audio forums and audio publications. So, I have an audiophile system without the curiosity I previously had. Devoid the curiosity, I'm now doubting I'm an audiophile. My take is an audiophile is one who is part of the audiophile culture. Curiosity born of interest brings you into the audiophile culture, merely having an audiophile system doesn't mean your an audiophile.
Am I right for this forum?
I’ve been an Audiogon member for some years now; I remember (fondly) "millercarbon," for example, which will mean something to some of you. And I’ve been a lover of audio equipment since high school—so, for over 50 years (I graduated in 1973). And yet...more and more, I find myself alienated from this forum, even though I do still read it regularly.
I do have what I consider a very "high-fidelity" system. I’ve written a very long account of my "audio journey," complete with many photos, but not "published" it on this site. I’m also a member of our local audio club, which includes several very well-heeled members who have systems costing more than most homes (one of them owns equipment valued at nearly a million dollars, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg: his system is housed in a separate structure purpose-built for it that cost well over a million). I play cello and guitar; my wife plays piano, my daughter piano and violin. We play those instruments in the same room occupied by my main audio system, and so I can attest to the "fidelity" of that system’s reproduction.
And yet...my system cost me less than $3,000 in total. I don’t lust after any particular "upgrade," even though I read reviews and all the many accounts of improvements in "SQ" documented in this forum.
So...am I an "audiophile," or not? Do I belong here, or not?
I’m listening right now to a wonderful bit of Mozart. I also love Tool. And Christy Moore. And Eva Cassidy. And so many others. I agree with Nietzsche: without music, life would be a mistake. But am I an audiophile? Do I belong on this forum?
Any sympathy here? Anyone else feel alienated from the "audiophile community" despite loving the miracle of audio technology?