Are you too old to be an audiophile?

The "scientific fact" that my/our hearing isn't what it used to be is actually fairly complex. Some relatively young persons have degraded hearing in consequence of prolonged or frequent exposure to rock concerts, jack hammers, and so on. Genetic differences, pathogens, and a variety of other factors and circumstances may also account for hearing differences. So the aging process -- still imperfectly understood -- is not the only variable (or set of variables)that ought to be considered insofar as "hearing" is concerned. And, as some of the posts suggest, the matter of "enjoyment" is even more complex (and, I think, hopeful).

As a general observation, hearing acuity does diminish over the years. In consequence, a twenty year old with "normal" hearing for his age group will hear more of what a good audio system has to offer than an eighty year old with "normal" hearing for his age group. The eighty year old, however, can still hear significant differences in equipment. Senior citizens can still obtain useful guidance from good audio reviews. And they are well advised to try components in their own systems when possible. In brief, they can still be audiophiles at their advanced age.