At what price is one considered an Audiophile.

In the current reality $10k is not much at all, so good sound is not very expensive.

Excellent sound is expensive. 

Cost may be irrelevant, in a sense, because it's a state of mind, but if you want a good sound, even if it is the first step, it will cost. $10k perhaps, one source, used equipment except cartridge. If your room is big it will be more. If you listen to large scale music it will be more. Well, for $5k it could be possible to find something listenable, but it would be below audiophile level.

OP, I suggest you not spend much or your system will sound better than any of ours, and we won't like that.

That's why you get so many nonsense responses. They are poor people with mid-fi stereos and questionable hearing. They are also idealistic and detached from reality.

$10k, no less. And if you want Bill to envy you that would be half a million or so.

Oh, and forget about music, it's all noise. Listen to the sounds. That's audiophile.

whart is Bill, he's got a great system, especially the turntable and power amps.

That's good, thank you, for being over $10k. But, yeah, it's very much about involvement. If I wasn't poor too...I don't want to think about it. But certainly, I could spend thousands of dollars on tube rolling only

czarivey, that's the real point. To compare speakers to acoustic instrument. I would only add voice to your list. Voice is the most basic and most important instrument. And we all have it.

OP is way more polite than I am but I will play along.

It sure gets expensive like hell after a certain level. Every tube, every cone, every cable, not to mention active components. You can be anything in your imagination, try to build it in reality, that will require more effort and much more resources. 

Jacob, it's not really hostile here, it's more boring than hostile, in fact. 

Of course, it’s almost always only men. What do you think we want to hear while listening to our beloved stereos ? And who do you think it should come from ?

Got it ?

I would like to have dual volume control. Lamm does it, my old Redgum integrated had it. Who else ?

I don't hide my audiophile elitism and snobbism but I do moderate them.