It is not how much one spends, but rather, how important is good sound and how much effort one puts into pursuing that sound. I have a young friend who has not put in nearly as much money as I have, but, in his relatively shorter time as an audiophile, he has put in way more effort. He finds stuff at junk and estate sales and does repairs/refurbishment. He hunts down some quite odd items, like rare Japanese speaker drivers, to make various speakers. Some of his junk finds are almost unbelievable--like a Garrard 301 turntable that was in a stereo cabinet where the whole works was purchased for $50. He use to work for a local stereo shop from the time he was 17 to just a few months ago when he took a tech job at a test instrument company. While at that shop he was involved in the installation of a system north of $1.5 million in another country. THIS is WAY more than I've ever done, and I am pretty dedicated to audio pursuits.
At what price is one considered an Audiophile.
Audiophilia, what is is it?
Is it the love of music or the equipment that presents the music.
Or is it both?
What is the cost of admission?
How much does one have to spend on equipment to be considered an Audiophile, if it is truly the later than the music.
What has membership to this perceived exclusive club cost you?