The Cambridge dictionary defines an Audiophile:
a person who is very interested in and enthusiastic about equipment for playing recorded sound, and its quality
I kinda like that definition.
Perhaps most music lovers are audiophiles at heart; I believe some audiophiles are in it just for subtle bragging rights much as some people have to see a movie first, have the flashiest car (or girlfriend, etc.), but IMO they’re missing the point.
As Herman Hesse pointed out in Steppenwolf, if you learn the skills, even a crappy portable radio can sound like a symphony in your head.