At what price is one considered an Audiophile.

Dignity 

Buying great audio equipment is the easy part. Getting my hearing that I had when I was a young man is impossible.

@carlsbad2 has a point here... I have a friend who asked me to spec out an audiophile-grade vinyl system for at/under $1k.... I thought I could do it, but it's really not possible. I've found that I need at least ~$1.6k ($400 for a decent turntable with something like an Ortofon 2M red, $400 for a decent amp/avr, $500 for decent bookshelf speakers and stands, and $300 for rack, surge protector, and basic cables) to get to a very entry-level "audiophile setup." while there are plenty of people that wouuold turn their noses up at a system like this, with the proper acoustic treatments and room positioning, a system like this could sound pretty good.

I think there are plenty of audiophiles that are super interested and enthusiastic about audio reproduction, but aren't ready to spend the kind of money it takes to unlock true hifi sound. So I guess your question breaks down like this: anyone can be an audiophile, but an "entry-level, audiophile-grade system" will cost you ~$1.6k-$2k.

Finally, as @designsfx points out, just because someone spends a lot on a system, that doesn't automatically make them an audiophile. Thoughtlessly throwing money at gear is the antithesis of what this hobby is all about in the first place!!!

That sounds a lot like asking a teenager if they cleaned their room and getting the answer that they thought about it. 

@waytoomuchstuff      Appreciate the intelligent and mature reply!  I agree with most of your comments but few if any will agree on what a deeper soundstage, lower noise floor, longer note decay or any other Audiophile nuances should cost. This is why any price/performance ratio standard IMO is nearly irrelevant. Another issue is most would disagree where the starting point(cost) for a true HEA system begins. My guess is it could range from $1k to $25K depending on the individual. On a side note I made a comment on an older thread that I never heard an "incredible" complete system for $4500 and got blasted for my honest opinion. FWIW "Incredible" is a very subjective word, quoting Paul Simon..."one man' s ceiling is another man's floor" can be applied to our audio journey/destination.

few if any will agree on what a deeper soundstage, lower noise floor, longer note decay or any other Audiophile nuances should cost. This is why any price/performance ratio standard IMO is nearly irrelevan

Such an unintelligent falsity/ the common lie propagated by guys (dealers incognito) who try to sell sht that’s completely not worth the selling price.

Deeper soundstage? Lower noise floor? Audiophile nuance? It all comes down to the competence level of the engineer...all with negligible/zero perceptible gains beyond a certain limit even for a golden ear bat.

When one buys things from very intelligent guys like Andrew Jones, Peter Comeau, guys at Yamaha, etc, great things can be very affordable. When one buys things from dumb dudes like Daryl Wilson, mediocrity can be very expensive.

Intelligent dudes will get things made by intelligent dudes. Dumb dudes will get things made by dumb dudes. Birds of the same feather tend to flock together.

@dayglow

+1
@deep_333

-1

I think it is more of a mindset than a dollar value. 

 Or, If you amp has only a selector and volume control you must be an audiophile. 😁

Roger nails it here in this piece posted on Daily Audiophile today:

https://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/viewpoint/1021/Are_You_Part_Of_The_Eighty_Percent.htm

@bigtwin No one is holding you here at gunpoint, so go!

OK then, the question has been answered and we can all move on to more interesting discussions. Please. 😆

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

       This question seems to come up all the time and the posted answers always seem to be pretty much the same. I think something that seems to receive very little to no support is the idea that being an audiophile has nothing to do with how much equipment you own or how much you paid for it. I believe it has only to do with your appreciation for good music and the quality of the reproduction of that music. Even though one might strive to be able to produce high fidelity music in their own home, I have never thought that a requirement of being an audiophile is that you own the equipment you are or have listened to and that the equipment was ultra expensive. I think you could be an audiophile even though you only own a boom box but go to the local hi fi store on weekends and listen to good music on a good system.

I think audiophile has a pejorative connotation due to being viewed as snobby. I'm a music fan and a gearhead.  I've been that since I had a $100 Sanyo all-in-one system in 1975.  

@ghdprentice +1 I always enjoy your posts. There logical, informative and entertaining without any of the adolescent nonsense that pervades in many threads on Audiogon.

They're 

There logical, informative and entertaining without any of the adolescent nonsense that pervades in many threads on Audiogon

@dayglow 

Thank you for your kind words.

@jacobsdad2000

You beat me to it! (I see that misuse here all the time)

@roxy54 that was my goal, Yes,😎

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

I am "snob" about which i had myself created not about something i can buy, i am elitist because of the necessary embeddings controls knowledge, not about my wallet ...i am Proud of my ratio higher sound quality at the  lowest possible price ...

Music drive me not the plugged costlier upgrades which most of the times are on the side of great acoustic change because consumers read audio manual as science which is not  at all , no more than pharma drugs characteristics and ccompatibilities are medecine knowledge  ......

I am proud to care and improve my health state by myself instead of the proposed chirurgy because they dont know better in my case   ...

There is a club for each one, mine refuse me BEFORE i studied and experimented , and it is not the audiophile club it seems ...

Wow, am I late getting on this question!  — Nothing changed.

I would say, as a budget-minded person interested in audiophile-level sound, that money does matter in this hobby.  If you don’t spend at least to a certain level, you are just a pseudo-audiophile to many here.  I base this on two things:

I see questions that ask for suggestions for buying audio equipment.  Before I can respond, I look at the other responses/suggestions.  Oh my!  I was going to say I was satisfied with my $3,000 amp, or my $1,000 pre-amp, or my CD transport that cost less than $1,000.   But all these recommendations from others are for equipment many times more expensive than anything I have ever owned.  I think I must be slumming it!  And their listening rooms, sometimes custom built, dedicated rooms that are huge!   All that — money, money, money!  The equipment I aspire to, I can imagine these folks giving a skeptical look and “Well, if that’s ALL you can afford!”  Yes, it’s all I can afford — sorry!

The second thing — look at the pages on Audiogon that list equipment for sale.  Especially the featured items:  Speakers and amps that costs $30,000, $40,000, $50,000, some over $100,000 or $200,000.   I glance over such things, knowing “never, ever”.   Am I envious?  Somewhat, but I also wonder how much of a hit these people take when they go to sell that equipment?  Yeah, you list it on Audiogon or other sites, but how many people are out there thinking, “Oh, that’s what I’ve been looking for!  And only $50,000!   Bargain time!”   And if you can afford to spend this much on the hobby, I imagine your house is worth in the millions, you have a boat, maybe your own airplane, scads of overseas trips and holidays, sauntering around the country club, martini in hand, saying, “Darling, please be a dear and have them pull around the Bentley”.
 

I think that if you are talking less than $20,000 total for your equipment (not room), you aren’t really in the audiophile category on these pages.  And maybe even $20,000 is disappointing.  Seems that the higher you can go, the more you earn the title Audiophile. 

Ridiculous claim...

An headphone who is unique even today and top flagship 40 years ago is now classed as low fi because i pay it 100 bucks ?😊

A top amplifier 35 years ago is trash today because i pay it 300 bucks ?😊

And marketting dogmas and electronic design and  costly components can beat acoustics basic knowledege  for some ? I dont think so...

Let me smile ...

Price is not the last word in sound ... Acoustics and synergy between components are and at any price ...

I think that if you are talking less than $20,000 total for your equipment (not room), you aren’t really in the audiophile category on these pages. And maybe even $20,000 is disappointing. Seems that the higher you can go, the more you earn the title Audiophile.

oh Lord…. i mean dear, didn’t we drive the Bentley yesterday ? 

sppose dem grammer polizze be. round shortly, or leastwayz midnight

Levels of electronic design perfection had a cost corresponding to each level ...

Levels of acoustic controls had a cost too in money and in studies and experiments ...

Optimal acoustic satisfaction threshold exist at a very high cost in price and in time and acoustics  understanding ...

Minimal acoustical satisfaction threshold experience exist also.... At a lower price but with  the same time cost in  consuming studies and experiments in acoustic ... If not by yourself homemade, it cost 100,000 bucks to give the job to a pro by the way ....Few costly panels is not acoustic control of a room ...

For myself, and most music loving friends...we have all heard expensive systems we did not like, and inexpensive systems we liked very much...certainly synergy and room acoustics are long recognized factors...but unfortunately, all the best systems we have heard have been expensive...though I thoroughly enjoy my much less expensive secondary systems, and could be very happy if that's all I had...exploring better equipment or room acoustic should never get in the way of enjoying what you have...

Exactly... Thanks...

For myself, and most music loving friends...we have all heard expensive systems we did not like, and inexpensive systems we liked very much...certainly synergy and room acoustics are long recognized factors...but unfortunately, all the best systems we have heard have been expensive...though I thoroughly enjoy my much less expensive secondary systems, and could be very happy if that's all I had...exploring better equipment or room acoustic should never get in the way of enjoying what you have...

There is no $ amount as a price of admission.

For me it is about the rush I get when I hear something new or different in a record that sounds better. At times it may be from a minor change that has big impact or a relatively bigger change that may only has a small impact.

If you appreciate reproduced sound quality, seek to have it in your house and realize you can always get something better and can live with that you are a sane audiophile. If you are on the never ending hamster wheel of upgrades, my condolences. At this point, I am happy with my system's sound and realize the limitations of my room acoustics and only change equipment when something breaks or wears out. 

I do seek out better sounding records of my favorite recordings however....luckily that is a fairly reasonable number. 

You are an Audiophile when

You wake up in the middle of the night to turn over and start thinking about

Toeing your speakers in or out.

If you should buy a different power cord

Should I put more absorption on the back wall

Should I change the hollow core door to a solid core door

It has nothing to do with the amount of $$$

gotta have a solid core door

An audiophile is person with the pursuit of reproducing music as faithfully as possible by using hi fi equipment... Budget has no bearing. However, the pursuit can be quite expensive.