well I'm 48 and entered the audiophile on a fluke about five years ago. I have loved my journey, learning about tubes and vintage gear mostly, and am lucky to have the disposable income to have bought a dozen pair of speakers and amps in that time (a couple on the 'gon). But I can say this; all my friends and family think I'm nuts. I was able to pass on some equipment to my brother-in-law (at super good prices), but other than that, none of my contemporaries are interested in HEA. The ones who can afford it are content with Onkyo/Denon or more interested in streaming and built in sonos. Almost no one has the ears for good sound now; they're listening to youtube through earbuds. (though many of my friends have learned to listen to vinyl at my place). In the pre-internet era audiophilia was a legit hobby, but the TV won and now we're just a nation of idiots. And, of course, half the few new audiophiles are content with quite affordable Chinese gear.
