How Many Audiophiles Have Do You Know?

A couple of them...they are friends who are into audio, they write reviews.

I might add that while living on Long Island, we had a local audiophile groups with speakers and regular meetings. Since these were largely "mine is bigger than yours" meetings, I only went for the speakers.

I've met about a half a dozen through channels that aren't audio related.

I've met a lot who like good music and sound and had good sounding systems but who never formally labeled themselves as an audiophile. If only they knew what they were missing.....

I know a great many, but I am also a professional musician, and we naturally have a much higher percentage of our profession interested in audio reproduction than any other. I am surprised and more than a little disappointed to hear that so many of you know so few other people personally interested in this hobby.

How many audiophiles have you ever met ... by happenstance.

Four. Two former EE co-workers (one of whom introduced me to it all, ca. 1979); a friend of a friend; and someone my wife used to work with.

Regards,
-- Al

Well, yeah. "a unique pshycology" is euphemistic for being nuts on one level which is what people think I am. I guess we'd be wise not to take it to a more serious level. That might mean we really were.

Dozens; I'm a member of an audio/video club, Arizona's... http://www.azavclub.org/ ...so that I CAN meet other audiofools. We enjoy people such as Roger Modjeski, Paul McGowan, Albert VonSchweikert, Kara Chafee, etc. speak to us and visit places that individuals would never get into.

If you want to meet more, look for an audio club in your area.
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None, most people I know when I talk about equipment and such think I'm nuts

"I wonder if we have a unique psychology?"

I notice the funny puzzled looks on peoples faces when they see my turntable, tube amps, and speakers. They look at me like I am crazy.

The only other non-dealer, non-equipment person I have met that might in some way be classified as an audiophile (he likes expensive gear) was my sister-in law's boyfriend. He has a nice set-up, MAC, Ayre, etc. but it turned out that he has about 100 CDs and when it comes to music, he knows almost nothing and cares very little about it either. I get him a TAS subscription for xmas.

It sounds like most people responding have met fellow audiophiles through eqpt purchases / sales etc.... but as one poster stated I've never met one audiophile through an impromptu social situation, but then again I do think I need to get out a little more

Never met one unfortunately.

I'm beginning to think the actual number of audiophiles (both aging, and newbies) is a lot larger than we thought! I previously knew only 3-4 audiophiles (aside from meeting folks at RMAF, Axpona, or online) until joining our local audio club (about 7 years ago). At that time we had ~20 active members, but numbers were slowly declining.

This past year, we migrated our website to the Meetup.com platform, which helped publicize our local group, and we now have over 40+ active members, with 2-3 new inquiries a week. Half our new members are likewise longtime local audiophiles who were going it alone, because they never knew a local club existed. The other half are newbies in their 20-30's, with limited funds, but LOTS of energy/interest. And they are getting into vinyl as much as streaming digital playback! Based upon the burgeoning number of new audiophile forums/blogs, and growing interest among Gen-X'ers for higher quality playback beyond iTunes, I think the audiophile future is looking brighter every day.

For those of you looking to connect with other LOCAL audiophiles, I strongly suggest exploring the Meetup platform as a (fairly inexpensive) way to get the word out and organize local listening sessions, or a formal club. Once established, spread the word further by posting your groups link (or contact info) on various audio forums (including A'gon, Audiocircle, and the S'phile list of Audiophile Societies, etc.)

Joining, or organizing, a "pack" of audiophiles is a lot more fun than being a "lone wolf" and really broadens your audiophile knowledge base and musical repertoire (not to mention your debating skills ).

For those of you along the West Coast of Florida, check us out... Suncoast Audiophile Society

I've never met an audiophile or a serial killer.

Salespeople learn to look for pictures of boats, airplanes, and cars to “bond” with a prospect. I’ve yet to see a picture of an SME V in someone’s office… but I’ll keep looking.

As a member of an audio club here in central Florida, I've met and listened to quite a few audiophiles and there systems. It's a great way to learn what you like and don't like. It also gives me a reference on what a system should sound like. It's sad to think that there are audiophiles that don't have a reference to base putting together a system. I don't know what my system would sound like if I'd never met other audiophiles. Hmmmm...:)

i have met quite a few actually. for example, last week in vienna traveling with co-workers from different parts of the states, somebody heard i was into audio and introduced themselves. when i moved to the atlanta area, i did a google search and found an audio group that i joined. i like nice cars and often people in car clubs (i was part of the portland porsche club and my brother in the porsche club in calif) like nice audio systems.

I thought I was the only one who knew no audiophiles. I have said that I'm the only audiophile in SE MN. So that's why this website is so important. I wonder if we have a unique psychology.

Im 63 years old and was lucky enough to of had several good audiophile friends. I sold some speakers to one gentleman and met a couple more at stereo stores in the Southern California area. This was in the mid seventies and we grew to a group of about twenty or so. We would meet at each other homes a couple times a month and would ab different types of equipment a truly memorable experience. Many great friendships were made but I found out recently some have passed away.I will miss my friends but I know they are still listening.

I have one close audiophile friend, one close audiophile acquaintance (whose wife I used to work with for several years) and one "long'lost" good audiophile friend/neighbor (the guy who inspired me when I was a kid). All three, plus me, right here in little old Des Moines, Iowa. Of course, that doesn't count the guys who work at the two hi-end shops - who I know quite well.

I'm 53 years old....never actually met another, outside of a guy who sold me equipment.

I met my best friend and another friend by way of audio transactions. So nice to meet good people with similar interests. My 30 years in this hobby allowed me to meet some great, intereseting people

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or the rarest bird of all, an audiophile couple.

Whoa...now that's REALLY rare.

There are about 8 of us in the world and each of us has about 25 Audiogon aliases.

LOL!!
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There are about 8 of us in the world and each of us has about 25 Audiogon aliases.

I've met about a bakers dozen--mostly thru replying to local ads for equipment. I may have turned one to the "dark side." We recently had a couple over and they wanted to hear the main rig in the living room as my wife had touted the awesomeness of the system as I rolled my eyes. The husband mentioned the "layers of sound" and asked me to turn it down a little. Said he could hear the details in the sound better if I turned it down. His wife then said, "honey, why don't you do this for a hobby? Hmm, sounds like the proper ingredients for a convert, or the rarest bird of all, an audiophile couple.

I've never met one. I've met some people that think they're crazy, and they're the ones that listen to music in their cars. I sure hope the guys coming to install new windows on Thursday morning aren't the first ones. I'm going to work after I explain the imaginary perimeter around my system (after I remove the power cords and speaker cables and hide them under my bed).

As an on again, off again 'phile for 35 years, I can honestly say I've never met one in an impromptu social situation unless actively seeking the presence of one - kind of like vampires I think! we're out there but hard to connect even with the internet. Who knows though, maybe I pass one on the street everyday and not know it. I certainly don't wear a T-Shirt to advertise my affliction either...

Seems like the snooty sales people at certain hi-end stores act that way because they can't afford what they sell let alone a MS 1916 D FSB.

The only audiophiles I have ever met has been at Audio stores, club meetings or CES. I'm also a coin collector and it's the same scenario for that.

In almost 50 years of this hobby - I may have met about 100 people that I would consider a audiophile.
Starting with my father when I was about 10 years of age.
He loved his classical music & played 2 albums almost every night after work & all day long on Sunday.
In my early teens I went out & bought my own first system (KLH model 20).
Since I do not consider myself a audiophile - Just a hobbiest & a true lover of music reproduction & collecting Lp's - I think that most people like myself only consider others as audiophiles.
To me a audiophile is someone with a passion for music & spends too much of their time & money tweaking his/her system to get optimum sound or audio Nirvana.
I have only met but a very few people that I also consider to be audiophiles in that have a modest system, but are also just as passionate & truely enjoy what they have to the limit.
All in all in almost 50 years to meet only about 100 audiophiles equals about 2 per year.
And to consider that the majority of them came in the past 7 years of buying & selling here on the gon leads me to believe that either very few audiophiles consider themselves as such or they just refuse to admit what they are.
On the other hand - I have spoken to quite a few schmucks & wannabees that profess to be a true audiophile. I think that many of us have had the pleasure of that one & just laugh it off.
To me a true audiophile is someone that:
Has the ear - Not just for his system, but for others & will offer knowledgeable advice.
Has a decent to fantastic system & knows how & what to listen to - THE MUSIC!
Has a minimum of 1K albums LP's/CD's.
Wont tell you what his system cost & wont admit to any of the above.

Three (possibly four).

One from high school.
Two were lawyers who worked on my deals when I was a banker in NY.

The possible fourth was a boss of mine after a I moved to LA. I was told he was a tube guy, but the subject never came up in conversation between us, so I'm not sure if it's true or not.

One. His system consists of a solid state integrated, digital source, and electrostatic speakers - at the opposite end of the spectrum from my tubes, separates, lp's and cones.

Any true Audiophile will deny membership. Think about it. Read the posts here, on the Asylum, Karma and other places. Do you really want to lumped with this group? True Audiophiles know who they are...shhhh.

I've met a few audiophiles myself, usually through work though, so it is not merely by complete chance. (I tend to work with fairly affluent people, which I've found helps one find other audiophiles.) And of course I've met several audiophiles buying and selling equipment, a couple of which have become good friends.

As far as family members; my parents were definitely NOT audiophiles, and to be honest, were not particularly into listening to music all that much either. We grew up, (in the sixties & seventies), with portable turntables. You old farts will remember those, as they had the built-in amps, and the speakers that were hinged onto the side of the cabinet. (So you would fold down the table, and swing out the speakers, whenever you wanted to play a record.) And of course they had the stacker for playing half a dozen at a time! (At least they were stereo though, thank goodness.) Despite this, both my brother and I got into music in high school, and became audiophiles in our twenties, (and we've both stuck with listening to new music for many years now).

I have also turned a couple of people, (a close friend and my brother-in-law), into budding audiophiles. (Both have decent systems now.) I think the trick is to keep friends and relatives coming over to listen and hang out, and eventually they have a shot at becoming at least a music fan, which is the first step to becoming an audiophile. (So I am doing my part to not let our hobby die out!) ;-)

I would say that I have met hundreds, especially when I lived in NY and earlier when the were probably 1 in a 100 men who were engaged. As dealers decline and free long distance and the internet increases, I have talked with many more than I have met face to face.

About 30 years, before I would consider myself an audiophile,
I met a gentlemen at an estate sale who was. He introduced me to a few other guys that were meeting about once a week to compare and listen to each others high end equipment. As time goes by we still have others join us. Some come just to see what all the fuss is about. Some are impressed and get hooked as I did and others don't get it.

The only real audiophile I've met and had over to listen to my system met me by correspondence through audiocircle.com, who didn't do so under the pretext to buy something but to listen to what I had and to bring over his equipment to compare. He's been over a few times and even brought another audiophile with him and we thoroughly enjoyed our time. I haven't seen or heard from his for awhile since he moved a bit farther away but we occasionally correspond.

I've been in this hobby since the late '70s when by ex-borther in law brought back some audio gear from overseas after his stint in the service. Its the best thing that ever happened to me. I only wish more people would show at least some kind of interest without their eyes glazing over when I speak of things audio but alas, we can't have everything.

Judging from most of the responses it is indeed quite rare to encounter an audiophile purely by chance. I personally don't know any but thought I was more the exception rather than the rule but I guess that's not the case. It certainly does sound like audiophiles are an endangered species

My dad is an audiophile, and had several friends in the same group back in the day, so I guess you could count them. I have one friend I've know since high school who also grew into an audiophile (he just picked up a set of Vandy 3A sigs).

There was also someone I met through a friend who was a major audiophile. I helped him build some acoustic treatments, he brewed some beer, and we spun some vinyl. His system was outstanding (he actually made his own record cleaning solution which seemed pretty good).

Other than that, I met a few amateur audiophiles when I was in the jazz program at North Texas, but none of them were truly serious. Like a couple of you have already said, it's not really something I bring up. However, the few times I've ran into another audiophile (and figured it out), it's been a great time.

I've learned the hard way not to confess that you're inflicted with Audiophilia... particularly right after shaking someone's hand....

I recently met a Certifiable Audiophile while perusing the used bins at my local, half-a-block-away record store. Our conversation started when I asked him to please keep his elbow to himself!! He then professed to being a big collector. We shifted to TT's and systems. I explained that my TT will not be set up until after I move, tho he accepted my listening invitation regardless. His quick choice was Beethoven No.5 C minor Op67 Seiji Ozawa Boston symphony Orchestra on Telarc CD.
My thread idea.. "iffin' ya got no vinyl..ya' aint no phile".
should not cause any friction...

Good question. I know of no other audiophiles now. But when I was in my younger years (a long time ago) I knew many. A lot of my friends back then were heavily into it.

Like xxmarkxx, I was introduced to the hobby by an audiophile, and except for a few dealers who I've met who got into the business because they loved it, I don't think I've met one since. But like Nietzschelover, I don't ask and hardly ever mention it, so I may know a few and not even realize it.

My friend got me into this hobby. He was into it and grew from there. Thats how hobby or interests start. Someone is into some hobby and you hang out with the person or get introduced and it sparks you into it and the seed grows. I told him why did he get me into this because this hobby sucks money out of me :)

Other than him I meet audiophiles from buying and selling stereo eqiupment locally on craigslist or ebay. They come over or I to their home and we talk shop on audio stuff, equipment, cables, etc. Then ultimately negotiate a price on item. Most people are not into it, but many musicians can be because they know the sounds produce. Its rare but a treat when you find a woman into this stuff. I have met a few I can count on one hand. Its mostly 90% men into. But really only one close friend audio friend. We are also into hot rod cars, muscle cars and such. Another hobby that takes money from me :( I gotta find cheaper hobbies.

I have never met another audiophile except at shows and stores--that I know of.
However, since I don't ask people if they are audiophiles, I may have met some and not known it.
I have been an audiophile for twenty-five years.

In all my life 40 next year, i have met only one in my country of origin
In 9 years in the US most audio dealers people.
I dont have any coworker or close friend that i can consider audiophile,
Interesting enought two of my friends jump to high end gear after listening in my apt, but doesnt make them audiophiles.
One in BC Canada another in NJ.
i was told that you can be very lucky if you get to meet two audiophiles
In lifetime.

Im 23 years old, I have been in this hobby for about 6 years. I have meet one other true audiophile randomly. He was my calculus 2 professor. One day he starting talking about vinyl vs sacd vs cd. Everyone did not know what he was talking about, but we have been friends ever since. Other than that, it seems extremely rare to come across a true dedicated audiophile, but I do think it depends on where you live. Larger cities such as new york and LA seem to have much larger hifi communities.

In all my life 40 next year, i have met only one in my country of origin
In 9 years in the US most audio dealers people.
I dont have any coworker or close friend that i can consider audiophile,
Interesting enought two of my friends jump to high end gear after listening in my apt, but doesnt make them audiophiles.
One in BC Canada another in NJ.
i was told that you can be very lucky if you get to meet two audiophiles
In lifetime.