is "audiophilia" another form of conspicuous consu

It is a fine line. I think it is fair to say that "pride of ownership" is something many of us share. We are passionate about our music, our systems and proud of what we have assembled with our systems. Fair play.

At what point does pride of ownership become vanity purchases then? Fine line. Clearly crossed when someone massively overpays for something that does not delivery anything close to value for money, but comes with an enormous price tag. But there is a huge space in between...when one of us will say...that is a rare piece worth paying over the odds...and another one of us will say "vanity purchase".

Of course not; now excuse me, my lackey has just finished peeling me another grape.

Face it folks, most people think we are out of our minds, and that anyone who buys anything more expensive or esoteric than an ipod is a an elitist snob, hopeless sucker for scam artists or a candidate for institutionalization. Rather than using my audiophilia as a boastful show of ostentation, I furtively practice my fetish behind closed doors, like someone who derives erotic pleasure from watching film of women crushing insects beneath their high heels. I specify that my purchases from Audiogon be delivered in unmarked boxes or better yet, labeled with something more societally acceptable like "Exploding Koran". I never visit my local hi-fi emporia without my London Fog raincoat, snap-brim hat pulled over my eyes and Groucho-style fake mustache and glasses hiding my face.

Like the Christians under Pilate, we suffer for our beliefs, but I remain unswayed.

Conspicuous consumption, my ass. Unless your dealing with someone who bears the tell-tell signs of the affliction - the look of constant distraction from listening to the music in their head, the chronic tinnitus, the careless insertion of phrases like "soundstaging" or "pace, rhythm and timing" into conversations - keep your proclivities under your hat. Ignore this advice at your peril.

I would say that if a person is trying to be conspicuous in that way, (impressing friends and visitors to his/her home)than an expensive audio system is one of the worst ways to do it. Most people that I know are barely aware, if at all of high end audo, and either don't understand the size and perceived complexity of the system, or they simply don't have any interest in it at all. Most visitors to my house think it's odd and takes up yoo much space.