The first "audiophile"?


When was the term "audiophile" coined, by whom, and what systems were the first audiophiles using?

I'm 52 and fairly new to hi-end audio. I purchased a system in 1968-69 while I was serving in the Navy in DaNang, Vietnam. It consisted of a Pioneer receiver, turntable, CS88 speakers, and a Teac real-to-real tape deck. In those days, we thought that was a great stereo.

I'm now putting together a new system for my home office/listening room which includes a Linn Ikemi, Plinius 8150, B&W Matrix 803s, Onkyo T9090II tuner and good ICs and cables.

Just wondering how this madness actually got started.
Joel
joeldoss
Joel, I think it started around 1877 when Thomas Edison listened to his latest invention (phonograph) and thought, "I wounder how I can make the recorded version sound more like live?"

Welcome back!
I looked this up, and the word "audiophile" originated in 1951.

The date coincides with the general publics awareness of the high fi revolution. The term "audiophile" was coined to refer to the poor creatures (like ourselves) who enjoy it to excess.
don't wanna' quarrel with albert, but i think the first audiophile was noah. he loaded onto the ark not just all of god's creatures, two-by-two, but a pair of very early altec-lansing's. and thus did he beget stereo, tho he had not software to appreciate it; indeed, he was bereft of knowledge as to what software was comprised 'til he touched land just south of what's now san francisco. least that's the way i heard it. -kelly