You still have the idea that people only buy expensive things just for the fun of "drinking in tears of pesantry". This is wrong. I buy expensive headphone because I enjoy the sound and I enjoy sharing it with others. Not being cocky.
Let me explain this in simpler terms as I don't think I made this clear while using the Lamborghini analogy.
If Lamborghini was a popular car company that the everyday mom drove then most of is value is lost because it is common. But because it is so exclusive it is considered to be the best in the world.
When people buy such a car it is not just for driving. It is a statement. If everyone drives that Lamborghini and owns one, it instantly loses its value to the point of being no more than a mom van. If mom vans were the exclusive things. The value on something that doesn't deserve it increases dramatically. This is the way the world works whether you like it or not.
The same goes for headphones. I'm actively fighting against the notion of better equipment being available for the common folk because would cheapen the actual expensive products themselves. Its not a bad thing but if everyone has stellar audio then audiophiles are usless"" You are actually UNHAPPY that other people can enjoy music at a high level. Pause and think about that."" C'mon if I actually was unhappy with people enjoying music at a high level the why would I enjoy sharing my can with someone. Heck why would I be on this website.
If LCD-2's were sold at $100 then everyone could stop searching for a good can, and headfi would become obsolete because it would no longer cater to audiophile and people who are looking for great audio. Everyone would be an audiophile.
You enjoy sharing your cans with people because YOU have them and THEY don't. You have already stated that if they also had them, you wouldn't want them any more. That's how a child collects things. They want things that other people don't have and cease to want them the moment someone else has it. It's a five year old crying for a new toy and then not playing with it because the neighbor kid got one too.
If commonality "cheapens" expensive headphones then you're not an audiophile. Your a tech snob who wants things because they're expensive and shiny and not everyone can have them, not because they're good. That's like calling yourself a gamer and then yammering on about how much your computer cost. It's calling yourself a cinephile and talking about how much money you spent on your television and home theatre. It's putting all of your focus on exclusivity and the hardware and none on the thing you're supposedly so passionate about. If you were truly an audiophile, what would matter above all else is your ability to love audio.
Audio: sound
-phile: lover of
Audiophile: lover of sound
You keep using the Lambo analogy like that helps. All you're basically saying is "lots of insecure people buy expensive things for no reason beyond feeling superior, such as cars." I know. That's the problem. You're against the idea of people being able to afford good audio because it would rob you of the ability to feel like a special snowflake. You share your can with someone because you like that feeling it gives you when they realize that you have something better than what they have. You keep saying that exclusivity makes it the best. That doesn't even make sense. Exclusivity can make it the most EXPENSIVE, but a Lambo performs as well as it performs whether there's one of them or one million of them. Exclusivity and quality have nothing to do with one another.
I wouldn't buy a Lambo even if they were cheap. I don't like them. I buy what I like because I like what it is. Exclusivity is irrelevant. Having money doesn't make you unique, interesting, or give you value. Audiophiles are useless already. Like I said, I bought a Dodge Charger, which is up there with the Mustang and Camaro in terms of cliche American sports/muscle cars. I didn't buy it because it's rare or because no one else CAN have it. I bought it because I liked it aesthetically and it drives well. It's like tattoos. People who say that everyone having tattoos cheapens the point of having them are essentially insecure little kids who do things solely on what is and isn't popular. I have a lot of tattoos and don't care how many other people have. You're covered? Awesome! None? Also fine! What matters is that you're getting what you have because of what it means for YOU.
If you're buying headphones for any reason, ANY REASON, other than you want to hear your music with the highest quality, then in my opinion you're a fake audiophile making the whole hobby look bad. True audiophiles are people who celebrate the idea of everyone getting good sound. Revel in the thought that hearing great music isn't limited to people who have more money. Embrace the possibility that someday people will compare what music they're listening to, not what they're listening ON. You want to stand out? Have good music tastes. Give a crap about the art of audio. Impress people by learning a lot about music and finding the best for you.
The fact that you keep tying "audiophile" in with expensive headphones says it all. You keep saying "everyone would be an audiophile". What does that even mean?
I'm actually done with this now. I really do hope that when the day comes that audiophile-grade gear is more widely available you're enough of an adult not to throw away all of your gear and switch hobbies.
