What makes an audiophile...?

[Sebasistan]

I have seen several iterations of this question, it seems it's a never quite sufficiently answerable thing. And that's fine, this is just some philosophical wankery for the wankery's sake.

But instead of "what is an audiophile" I was wondering "what MAKES an audiophile" as in "when are you legit part of the hobby." And like, what constitutes the "hobby" part of it all. I ask because, well, at some point I bought a whole bunch of fancy DAPs, DACs, AMPs, headphones, and IEMs, cables, tips, and whatnot - until I had found the kind of gear where I felt it would be just a waste of money to buy any more. And then years passed. And now I'm back here, bought a new DAP, bought a new pair of headphones, and a new fancy pair of IEMs, and am shopping around for the right kinda tips. Even though the gear that I thought was good enough is still there (well, the real point of contention for me was that my most-used Android player was just getting so slow and unresponsive I didn't want to use it outside the house, got a new DAP, and the bug bit me again I guess...).

But does owning and using a number of audiophile items make an audiophile, as in a part of this hobby? If you're just using those to listen to music, without chasing the next, possibly better, maybe just DIFFERENT thing? It's kind of a weird, very materialistic hobby, isn't it. It's also very... Isolating. Pun intended. Granted, there's some of us who also go for fancy speakers, but this is HEAD fi, not ROOM fi. Now there's a question if SPEAKERS are a whole different part of the hobby - but I also own "audiophile grade" speakers because of course I do.

Maybe the question is when does "audiophile" become a bona fide hobby. When it's more than just buying and using the gear, but when you COLLECT headphones and IEMs and whatnot. I guess in that regard the closest comparison I'd have are sneakerheads, as in people who collect sneakers. Headphones and sneakers have the trait in common that you can only ever really wear / use one set at a time. And if you own more than X number, you could be considered a collector.

And then the question turns into, if you STOP collecting, if you say "ok that's it, I found my endgame," then are you still really part of the hobby? Because a big part of the whole thing is looking for the next fix. Reading the reviews, the trade news, the user forums where people exchange their experiences, and then come to the best informed decision for your next purchase. I guess since that part of it all also takes a not insignificant amount of time (well, it can...), that should also be part of the hobby.

Ultimately I just found myself musing about this. Now that I have a pair of outstanding IEMs on top of a few really good ones, and a few pairs of outstanding headphones, to be used with the various DAPs and DACs and AMPs that I have lying around, I can retreat back into the woodwork and just focus on listening to the music. And kind of withdraw from the hobby as is since... I just can't justify buying more stuff before I haven't listened to what I have enough. Maybe that makes me a bad audiophile?

It's all a bit of a cargo cult with a big dose of commodity fetishism thrown in. At least if you forget that at some point it's supposed to be about the music...

 

[dunring]

It's someone who appreciates high quality sound. It's not how much you spend or know, just people who go out of their way to get the best they can afford. Most people buy high margin no name junk and don't even know what a great setup sounds like. Whenever I give gifts to family or have someone over I give them time on whatever is setup so they can hear what they've been missing. Just being a "car guy" or "Geek" for computers or cars. If you listen to a pair of Yincrow X6 instead of no name junk on Amazon, you're an audiophile!

 

[msing539]

I would descibe an audiophile as someone who takes great pleasure in sound reproduction and is passionate about experiencing music.

That's about as broad as I can make that statement, because while some of us might aspire to utmost accuracy and as the original work was recorded or performed, many like myself are more in it for the emotional engagement. I don't mind if something doesn't sound 100% accurate if I enjoy it, and I'm sure many are like that. You can also extend that definition to include the concepts and technical aspects behind the sound reproduction. By this definition, anyone can be an audiophile with any level of gear... even the most basic setup.

And a personal note but I don't consider myself an audiophile, just an enthusiast.

 

[g4ndr1k]

I’m not sure I can call myself an audiophile, since I sometimes can’t hear the differences between gear—even when others or reviewers say there’s a “noticeable difference.” However, I love listening to music, and when time and budget permit, I always enjoy trying to improve the sound quality to suit my taste and enhance the way I experience music.

My main system is in the bedroom, so I use both headphones and speakers in a practical way—speakers when my wife is awake and not on a call, and headphones when she’s sleeping or on a call.

 

[feverfive]

To be be any kind of serious hobbyist, I think one needs to be a bit obsessive-compulsive. I think I *used* to be a bit that way in the first few years of being on head-fi, but for sure, I've lost that edge. The "hobby" for me is largely regularly visiting head-fi. There was a pre-pandemic period of ~5 years when I barely even did that.

For the most part these days, I'll have a short term fascination with some new gear, but then I remember that I don't care to be bothered by it all and really what I want is to listen to music and not be on the hamster wheel of gear buying.