Wayne Parham Messages: 18681 Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)
I agree with you, Rusty.
I think that many people today consider "high end audio" as a rich man luxury. And so the term "audiophile" might be used to describe them.
But that wasn't the way the field started, and in fact, no amount of money could have purchased high-end audio in the beginning because there were no commercial offerings to purchase. One had to be technically proficient and they had to do-it-themselves.
Now days, a person can purchase high-end gear and much of it is expensive. But just like you've said, a person can still do-it-themselves with kit offerings and enjoy very high-quality sound on a reasonable budget.
I've been to enough audio shows to see a lot of what I'd call "audio jewelry." It's very expensive gear that appeals to the rich but that actually performs poorly. It's very much an "Emperor's New Clothes" thing. So honestly, even having a fat wallet won't necessarily guarantee high-quality sound. That kind of "audiophile" is really just someone that likes to impress people with what they think is "finer things."
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