I can find bits of every post on this thread that I can relate to and agree with.
Though I personally do not think the term audiophile is in itself an insult. Unfortunately I see people on this forum and others use it as one. To me it simply means an
audio enthusiast. I certainly agree that an audiophile is not a music lover and a music lover is not an audiophile, however in no way are the two mutually exclusive. I know audiophiles who love music and have invested great amounts of their money and living space on their record collections and I have known audiophiles who own a couple of "test" records and not much else in terms of music, yet they tinker with sound reproduction and enjoy it in their own way. Who cares? What does it matter why we are drawn to this hobby? Like it or not, there isn't anyone reading this that wouldn't be considered an audiophile by "normal" people.
As far as Hi-Fi snobbery... there is snobbery in every field, why should this one be any different? The funny thing is that there are those who snub people who listen to music through large vintage horn systems and there are those on this forum who disdain the Vandersteen, Sonus Faber, et al listeners...
People seem to get all riled up over wires and cables, tubes vs. solid state, ferrite vs. alnico, horns vs. domes and cones, digital, vs. analog, big old vintage speakers vs. modern audiophile speakers, and on and on. What the hell is an audiophile speaker anyway?
I am currently listening to ADS L910s... are they audiophile speakers? They certainly sound good to me. I am sure they were considered "audiophile" back in their day, though today they are considered "big brown and ugly", by most people. I find them remarkably satisfying on a wide range of music, though I have to admit I don't have any Micky Hart drum records.
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