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I’ve been an audiophool for 30 years, now I listen to music.

I am 45 and have been an audiophile for 50 years. I guess the first five years being in a liquid state, really shaped me as an audiophile to an atomic level.

I'm not an audiophile, I'm a music lover, and I love your channel!

This video inspired me to become an audiophile and immediately I began to hear another level of detail, the soundstage became a vista, it was a revelation! I could smell top notes, see deep blacks, thank you!

I've been an audiophile for 15 years, and I'm constantly amazed and grateful for how much more accessible great sound is getting every year.

Let’s just face it … we’re all swimming in an ocean of BS and probably always have been.

I'm just a guy that loves to listen to all kinds of music. I like it loud, I like it clear and rich and detailed. I like to go "WOW that sounds so cool!" And I need it on a 1k budget. So I don't know what that makes me but I don't really care about labels. So to you Randy, thank you for helping me find what I needed to enjoy my music

WOW...You went on a tear brother man! Straddling both the ProAudio and Audiophile world's, I have dealt with the snobbery forever...this podcast was pure therapy!!! Bravo

I've wanted to be an audiophile for at least the past 65 years, but can't afford it. In the meantime, I've just listened to my music on the best sounding systems I could cobble together.

My father was a master carpenter. He used to say that the moment that someone thinks that they know everything is when they lose a finger or worse. I can’t afford to be a true audiophile. Most of my kit would be considered entry level or mid fi by the cognoscenti. It’s enjoyable to me and as you often say, that’s all that matters.

If they talk like an idiot, write like an idiot, troll like an idiot, and look smugly down at all others from their 50-year-old audiophile mountain, they might be an idiot! Love the commentary, Randy. Keep up the battle against audio ignorance.

“I’ve been an audiophile for 30 years” likely also means ‘I can’t hear a thing above 10k anymore.’

I've been an audiophile for 51 years so I can officially talk down to that audiophile of 50 years and make fun of their system. If I meet an audiophile of 55 years on the street, I have to bow down to their feet like in Wayne's World. That's how that works.

I've been an audiophile for just 1 minute, but the rush of power and feeling of superiority has changed the man I am. Suddenly my tackle is working again and my hair is growing back, lol, can't believe how I was a pathetic mortal when now our lord and saviour must be worshipping me.😂 Anyhow, I'm off to berate some people and be a general douche, this must be how Mussolini felt. Great video as always.👍

I agree 100%. Back in the mid 70's I bought my first good audio system: a Marantz amp/tuner, a pair of Harmon Kardon speakers, a Technics turntable and a TEAC 3340 four track reel to reel. I was the envy of all of my friends. Since those day I have changed and upgraded many times but I did it based on my own personal tastes and my ears. Sometimes a less expensive piece of gear was just perfect for my system at that time. I spent many years as a recording engineer and worked in studios with the best high end gear, speakers from Altec, JBL, Electrovoice, amps from Macintosh, Crown, Phase Linear etc. Often when I bought reel to reel mixes home I thought they sounded equally great on my own home system. I never considered myself an "audiophile", just someone who spent thousands of hours in the recording world. I have to wonder how "audiophiles" adapt the output of their speakers to the room without having an EQ or tone controls to adjust for the rooms acoustics. That nonsense about no tone controls or an EQ giving you the purest sound is as crazy as saying you can't put mustard on your hot dog or salad dressing on your salad to maintain the purity of the meats taste or the lettuce in your salad. Nonsense.

I really appreciate you, Randy. Thanks for being welcoming to everyone who wants to enter this hobby. I only started getting into hifi recently after a long stint out of the hobby. I'm glad to see your channel showing people that they don't need the 5,000 amp to get great sound. Thanks for calling out the jerks and gatekeepers. Anyone who appreciates music and cares about how it gets reproduced in their home is an audiophile, even if you can't or don't want to spend a lot of money. Just watching these channels and learning is all it takes.

I really miss those spectrum analyzers and vu meters in the old EQs and Amps . They should really make that the norm again

If being an audiophile means listening to music carefully and critically, with full attention to the music and without being preoccupied by something else, then I’ve been an audiophile for 40’years.

I have old equipment from the late 70's, early 80's. I still buy records and CD's. I listen to music on my iPhone etc. I still find it hard to believe the prices of audio equipment. Love the channel. Keep it up.

Finally someone who cuts through the BS and gets down to reality! As a musician who has worked in studios, mastering and media production I can say "audiophile" never enters the process. Professional recording gear is made to tech specs and robustness. The final mix is designed to sound "good" on most consumer kit such as radios, car stereo, All in one box, mobile phone etc. The flaws only show up on decent kit and that's when the "audiophile" starts playing with snake oil. The consumer can play with different gear, cables , speaker stands etc until they find a sound signature they like for the type of music they enjoy. Let's not forget as we get older are ears degrade and tone controls can be your friend. 😀

With my allergies, my *ears* don't stay the same week to week! Also, the bass/treble and later, eq's in my system have always been part of the fun of listening to recorded music. Oh, and tweaking controls I find is a lot less expensive than buying new gear all the time. Thanks for the common-sense approach to audio hobbies!!

I’ve been an audiophile for 30 years….and my favorite speakers I’ve ever owned were a third of the cost of the most expensive “audiophile quality” speakers I’ve ever had.

I'm not an audiophile. Perhaps I could have been years ago but my tinnitus ringing old man ears are just not up to the task. I do find that your channel is very valuable. There's tons of information that I can use to assemble an interesting alternative to a TV sound bar while keeping costs down. Keep up the good work.

I once parked outside a high end audio store while my wife was getting her nails done next store. Its hard to argue my level of audiophile cred.

As a 20-year Sith-Audio-Certified Audiophile, audiophiles must only deal in absolutes. Every piece of gear is either what I own and by definition therefore superb, or what I don't own and either amazing and out of my price range or awful.

Playing with EQ is a great way to test your ears. I did an AB test between my phono stage and CD stage of the same album. It helped me noticed what was different and where to tweak. Great video thanks

I LOVE THIS CHANNEL. You are the one voice out there that helped me actually make sense of the audio world and audio equipment when I was just starting to look into creating a home theater setup. KEEP THE SALT FLOWING MAN 🧂

Another thing that irks me is when seeing someone with a set budget asking about something that fits reasonably within that budget how it performs, then they’re met with a chain of “save up a little more and get xxxx”. Very quickly that $300 becomes $1000 and it just strays completely off the course of what the dude simply asked.

I am an Audiophile...have been since I was 10 listening to KJR AM radio on a cheap plastic made in Japan table top in the morning before school....my 1st stereo that I purchased was from a swap meet in southern California for 115 bucks....played it loud, sitting right in front of it, sounded good to me. I have what people might say is a mediocre system, but it sounds good to me, and I listen to it every day . Love your channel.

What a refreshing rant! I've been into amplifiers since I was 12. That's 51 years ago, so I guess I've been an audiophile for 51 years! Back in the "early" days I built Heath Kits, Knight Kits, Dynaco Kits that included amplifiers and tuners. Then I breadboarded my own amps, some of which actually worked! Back in those days we only had LPs and the surface noise drove me CRAZY. When CDs came along, I was overjoyed, only to find that "experts" scoffed at the compression used in digital formats. I didn't care, as I knew what was important to my listening taste. So I guess I have a tin ear. Anyway, thanks for validating my my opinion that you can listen to what you like. I do sort of miss those audiophile test records of certain types of sounds like a jet flying from left to right, etc....

I've always found it so neat that you can unpack hidden layers in basically ANY recording with getting into nicer sounding gear. Even if the music doesn't have the clearest recording or best mix, it can still present with great clarity and depth. Great video! Sometimes hearing the 'imperfections' is so so awesome

I’ve been an audiophile for 28 years! I’m ashamed to admit in my early years I may have been a bit of a jerk about it. Then I got treated like a punk at a hifi store and changed my behavior. As I’ve gotten older I’m far less likely to talk about it unless asked. Most people dgaf about hifi.

I've been an audiophile for.... Well I'm not, but I discovered your channel on your first "Audiophile's are full of crap" video. I like good quality audio, and I've always had a tight budget and strived to get the most out of my audio dollars. Thank you for your content, and wishing you continued success!

I thoroughly enjoyed this video so much, I had to subscribe and look up your video from a year ago. I became an 'audiophile' at age 10 in 1965. I am not a 'gate keeper' either. It was a different time and critical thinking was pretty common then, and other things like learning listening disciplines, etc, that resulted in my going into the recording industry and settling into mastering as a passion. I am retired after 22 years with the same dupe/rep/press house, some 30 years in all, and have mastered for LP, CD and cassette digital bin loops for high speed duplication. You make the same points and observations I often make in regard to the difference between preference and reference. Subjectivity in home audio is fine, and it should be that way. But the problem is people take their 'preferences' as definitive. At home, I have my own preferences I like to add to the sound. I use vintage gear by choice, but I am well aware of the current products because, well, I'm also an audiophile. LOL!! Bu t I know what my preferences are and can separate that when working in a reference enviroment. BTW, that Metallica Black album is brilliantly recorded and I would regard anything as representative of the actual performance as audiophile. That is what HiFi is all about: getting things as real as we can and still allowing our own tastes to influence those great sounding recordings. Your other choices are great too. It stopped being purely about classical and jazz in the late 60's. EQ's are such a sore subject with me too: it is an innocuous add-on. As you point out,. not all recordings are created equal and need a boost or cut here and there. Or some systems or rooms need a bit of help. I always counter with the fact, that if most audiophiles visit a mastering studio, they would balk at the amount of processors and 'EQ' a recording goes through to end with the result they buy at the shop and take home. The funniest part is having audiophiles tell me how defective studio sound systems are. Really? LOL!!! And then they claim to want to get the artist's intent. LMAO!!! The artist's intent is to have the end product sound good and sell a lot of copies. The engineers and producers make the actual calls to make an end product that sounds good and is playable. Cutting a lacquer is all compromise. Mastering for CD is less of a constraint. For HD digital, it gets a lot easier. And don't get me started on 'analog purity' LMAO!!! For myself I am not brand specific at home. I am result oriented. The maker's name means little if the piece performs and sounds great. I have my own mastering and archival set up at home as well, and occasionally take revenue jobs for restorations and conservation to digital. My turntable is a Technics SP15. Why? It is one of the recognized reference tables for all record formats, and does not 'add or detract' from records played on it. That's watcha call 'reference'. It's also a devastatingly great 'AUDIOPHILE' table too, LMAO!!! Too many audiophile products make the 'reference' claim, but it is not their call. It is the call of the studio professionals. And there I go again! Bottom line: you can be an audiophile for under $500.00 with a bit of learning. it is the result, not the price. Anywho, great vid, informative and entertaining! Keep it up!

Every now and again I browser audiophile youtube as a working studio owner and audio engineer I find your channel to be a breath of fresh air. I saw the video last year and I have to say it is so hilarious how serious audiophile are about their playback systems and how they claim they want it to reproduce the recording like the original intention. Yet I don't see any of them using the tools we use in the pro audio world. Up until a few years ago the industry standard was Yamaha NS10 speakers now there is a little more competition but no audio engineer uses hi-fi speakers or tube power amps for playback they aren't clean enough and are mostly gimmicks. No albums have been actually recorded as DSD the only mediums we use analog tape (and very rarely today) and PCM digital audio mostly at 24 bit 48K and some engineers use 24 bit 96k because they like it. No one talks converter DAC/ADC chips in the pro audio world except Julian Krause because he loves to test things and get down to real numbers. But it all comes down to this if you use music to listen to your equipment you are and audiophile, if you use good equipment to listen to music you are a music fan. Don't take that the wrong way either, because in all honesty you should listen to music on good gear but the gear you have shouldn't stop you from enjoying something you love like music!! Whether that be on a pair of $20 iems or a $20,000 Genelec Dolby atomos system, enjoy the music and support the artist making it. Go to live concerts if you want to hear what the artist intended and support local musicians so they can make more music so audiophiles can listen to their tube DACs and $5000 toslink cables and other expensive stuff!!

I agree with you. I'm a member of several audio groups, and I never cease to be amazed at some of the snobbishness and also the ignorance among people who call themselves audiophiles. It really ticks me off when some of these guys criticize people who have equipment that didn't cost many thousands of dollars. One story that comes to mind was a young guy who made his first post there; he was so excited, just starting out on his audio journey and he had purchased a pair of Dayton B-652s. The snobs jumped all over him and his "crap speakers". Hey, this was a kid just starting out, he didn't have any money and this was exciting to him. There was a time when that's all I could afford too, so I get it. Oh and..."we don't use tone controls because we want to hear the music as the artist intended it to sound". Haha, BS. The artist mixed on studio monitors in a room with near perfect acoustics. We use all kinds of speakers with different sound signatures, we listen in our homes that usually have sonic problems, etc. We usually need the correction to make it sound right. Lastly, the hardcore measurement guys who go ONLY off the calibrated mics. Some of them use Klippel machines, but use them wrong. Some of the most boring speakers I've ever heard are the ones that measured perfectly flat in their tests.

Love this! It makes me think of the days when people told me that if I put an effects pedal between my Strat and my Deluxe Reverb I wasn't a real guitar player. This audio hobby(disease 😊) is fun! I don't want to get to the point that I think I've got it all down and cop a resentment every time someone disagrees with me. This is why I patron this channel Randy. It keeps me right sized!

Don't you just love it when your friend invites you over to listen to his//her latest bit of kit and spends all afternoon selecting various sections of tracks from everywhere to impress you......instead of getting a beer, feet up and let the music flow.

Thank you, Randy. That was great and you are 100% right about everything that you said. Forget about the bullcrap and just let your music fill your soul with happiness!

When people say that they've been an audiophile for 30 40 or 50 years, it just means that they really haven't been listening to music for all those years.

Great training class on eliminating audiophile snobbery ✌️ EQ is my favorite thing to salvage nonaudiophile mixing or adjust for my 50 year audiophile hearing loss 😂

OH where did you go wrong?? You need enough tubes in your equipment to heat your house in the winter - and they all have to be new old stock, only available in a back alley with cash; you have to drive a Porsche and oh yes only listen to vinyl pressings that you own, and are no longer available to the 'unwashed masses' .... oh my > dude you are the greatest, love your video's your honesty and integrity ... and the humor of course!!

I have been an audiophile for 50 years since I got my first Stereo Review magazine for Christmas back in 1972. I was an audiophile 5 minutes after I read my first article, and the pursuit of higher fidelity, lower distortion, and a full and balanced frequency spectrum became my focus. Or maybe it was when I stopped listening to AM radio. Or possibly when I turned the music down to stop the speaker from distorting, or the amp from clipping. Or maybe it was when I upgraded from a turntable with a crystal cartridge to one with a moving magnet.

Unfortunately in my experience whenever someone self identifies as audiophile it's usually code for self entitled snob whos sole purpose in life is to put down other people's experiences and opinions, usually in an online forum.

To me, an "audiophile" album is one which gets listened to because of how good it sounds, and not because it contains great music.

i have loved music for 50 years! Had a crap turntable with the speaker in the lid! The music was amazing and i eagerly moved from band to band devouring sound like each new band was a revelation. I have seen so many live bands and experienced the joy of a song that can make me cry or punch the air (Pink Floyd - Pulse Comfortably Numb). What did i hear it on? KZfaq! You hit the nail on the head with what if your 5k DAC is in a sale at 80% off, does it now become crap? And the comment in the previous video that a store mark-up is 100% I can imagine it being higher. Keep it real and down to earth you rock!

For thirty years I've listened to "audiophile" friends and acquaintances poo poo the LOUDNESS button. I love it, especially when listening at lower volume. It enriches the music. Great video!

I've been trying to get a movement going to get rid of the term 'audiophile' and replace it with 'Audio-Enthusiast'.... Audiophile should be retired.🤔

I've been an audiophile since the mid-1980s, when I worked in what we used to call the classical record industry. Many classical recordings from that period sound awful! Truly awful - due to the idiot producers and engineers choosing to use to too many microphones and attempting to balance the sound of the orchestra from the control room, instead of insisting that the conductor balance the sound from the podium. So classical recording are not automatically audiophile recordings. In fact, given that my passion was orchestral and operatic repertoire, I went out of my way to balance my system to make these awful recordings sound at least passable on high resolution gear! You have to balance your system to make it work with whatever music you listen to...unless you're a masochist and you want to experience pain. Not my thing...

I just rebuilt/restored a pair of vintage KLH Model 5 speakers given to me by my uncle, the original purchaser. I'm told some audiophiles really like these speakers. I'm not an audiophile (I record and mix music professionally), but I can honestly say I really like listening to music on these. Great sound! Great video!! Love it.

I like where you talk about tone controls. Everyone’s ears and brains process auditory sensations differently. People who like less bass might be more sensitive to lower frequencies so the amount of bass I need to feel happy, could very well be drowning out other frequencies to them. Sound is subjective, it is all about finding your match and not what everyone claims is the best. However, the majority of people probably fall under similar auditory processing abilities and thus there will be certain products that work better for the majority.

I’m a 58 year old amateur aspiring audiophile. I hope to go high in the audiophile draft next year. Signed with an agent. I also EQ my equipment in a V shape and LEAVE IT THERE. There I said it.

I’ve been a human for over 40 years, and I agree with this message.

I love this. Well put. I'm in my 70's and consider myself a poor man's Audiophile. Music listening of all kinds has been a major part of my life since the late 60's. Endless hours in store listening rooms and my own. I agree there are SO many things that control what and how we hear it. Even when we were born (ie, the love for accentuated bass). I will say there are certainly things that make music sound better, like equipment, high quality recording and mixing, even your room and speaker placement. But like you said at the end of the day it's what makes you happy. There is still music that absolutely gives me chills. Yup, I'm an Audiophile!

I just added an old Yamaha GE 60 EQ to my system because I wanted to adjust the sound from my tape deck ( I just got one after 30 years ) and I love it. It is cool to watch and made that unit sound better. Every forum had "that guy" who told me they are the devils work. I think it works great to help correct crappy recordings or old tapes. Oh, and it does light up and its very cool to watch.

I'm 72 years old; I've been interested and fascinated with high quality music reproduction since I was 7, when my dad brought home a "hifi set". The first things he played were "Rhapsody in Blue" and "Scherezade"...I was hooked! In the intervening years I've heard many systems and individual components and have owned a long cavalcade of gear. At one time I worked in "high end" audio and sold it very successfully. One thing that has astonished me is how much really great sounding gear has appeared in the last decade that is very affordable. I don't care where it's made, so long as it performs reliability and delivers a superior listening experience. I owned am audio system that many enthusiasts would consider a "wet dream". It was expensive but not the most expensive. The Great Recession put an end to that and I had only my computer to listen on for a couple years; when I could afford something better I started looking around and reading about some new Chinese designs that others were raving about. Opportunities presented themselves and after consideration I purchased a Topping DX7x DAC/preamp and a Hypex NC252 Ncore power Amp. It was all less than $800. I figured if I didn't like it. It was at least going to be better than my computer. I was FLOORED at how good it was! Completely destroyed lots of "audiophila nervosa" I'd developed from my years with high end gear. I now believe that really great sound is available to anyone, even on a very low budget. I believe the only component worth spending big money on are speakers, which is largely tied to very high manufacturing cost of a quality enclosure. In the case of a super premium maker such as Wilson or Magico, cost of making their superior enclosures accounts for something like 90% of the total manufacturing cost of the entire speaker. Same thing for the B&W Nautilus line. Yet that's another area where other makers are making huge strides in the value for money category. I am an audiophile, but really I'm a music lover above all else!

Good to hear someone speaking sense at last. How many people understand all this tech mumbo jumbo. I buy what I can afford and probably wouldn't be able to tell a budget system from something audiophile. Thanks again from the UK.

You got me into the hobby. I bought some retro gear and mixed it with modern speakers and I love it. Thanks!

Really like what you are doing to help influence manufacturers to bring back tone controls! Analog mechanical nobs are my favorite.

Audiophile music is stripped down vocal driven tracks that sound good on everything. That's why companies use it to demo their stuff, bc it always impresses and will not expose any inherent weaknesses. I'm convinced that's the reason.

@Randy looking forward to your Audiophile Master Class Certification Training! All jokes aside, as an audio enthusiast who has been slowly upgrading the tech to which I enjoy my audio over the past 5 years, I very much enjoy the condemnation to the arse-holes who claim to know best while only serving as a barrier to entry to such a rich diverse hobby. A hobby that needs its community to pass the knoedge forward should learn to be kinder to those who will carry the torch!

I've never known an audiophile, but I have known many top salesmen who had the same attitude. They will tell you they know more than you, and their equipment is better than anything you own. I gave up my AR turntable for a Philips touch model that broke in two years. I learned that I needed to research any product I intended to buy, and then try it before I buy it. I got tired of paying ridiculous dollars for average sounding speakers. I now build my own, plus a set from Klipsch. I don't build subwoofers, but I have had to replace power units on them. My go to products today are SMSL dacs, WiiM products, Marantz receivers (no new ones), and Emotiva power and preamp. My turntables are now Rega (disappointed when I had to completely rewire the turntable), and my newest turntable is Thorens made in Taiwan alongside Fluance highly regarded turntables. There is a theme here because many of the products (including Marantz and Emotiva) are built in Asia (mostly for cost and profit to the selling company).

Just started watching great show. Loved music for 50yrs and never been able to afford anything but cheap or second hand equip. I'm a drummer and love all types of rock blues and back country. I've refurbished a set of dahlquist dq10s and got a quad dac for nothing. I've always used an eq and with these speakers it really helps. Great info.

Been an audiophile for 70 years. Got my first system when I was 3. Any systm that doesn't date back to the Eisenhower administration sucks.

I've been an audiophile for 37 minutes, and when I get my Journeyman Audiophile union card, I'm going to be incensed by this video. Incensed I say!! But for now, I think you're completely right Randy. I love music and gear. I have ears and a wallet. I can do whatever the hell I want with those. Qualifications or not.

1:22 "is there an apprenticeship program?"..... and my heart is set on full LOL, and it's only just begun!

I've been thinking about becoming an audiophile for forty years, but my intolerance for horseshit keeps me from making the leap.

I've been an audiophile for over 40 years... and when it was time to upgrade my stack I turned to you and other professional audiophiles to guide me to a great system. Tone controls? Pfft. I'm thinking about getting a new graphic equalizer! How about some reviews on them sonny?

Since discovering your channel, I decided to become a real audiophile. I reached out to Sith Audio and their rigorous accreditation body certified me as a professional audiophile.

This is brilliant Randy! I've heard all of these "rules" from so called audiophiles. You sir are spot on. The latest was "garbage speakers from parts Express". I've let go of very expensive speakers because my speaker cabinets with Parts Express hardware is far superior in sound quality. Keep up the great reviews and rants.

You inspired me. I watched a lot of your videos and found a fantastic Amazon Warehouse deal on a pair of Sony SSCS5's for 60 bucks in LIKE NEW condition. Also found a great Yamaha Receiver for 20 bucks on Facebook marketplace to power them. I get so much enjoyment out of these speakers. They sound fantastic and I get a great deal of pride knowing that I was all-in for less than $100 for the setup. Keep making great content! Love your channel

I'm a mid/late 90s audiophile. I've got piles of all the kit I lusted after in the hifi mags when I was a teenager. Particularly Mission speakers, of which I still have many... 😊

OK CAM...I have been an audiophile for only 2 years! I got back into the hobby when I retired 3 years ago and it took me a year to begin to understand what the hell I was doing and listening to. I have 2 buddys that are audiophiles and we all have different systems and tastes (of course I like mine best). Guess what, they all like their systems best. The best system is the one you like...PERIOD! Currently I have 2 systems. First one has a vintage integrated with CD and turntable setup. Second has a cheap Chinese tube

You are so refreshing to listen to! I just listened to a guy talk about how "holographic" his $20,000 speakers were that he put on his credit card. It made me feel anxious. Thank you for your video!

Nice video,another thing to consider is that as we age our hearing is not as sensitive as it once was and unless there is a major difference we couldn’t tell any way .

It is a medical fact that most people start to lose hearing capabilities around 40 years old and it worsens as we age. (The term is Presbycusis) A third of folks between 65-74 have tested loss. The likelihood of impairment increases for people who have been exposed to loud sounds, particularly rock concerts or high volume amplified music. So, the long term audiophile will probably be older and have been exposed to damaging sound in their audio journey. This makes age and experience a detriment to critical evaluation of recording and equipment.

I've been an audiophile for near 6 months and I can say for a complete fact hifiman xs is the greatest headphone of all time.

Nailed it! I had a guy on a Hi-Fi Facebook group just destroying my choice of a turntable. I left him go and then took my turn. I said: So you are one of those guys, you get up every morning and turn on the stereo, get a different flavor of coffee each day, go to a different room each day and sit upside down in a chair all while listening for the lost chord and a new note. Have fun with that! I am going to go enjoy my music. Minutes later I received a private message from the group moderator and he has hysterical.

I've been an audiophile for about 3 weeks now... It's been a long and arduous journey flanked on all sides by cheap plastic speakers. The final straw was a Samsung soundbar that had fancy marketing on the box. Got it home, excitedly hooked it up and was immediately victimized by terrible audio. Every audio listening experience up to this point led me to your KZfaq channel. I wanted better. But I was under the impression that I might be priced out of GOOD AUDIO. After all, good audio is not an indulgence lowly plebs like me deserve. I want to thank you for disabusing me of my audio misapprehensions. I "binged" about 30 of your videos then headed to Amazon with hope in my heart and a dream that I too could be an audiophile. I ended up getting the Ayima D03, a set of Sony SSCS5's and snatched up a used Polk Audio PSW10 from FB Marketplace. About $375 later, my stint in bad audio purgatory is over. I don't know how I lived so long without good quality audio in my life. So... This entire thought dump was meant to serve one purpose. To express my gratitude to you sir for opening my eyes and ear balls to the reality of good affordable audio. You are doing the lord's work good sir. I salute you.

I've been an audiophile for FIFTY-THREE YEARS... ...and you are 100% correct!!!

I"ve been an audiophile for over 40 years and am still constantly learning more and have had many of my previous opinions challenged and often changed. I have learned so much from Randy, Steve Guttenberg, John Darko, etc. Keep it up guys. I still have a lot more to learn! I think Steve Guttenberg had the best definition of audiophile. It's someone who sits and listens to music and doing nothing else. No reading, working, doing chores, whatever. Just giving 100% of your time and attention to listening through whatever system you have.

I’m City and Guilds qualified in Audiofilia .. have been since ‘78… Really happy with my distinction’s in speaker placement and cable dressing!!….( I’m still clueless on what’s amps do though!!..🤪🤪🤪) …. Great video!!

Great discussion. Totally correct. I bought into some of that crap early on then started listening to my music . Biggest improvement, and free properly placing speakers. End of subject. Thanks. KB

I've been an audiophile for about 5 minutes. I like what I like. Keep up the good work.

I’ve been an audiophile for over 40 years & served proudly in The Loudness Wars. I was awarded the Golden Ears certificate issued by The Absolute Sound back in the mid 1980s! In the early 1990s I got a 27-band equalizer from Crutchfield.

Randy I've been an audiofile forever, so that makes me the best. Love the videos and real talk. Thank you so much for all that you do. I'm the best!!

This was so refreshing to hear! Keep it up!

I've been an audiophile for 35-years. If you bought something cheaper than mine, you're not an audiophile. If I can't afford your stuff, you're a fool who wasted thier money. LOL

How refreshing. Having suffered the nonsense of the various "Audiophile Absolutes" on the Audiogon and Stereophile forums, the honesty of the cheapaudiomen is quite welcome.

MAJOR THANK YOU!!! I've been listening to music and been in bands for over 50 years and have given the term "audiophile" to hobbyists.

Hey Randy, My system is a Fosi BT20A Amp, Edifier PS12 Speakers, Aiwa PXE80MK2 Turntable and XC700 CD and for our small lounge it sounds great, I consider myself an audiophile because I like music and this system (all in £135) suits me fine. The Fosi still impresses me having had it for 3 months now and the speakers, although not the last word in bass are controlled enough for a room 10ft X 15ft.

If someone has been an audiophile for 50 years, does that mean they should be able to pick out the most neutral-sounding hearing aid?

I always go with music lover instead. An Audiophile is like a guy who tells you he is a woodworker, but really he collects $3700 handmade hammers and $10,000 saws and sometimes makes really nice boxes. Others, however, are not qualified to put things in his boxes until they learn just exactly how appreciate them.

I really enjoy your channel. Because of you I’ve bought those little Sony speakers and did the upgrade after listening to them for 4-5 months and that was awesome. I’ve also got into the EMOTIVA line as well and got the t2+ floor standers and the new XPA 2 channel amp and I am so happy I did! We listen to the same kinda music “ anything that sounds good “ so I wanted to say thank you and I have a perfect album for you and your viewers to listen to. The MAD SEASON album is so good on a bitches system. Keep up the kick ass work!

I built my first tube amp., mono speaker, and turntable in 1956 . This led to an engineering career in consumer electronics where I witnessed the switch from tubes to "solid state" to the digital revolution. I write for Audio Express and still build tube amps and speakers, and have fallen in love with class D technology. Still , I do not consider myself and expert but still learning and enjoying it. Am I an audiophile? Probably, but not in the sense that I consider it a badge of accomplishment. I just like good music reproduction .

Sorry, I got cut off. Second has a cheap Chinese tube amp with a dvd player as a cd transport, Schitt Modi3 dac playing through updated vintage Klipsch LaScallas and two 12" subs...holy crap. It kicks butt. Heres to hoping everyone can have fun and enjoy their system as we audiophiles go further down the "what if" rabbit hole of our audio journey.

I've been an audiophile since birth Beat that Every word that came out of mom has been music to me😍😍😍 Love you mom❤❤❤

It’s not just audio, man. Every hobby or personal interest group is exactly the same. From lawn guys to motorsport guys and everything in between. It’s an issue of information bias. 90% of vocal participants are either clueless newcomers with eye rolling opinions and loads of bad ideas or arrogant snobby old-hands that want to gatekeep and preserve their imaginary status. The good news is that regular guys that just want to enjoy the hobby actually far outweigh both these categories, they are just quietly enjoying the hobby and not drawing attention to themselves. Those who know the least know it the loudest. Don’t allow the few to speak for the many. It’s our hobby and we should do it however we please.

Great video, thanks. I have friends who think that the more expensive their components are, the better they are. I was given a demo once by one of these friends…and I walked away thinking…my “cheap” system sounds better. Didn’t tell them this though because I know they would take offense. I’ve got an SMSL A300 amp with Schiit Modi3, “cheap” JBL 530’s and Elac sub1010 and I couldn’t be happier!