An audiophile, derived from the Latin audire (to hear) and the Greek philein (to love), is a Hi-Fi fan whose goal may divert from high-fidelity in favor of auditory satisfaction, which is ultimately subjective.
He is a person who is fascinated by sound reproduction and its methods.
Audiophiles (audio morons, audiopedophiles, sound lovers, sound lovers, sound lovers, audio holics, gold-ears, lamp-heads, etc.) are a subspecies of non-fiction, turned on the “ideal” sound of equipment, evaluating its cost and design higher than the laid down circuitry and materials. If you say that an audiophile only listens to expensive equipment, you won’t be mistaken. They do not like to listen to music, but to expensive or old rare (and therefore expensive) equipment. It is not even necessary to listen – it is enough just to have it and talk about it.
Not to be confused with music lovers – ordinary people who just love music, understand it and hammer on noises in the pauses when they hear excellent vocals, melody and the same arrangement. Also, not to be confused with those who just bought themselves a high-quality transistor / integrated amplifier and sound, and do not fuck themselves and others’ brains. And also with those who buy old equipment, restore it and make changes, thanks to which it acquires a “second life” and a fresh sound.
Strictly speaking, music lovers are also a little audiophile, only in the first place they have the pleasure of music, although they will also appreciate the beauty and richness of sounds, if it is not harmful to the music.