Interesting article on audiophiles and audiophilia

fsonicsmith,
I'm in the business, and believe me, watch enthusiasts complain about prices of timepieces and service plenty, as well as the cost of straps and bracelets.

REAL watch people? That means Patek Phillipe Vacheron, Jaeger-Lecoultre, IWC, and not just the superficial doctors et al who think Rolex and Tag are the watches to wear. The folks that buy the big time watches don't question the price. Just my humble opinion which you may very well claim to be incorrect. 

True audiophiles are creative artists - the process is more important than the result, the result is an unachievable final part of the process. In other words, process is the result.
As for the fetishism, everyone is that to a degree.

And I think as a population we're not going to be understood by those for whom sound and music are not synesthetic, holistic experiences.

I know that sounds dreadfully elitist, but whenever I'm tempted to invite someone over for a "listening session", I wonder how I would react if a friend or colleague invited me over to watch a movie on his or her new awesome projector, just to see how amazing the picture quality is and how soul-searing the sound and sharpness is. I mean, I really wouldn't care. A movie is a movie, no matter how sharp or hi-rez the picture is.

A while ago I invited a colleague over to listen to artists he and I had in common - Tori Amos, Innocence Mission, Hank Dogs, etc. And tho he appreciated the music, he was ambivalent as to the fidelity of that music. Tori on his Best Buy stereo at home was just as fulfilling as Tori on my reference system.

And there's the rub. As a chromesthete, I've always seen colors and patterns when I hear music and pitches.

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromesthesia)

And, in part because of this, music has always been the preferred medium of consumption. I don't care if I never watch tv again or ever see another movie; but I would be bereft if I could never listen to music again.

And this, in part also, defines audiophiles.

simao, well said and a few posts above I tried-not as well-to express the same thing. Music triggers something in our brains that is addictive to us, but above that, fidelity or quality is necessary to feel what we need to feel. We all know people who love music but don't care much about fidelity. Hell, the same can be said for 98% of musicians. 

Smell and sound are more archaic than visual image. I know that some do translate music into colours and visual images, I don't as far as I know.