audiophile
Americannoun
noun
Usage
What is an audiophile? An audiophile is a person who is interested in high-fidelity sound—that is, sound that’s recorded or reproduced with very little distortion from the original. High-fidelity sound is sound reproduced in a way that closely follows the original as much as possible. Audiophiles are professionals or enthusiasts who enjoy high-fidelity sound recordings, whether they’re producing the recordings or just listening to them. Audiophiles often have a strong knowledge of how sound is recorded or played back. They likely have an understanding of speakers, headphones, microphones, audio converters, and other sound equipment. Audiophiles are often technology enthusiasts and may make a hobby out of fine-tuning their systems in order to get the best sound quality for the least hassle. Audiophiles may be interested in music, voice acting, film, environmental sounds, or any other type of sound that can be recorded and played back. Interests can be as varied as audiophiles themselves. Example: Opal was a bit of an audiophile and helped me set up a fantastic sound system for my house.
Etymology
Origin of audiophile
Explanation
An audiophile is enthusiastic about high-fidelity sound production. Your friend who's always adjusting the equalizer on the car stereo and spends a lot of money on "the best" speakers may be an audiophile. The word audiophile combines the Latin audio-, meaning "sound" or "hearing," with the Greek -phile, meaning "one who loves." So an audiophile is literally a person who loves hearing sounds — and wants them to sound the best they can. In a home setting, an audiophile wants to capture the experience of a live musical performance. This requires specialized equipment, such as high-end speakers, and music recorded in "lossless" formats that retain all the sound data. It might even require a room with specialized acoustics!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Part audiophile, part pop-culture aficionado, the budding DJ is the life of the party, even away from the function.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026
Amoeba is best known for its ample vinyl and CD stocks, but its three locations sell a little bit of everything: books, DVDs and Blu-Rays, audiophile gear, and customized merchandise.
From Slate • Mar. 8, 2025
After Rainbo closed, “There were nine- to 12-month waits to get anything pressed,” said Jim Davis, a Fidelity co-founder and head of the audiophile gear outlet Music Direct and reissue label Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab.
From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2024
Thirty years before “that Seattle explosion” made legends out of local recording studios like London Bridge, maritime-loving audiophile Joe Boles ran one of Seattle’s first acclaimed studios out of his West Seattle home.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 18, 2022
The fallout of the MoFi revelation has thrown the audiophile community into something of an existential crisis.
From Washington Post • Aug. 5, 2022
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
