audiophile

American  

[aw-dee-uh-fahyl] / ˈɔ di əˌfaɪl /

noun

1. a person who is especially interested in high-fidelity sound reproduction.

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audiophile British  

/ ˈɔːdɪəʊˌfaɪl /

noun

1. a person who has a great interest in high-fidelity sound reproduction

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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

First recorded in 1950–55; audio- + -phile

Example Sentences

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

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

You probably know the sound of a Shure SM7B even if you’re not an audiophile, as it’s one of the most popular podcast mics in the industry.

From The Verge • Nov. 12, 2021

For the audiophile who hates the compressed quality of streaming music, the Ives is sold as a two-CD set through the L.A.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 4, 2021

Experts such as Esposito and Michael Fremer, the dean of audiophile writing, had included some of the now-exposed company’s records on their list of the best-sounding analog albums.

From Washington Post