Audiophile demographics?

I could tell you. But the first rule of Fight Club is nobody talks about Fight Club.

Tony, do you think or have a gut feel that there is something sinister afoot? If so, please detail.

@facten 
That depends. How old are you?

If there was anything afoot women would be all over it. They are totally in love with shoes.

Guys like gear.

Speculation: because guys are problem solvers, we like tools (gear) that helps to these problems.  We also like building things - again tools needed.  Guys like bigger, larger, stronger/power (1000HP street cars).
You'd be hard pressed to typically find females interested in these areas.

yes, if you go a high end audio show, you will see... it is a whopping disparity - like 95/5...

...must be the gear, equipment, technicality - yes there is art and beauty as a successful end result in this pursuit, but the knowledge gathering, acquisition, set up etc etc of a high end rig is a very very left brain exercise...

@tony1954 - "That depends. How old are you?"


Well, if your age is reflective of the 1954 in your moniker I’m a couple of years older than you . Now, young man , what "sinister" things do you think are afoot?

I know one female audiophile, but you're right about the disparity in numbers.  Maybe it has to do with what you were exposed to in your youth.  My wife's father used to watch boxing with her when she was a little girl, and she grew up liking to watch boxing, which IMO, is not loved by females that much. 

The only woman audiophile I ever met was a sales rep for Polk! This was decades back in the late 70's at one of the Fall NY HiFi shows. We shared a bonding moment over a Linn Sondek TT!

@chayro : this proves that it's nurture over nature! We would have more female enthusiasts if from young they had exposure to HiFi gear within their family circles!

"Is it merely that men have more of the "mine is bigger than yours" mentality, do men love gadgets and tools" 

You answered your question. We're guys....that's how we are/do. Women aren't wired like this way. They could care less about details of audiophoolery. 

Another obstacle to our hobby is the general public's lack of interest and knowledge about HiFi gear in general!

@roberjerman - I don't think one example of nurture over nature is a sufficient sample to draw any conclusions.  I was very young when I first heard my uncle's JBL Paragon/Mac setup and I was fascinated from the getgo.  I think a similar thing has happened to many of us.  Some kids are fascinated by motorcycles, some by firearms and some couldn't care less.  Definitely appears like some inborn proclivities at work.  

@facten 

Unfortunately, I do not think there is actually anything nefarious going on.
It might be as simple as women being emotion driven, when it comes to music, so the fact that it doesn't "sound" perfect is irrelevant. They get what they need from the music itself.

@jjss49 

Much the same as going to see a rock band like Rush in concert. Guys are there for the musicianship as much as the music. Come to think of it. I don't know many women that are into jazz either. Except my ex-wife. She loves jazz, always had performance cars and loved high quality sound.

@chayro 

My wife only liked watching the pretty fighters like Alexis Argüello or Oscar De La Hoya.

You know what I am afraid of?
That after all the discussion and arguing back and forth, that are we are going to come to one conclusion.
That woman are just smarter than men.

Unfortunately, I do not think there is actually anything nefarious going on.
It might be as simple as women being emotion driven, when it comes to music, so the fact that it doesn’t "sound" perfect is irrelevant. They get what they need from the music itself.

Something very nefarious and sinister is indeed going on. Only just not the way you think. What you just said is, finally, very sensible. Most of it, anyway. Save for the one unfortunate word. Everyone knows men and women are very different creatures with very different interests, inclinations, and abilities. There’s a tremendous amount of overlap but the differences are at the extremes, something every single one of us used to know and take for granted - until the nefarious sinister stuff came along.

That it is indeed nefarious and sinister is revealed in your one word, "unfortunately". This one word gives away the game. What in the world is "unfortunate" about people not being all exactly the same?

Think about it. Because the next question is, Why would anyone want to make us all the same when we’re not?

@millercarbon
You unfortunately missed the point of my use of the word "unfortunately".
My comment was in response to Facten, who seemed intrigued by the possibility of "sinister" things going on. 
My use of the word "unfortunately" indicated that the reality of the situation was perhaps not as spicy as what he might have hoped for.
I, in no way want to make us all the same.
As they say, variety is the spice of life. Whether it is music, food, friends or audio equipment.

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus.

@ebm 

As they say, "There are no silly questions. Only silly answers."

@tooblue 

I know. Isn't it wonderful.

Women like the concert- social part of music and occasionally comment how they like some music I’m playing at home or in the car, but they much prefer talking which usually means I have to turn down the sound of my music to hear what they say.

What are the ratios among:
-rock instrumentalists
-pop singers
-singer/songwriters
-professional classical musicians?

Except for rock instrumentalists, I would guess that the ratio is pretty even.

OP, thank God for that. Enjoy the music

JJ... That must be some nearfield listening... ;)

I can hear the rimshots now......

Far more guys are gearheads than are gals. 

Coincidentally, far more guys are into the gal in your avatar than are gearheads.

not just women but is there any audiophiles under 30

Women are smarter than men.

No their not! Men are just dumber. Does that make sense.
One's just dumber than the other, No quarters given here. Same women 45 + year, Worlds longest on going WAR!!! With no blood shed!!

Me and the dog on one side. The wife the goat and the bunny on the other.. pretty even so far...

Things we have in common... MUSIC... other than that, man the barricades. LOL

Regards

Like vets (animal doctors not retired soldiers) women are more prevalent than their male counterparts in lots of things- musicians being one example and not just flautists and bands of old such as The Breeders, Girlshcool, Siouxie and the Banshees, Susie Quattro, Alice Coltrane, Barbara Dennerlein and Barbara Thompson etc..- also compare modern orchestras to the 50’s.

Strangely not yet in the weird world of hi-fi ( though my mum still has fond memories of my folk’s first place where there was no furniture apart from a bed but there was Quad and Kefs- ESLs were too expensive even then).

I know two people both (still) into hi-fi (one very much so) who became transgender and now both have changed sex  

Women are not smarter, they are less gullible.

@oldhvymec  Thanks for proving my point.

Most Women like to talk too much to listen to music for extended periods of time, although my brothers are the same way. We audiophiles are wired special!

I hope Tammy is reading this thread.

I'm a female audiophile. And a female MD, when there weren't so many. I also like fast cars and fast lenses. And men. Imagine that!

My best female friend loves music maybe more than I do. Before Covid, she'd go to a music club 3 times a week. She plays guitar.

We have 'music days' often when we listen to new music (for her anyway)on my 14K system, which really sounds amazing. I sit her in 'THE' chair, where her head is located exactly where it should be. I'm excited to hear her response to my latest upgrades...
What does she say?
"I think I'll lay on the floor, it's more comfortable."
I guess she didn't even notice my new $1,200 chair....Women

@gg987
Glad to virtually meet you. 
I certainly don't want to treat you like some sort of oddity, but it would be fair so say that you are in the minority.
If you don't mind, could you answer a couple of questions.
How did you become interested in audio?
Why do you think that more women aren't audiophiles?

@gg987
Glad to virtually meet you.
I certainly don't want to treat you like some sort of oddity, but it would be fair so say that you are in the minority.
If you don't mind, could you answer a couple of questions.
How did you become interested in audio?
Why do you think that more women aren't audiophiles?

I have been interested in audio for as long as I can remember. When I was a young teenager, I didn't listen to the music of my generation. I listed to Sinatra and Ella and Broadway etc. We had a cassette recorder and I tried to record TV musical shows I liked (Sinatra specials and others) but the quality with the mike that came with the player was awful. So I took the back off the TV and connected alligator clips to the speaker terminals. Quality of the recording was much improved! I guess I'd read it somewhere. I mostly remember my mother telling me I was going to electrocute myself. I did unplug the TV before I removed the back.
 
I've always been fascinated by the qualities of sound reproduction, and I love music. And I always like to learn something new.

I think women have traditionally not been audiophiles because they had no one to show them the way and excite them about it. I pretty much blazed my own way. My daughters are both very bright and accomplished in their careers, but were never interested in anything technical, which I think you have to be to be an audiophile. They just liked it when things worked, and they knew I could get it to work. 

Music often plays a role in the emotional lives of men.

For whatever reason, we men do not give ourselves permission to feel, let alone show, many of our deepest (and often most poignant) emotions. We bury them, and we’re damn good at it.

For whatever reason, women are not nearly so inhibited.

Music is a place where we men can feel things, and it’s okay for us to do so. So we are more likely to value and seek a musical experience which conveys emotion.

There’s more to it, but that’s one often overlooked aspect, in my opinion.

For a deeper insight into the role music can play, you might check out this YouTube clip.  Ironically, the audio is pretty bad: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXEHIHtMFL0    

Duke