Rockwell: audiophile term "just like a pedophile"

My godz...the dreaded KR has jumped over from the photography forums to audiogon. He's not taken seriously at all over there...check out the numerous posts on dpreview...all he does is extoll the latest Nikon and Canon bodies for the click referrals.

But his obsession with gear - cameras, cars, audio - are healthy of course, because he is genuine and all about the music, and the picture, and the drive. No one else is. Just Ken Rockwell. Remember the name, ladies and gentlemen, that's Ken Rockwell, K-e-n R-o-c-k-w-e-l-l. You can find him on the Hoffman music forum pontificating about how Audiogoners are all misshapen luddites fondling speakers. Not at all like the honest-to-God, down-to-earth, truly knowledgeable, truly heartfelt and understanding Ken Rockwell.

Ah well, he may be right on some accounts, but then again, how many other classes of people think photographers are creepy?

The guy isn't very erudite. The word "pedophile" has no judgement infused into it whatsoever. To say that the word "pedophile" refers to something "unnatural" is silly. It's just a word; so it follows that neither does the word "audiophile" carry a negative element. You can trust me on this. I'm a linguaphile, you see!

The article wasn't funny because it wasn't very well written, yet audiophiles are an easy target for ridicule. Can you imagine the movie Christopher Guest would make about audiophiles? Furthermore, there is an element of fetish-like behavior in this hobby. How many times have you read here on Audiogon equipment being described as beloved?

My experience is that,for most of us, better (more lifelike) equipment and better recordings are simply about an improved ability to hear music we enjoy. It's just not complicated at all.