Where are the female Audiophiles?


Based on my limited experience, I would guess that 98% of Audiophiles are male. But 51% of our population is female. What gives?

In this age where females and males are equally represented in Universities and in the Professions, why is this still true?

I would guess that it is a cultural thing, can't be genetic can it?
Is it different in other parts of the World?
hdomke
Shoes who needs stinkin shoes. The fact is that audio can be bought like shoes. The woman in this case need only wait until shoes go on sale as though we aren't all aware that a lot of demos aren't sold after the "show".
They do not even have to know these things. They only need to wait for a "sale, clearance etc." to get a discount on audio. They just don't care. It is not the bargaining. BTW how many ads do you see these days that simply say the price is fair (not really but that is fodder for a different thread) and firm. Further there was a well read thread espousing- any offer lower than the asking price- to be low-balling. No my fellows this is purely a matter of giving a hoot.
Shoes are important..... to them. They invariably buy them with the excuse that it was marked down and goes perfectly with some outfit. The outfit lives it's limited fashion lifespan that seems to change faster than the shoes wear out and thus the accumulation of endless pairs of shoes. Absolutely no accumulated shoe is right for the au currant (a type of berry) fashions. Unfortunately even with the use of a potent toxin there just is no shoe-diogon. That change in fashion is imperceptable to me and I wear "business attire" for my field, which isn't dramatically different than a generation back.
It is though and women are probably wondering what was wrong with the last cartridge, component, you had. Going all the way back to when she heard an early iteration.
I'd say Stevecham is onto something with the lego vs result. My wife can instantly tune out when I'm on a rant about interconnects. She will listen to music with me for hours, get emotional with Shostakovich, and notice "somethings wrong" when there's a bad pressing or recording mistake. Is she an audiophile, yes. A gear junkie, absolutley not.
During my years in high end audio, my demographics mirrored what has been said here. Clearly my customer base was 99 percent white male caucasan basically (WASP). I had two afro american customers, one hispanic, one asian and two women. I had often wondered how a business such as high end audio could attract a more diverse audience, but could never come up with a solution and here it is some 26 years later and it appears the rut is still in place.

When it came to buying Records, Tapes, didn't have CD in those days the numbers were vastly different. So the interest in music is quite universal, but the gear only appeals to the WASPs among us. This is indeed a strange phenonomen. A large buying audience with disposable income, that does not buy high end gear, but buys the music.

The two women that bought the gear, were musicians with a large local symphony orchestra as well as chamber ensemble.
If anyone can find the keys to this kingdom, it is instant overnight success. As far as my wife is concerned she has always heard good systems, but with her as well it is the music that interest her and not the gear. She can't explain it to me why that is.
This is an excellent topic and one that bugs me a great deal too. I believe single women living on their own would be more prone to be interested in a good system and seek advice. Some years back in the 80's/maybe early 90's, my wife and I had a single female friend living on her own seeking her PhD in anthropology. She loved music and asked me to go with her to a high end audio store. I did and she purchased a Rotel receiver and a pair bookshelf speakers (I can't recall the brand). BTW, her name is Elizabeth. Coincidence?
I'm a female audiophile too and have engaged in the kind of gear swapping/upgrading typical of males in the hobby. I've slowed down a bit in that department because I finally know what I like and have found gear that works for me. A crucial fact for me is that I am single and only my old Ma lives with me. She sometimes complains if I play the system in the living room too loud but otherwise doesn't interfere, so I don't really have to answer to anyone about what I buy and where I put it, unlike most of the men on this forum. So I have a great deal of freedom and have made great use of it! I have been in the hobby since I was 13 with my first record player, purchased from the PX of my family's army post home at the time. It's 42 yrs later and I have never stopped collecting music and trying to make the best sound possible in my home system(s). Over the years I have often asked why on earth I am so obsessed with getting the sound right (to me--my tastes differ from many in that I don't like harsh, bright, etched, overly detailed sound). Like a previous poster, the closest I have come to the truth, for me, in answering this question is the idea of creating this virtual world under my control--literally with a remote or the volume knob or a power conditioner etc. It's fun to make changes in this world, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse so I have to change again. I have definitely overspent my budget many times and know enough now about what I like that I could have saved myself many $$$ had I known 20 yrs ago what I know now about what sounds good and works well together. But all that took trial and error, which is of course expensive. My female friends agree my music sounds fantastic but none of them have been interested in spending the kind of money I have on equipment. I do NOT have hobbies like buying shoes, clothes, dining in expensive restaurants, buying expensive cars, or other things others spend their money on. I do buy a lot of music still (not downloaded, sounds like crap) and read music reviews in mags etc. Most of my friends' musical tastes stopped developing after college. They got interested in other things, and many raised families so that's a huge distraction from this time-consuming, expensive hobby! I'd like to know how the other 3 or 4 female audiophiles on this site got into the hobby and got familiar with the gear they've ended up with. In my case, I didn't learn from a brother or father, I just came up with the craving myself! And my two younger brothers got influenced by ME, they consult me for all things stereo-related to this day. I recently helped David assemble a fantastic system from Audigon to put in a new dedicated room he was able to nab in his new house. I had experience with all the pieces I found for him on the 'Gon and once he got them all up and running he is thrilled with the sound! FWIW I located for him: Electrocompaniet ECD-1 upsampling CD player, ARC VT100 MkI power amp, BAT VK3i preamp, and LAT International cables. He already had my old Spendor BC-3 speakers and stands but needed to replace his old Adcom stuff.