I don't see why people are so harsh in mocking audiophiles. There is a continuum of hearing ability in the general population, and if those who fancy themselves at the top of it are willing to pay, what's the problem? Audiophiles are subsiding the development of technologies such as 32-bit recording, which have benefits in other contexts aside from home audio.
From what I've seen, very few of the devices marketed to audiophiles are actually fraudulent. It's like Apple computers: a massive profit margin doesn't make a MacBook a scam, just an expensive way to get features a few months ahead of everyone else.
Audiophiles are a self selected group. Membership has nothing to do with hearing ability. Most are of an age where they have less than “normal” hearing for a healthy child.
Audiophiles classically deliberately confuse measurable differences with audible ones. This they chase meaningless goals and convince themselves that anything which affects signal affects sound.
None of it would stand up to properly double blind testing. When it’s done things like “the sound of cables” disappears entirely outside incompetent engineering.
Even worse audiophiles tend to prefer distortion which flatters. I.e. exaggerated bass and treble to compensate for components and old ears.
From what I've seen, very few of the devices marketed to audiophiles are actually fraudulent. It's like Apple computers: a massive profit margin doesn't make a MacBook a scam, just an expensive way to get features a few months ahead of everyone else.