Well, I would consider myself to be an audiophile. I got professional level equipment for about $400 many many years ago. Today it is probably even cheaper. I spend a lot of time on PSU, interference from power grid etc... Solved by $20 car battery...
For an "audiophile" AirPods are ripoff similar to CD demagnetizer.
For an "audiophile" AirPods are ripoff similar to CD demagnetizer.