As I don't own an actual dedicated hi-fi system at the moment, been buying a lot of software, and am continually trying to expand my music collection, I can safely say I'm not an Audiophile.
Having said that, I'm not sure this is a bona fide description, especially when audiophiles are compared to paedophiles. I know the piece was written partly in jest, but that just takes things too far, suggesting they're outcasts, and the lowest of the low in today's society. Many of us would happily pull the trigger on a paedophile...
What do you call people who tinker with their car more than they drive it? Are they classed as social degenerates? Are they frowned upon? Are they ridiculed? You can take many hobbies or pastimes and say the same things about those people, but we don't - so why pick on people who like owning nice equipment and try and get the best out of it, no matter what that entails?
One of the best systems I ever heard was based around some original Quad ESLs and excessively big Musical fFdelity amplification. The whole system was a tweaker's dream - if it could be tweaked or include a tweak, he had it. Knowing the speakers and amplification at the time, I know for a fact that his system wouldn't have sounded the way it did with all the supposed nonsense removed.