25 Influential People You’d Never Guess Are Audiophiles

Their sound systems reveal stories beyond public achievements.

It’s obvious that there are many world leaders and celebrities who enjoy music. That said, only a select few qualify as true audiophiles.

Being an audiophile requires a deeper dedication to sound quality, equipment, and the overall listening experience.

We have some examples that not only fit the bill, but might surprise you.

Steve Jobs

A photo from 1982 shows Jobs’s almost empty apartment – except for his sound system and some records.

He had Acoustat Monitor 3 speakers, a Threshold preamp, a Michell GyroDec turntable, and a Denon TU-750s tuner.

Neil Young once said that while Jobs created the iPod, he preferred vinyl records at home. Today, buying the same vintage equipment would cost about $8,200 dollars.

Haruki Murakami

An influential writer, Murakami owns more than 10,000 records and top-quality sound equipment.

In his listening room, he has Tannoy Berkeley speakers, two turntables (Thorens TD520 and Luxman PD-171A), and Accuphase amplifiers.

For more fun facts, he ran a jazz club in Tokyo called Peter Cat with his wife back in the day, writing stories after closing time.

Now, he plays music while writing.

Elijah Wood

The Lord of the Rings actor owns several Klipsch Heritage speakers, including rare La Scala models.

Turns out, he got into high-end audio through DJing and his friend Zach Cowie.

He and Cowie even have a designated room for their records.

Spoiler alert: it looks like any audiophile’s dream.

Jimmy Carter

The 39th U.S. President owned the most expensive sound system in Plains, Georgia.

According to Carter’s son Chip, they had a McIntosh amplifier with AR1 speakers.

In the White House, Carter quickly installed a hi-fi sound system during his first month in office. Additionally, he played classical music for eight to ten hours every day.

A big music fan, he welcomed many musicians to the White House over the years.

The list includes Willie Nelson, Charles Mingus, Loretta Lynn, Bob Dylan, Sarah Vaughan, and Linda Ronstadt.

If you’re eager to find out more, documentary Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President makes for a captivating watch.

Anthony H. Cordesman

By day, Cordesman was a national security expert.

On the side, he was also famous for writing about audio equipment in The Absolute Sound magazine as “AHC.”

How did he find the time while working as a top security expert?

Turns out, Cordesman found peace in testing and writing about sound systems. A true audiophile, for sure.

Gene Wu

This Texas lawmaker loves audio gear but says he’s never met another politician who shares his interest.

Not only is he passionate about the topic but he occasionally posts in r/audiophile.

According to one of his threads, he uses an Outlaw RR2160 Receiver with Zu Audio Dirty Weekend speakers and streams music through Tidal.

Three years ago, Wu was planning some major updates to his system.

We hope he got to see his wish come true.

Clint Eastwood

While you may know him as a movie star, Eastwood plays his many records on a high-end Rockport turntable.

He loves jazz musicians like Charlie Parker, Lester Young, Thelonious Monk, Oscar Peterson, Dave Brubeck, and Fats Waller, plus blues singer Robert Johnson.

Moreover, Eastwood owns Malpaso Records (through Warner Bros.) which releases all his movie music.

He also writes music himself, creating scores for movies like Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby, and Changeling. Eastwood also did piano pieces for In the Line of Fire.

Kamala Harris

The former U.S. Vice President loves vinyl records.

In 2023, she posted an Instagram video taken outside of Home Rule Records in Washington, D.C.

Harris used the opportunity to show off her music knowledge, buying albums by Charlie Mingus (“one of the greatest jazz performers ever”) and Roy Ayers (Everybody Loves the Sunshine – her favorite).

She also got a special 1959 recording of Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald’s collaborative album Porgy and Bess.

Vladimir Putin

The Russian president has never publicly discussed his audio setup, but there have been several hints that suggest he takes sound quality seriously.

Reports from the early 2000s mention a sighting of large Vandersteen 3A speakers in his dacha near Moscow, while other sources claim he has owned high-end Daniel Hertz speakers.

As for his music taste, Putin has expressed a preference for classical composers such as Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Liszt, Chopin, Brahms, Schubert, Bach, and Beethoven.

He has also spoken fondly of jazz and the Russian folk-rock band Lyube.

While much of his audio setup remains private, his well-documented interest in high-fidelity music suggests he could be an audiophile.

Henry Rollins

The singer, writer, and actor spends big on sound equipment.

He uses Wilson Alexandria XLF speakers with VTL Siegfried Series II Reference amplifiers and other top-end gear.

Writing for Stereophile magazine, however, he states that buying good equipment should be about getting closer to the music, not showing off.

Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise is famous for doing his own stunts in action movies. When he’s not on set, it turns out he knows a lot about fancy sound systems.

We learned this during a 2015 segment on NBC’s The Tonight Show when Jimmy Fallon thanked Cruise for suggesting audio equipment. Cruise had sent Fallon an email listing great products, which Fallon took to a high-end store to create his listening room.

While the clip is no longer available, the conversation was special because the two named expensive brands like McIntosh, Synergistic Research, and Magico without being paid to do so.

Instead, viewers saw two friends talking about sound equipment they both love.

Jimmy Fallon

The lively host of The Tonight Show isn’t just into comedy and music. He takes sound quality very seriously.

Fallon’s love for great sound was on full display on CBS Sunday Morning in 2023, when he showed his amazing listening setup.

It includes Magico S5 Mk II speakers, two McIntosh MT5 turntables, a McIntosh C49 preamplifier, and a pair of McIntosh MC611 power amplifiers.

This gear costs a lot of money and requires real knowledge to set up. Fallon’s interest goes far beyond casual.

Jimmy Page

The famous guitarist who founded Led Zeppelin is known for his creative recording methods and careful attention to sound details.

Page shows his audiophile side in how he makes music. He tries different microphone positions, room sounds, and effects to get exactly the sound he wants.

His focus on audio quality and room feel in the studio shows how much he cares about good sound.

While Page hasn’t openly called himself an audiophile, reports say he keeps a special music room with quality gear, including a Technics turntable.

In the documentary “It Might Get Loud,” you can see Page get really excited listening to Link Wray’s “Rumble.” He truly enjoys other artists’ work.

Benny Blanco

The busy songwriter and producer has a home sound system that would wow any audio fan.

Shown in the May 2024 issue of Architectural Digest, Blanco’s setup has classic Klipschorn speakers matched with McIntosh electronics, including a C70 preamplifier and MC 2152 power amplifier.

His system also includes a Panamax power cleaner, Nakamichi RX-202 cassette player, and Clearaudio Concept turntable.

This mix of old and new parts shows Blanco really cares about sound quality. He also gets excited about different ways to play music.

Magic Johnson

The NBA Hall of Famer and business leader likes more than just basketball and business. He also loves great sound.

Before he became a basketball star, Johnson worked as a college radio DJ at Michigan State.

A photo from about 1985 shows Johnson with an amazing system. It includes McIntosh parts (MC2205 power amplifier and C34V preamplifier), a Nakamichi RX505 cassette player, and a ReVox B77 reel-to-reel recorder.

The turntable looks like a Technics SL-1200, and he’s wearing AKG K240 headphones.

Johnson’s collection has pro-level recording gear along with high-end listening equipment. In short, he understands and values sound technology.

Jimi Hendrix

The game-changing guitarist cared a lot about how music sounded in his home.

A photo from around 1969 shows Hendrix with his London sound system, which had a Leak Stereo 30 amplifier, Bang & Olufsen Beogram 1000 turntable, and Lowther Acousta 115 speakers.

What makes Hendrix’s love for good sound extra special is that his London apartment is now kept as the “Handel Hendrix House” at 23 Brook Street, Mayfair.

Visitors can tour his home and see his original sound system and record collection. If you do, you instantly get how important listening to music was in his private life.

Marvin Gaye

The “Prince of Motown” was interested in hearing music at its best quality.

A photo from about 1969 shows Gaye enjoying music on an advanced system.

The setup had a Thorens TD-125 turntable with an SME 3009 tonearm and Stanton 681 cartridge, paired with McIntosh electronics (C26 preamplifier and MC2505 power amplifier).

It also included a TEAC A-6010 reel-to-reel tape recorder, and Gaye is wearing KOSS ESP-6 headphones.

This gear shows he spent serious money on the best components available then. Gaye was committed to listening to music in its purest form.

Louis Armstrong

The legendary jazz trumpet player and singer was quick to embrace quality sound equipment.

Several photos show Armstrong with an impressive office system that had two Tandberg reel-to-reel recorders, a Dual 1019 record changer, and Marantz components (probably a Model 7T preamplifier and Model 10B tuner).

Obviously, Armstrong cared more about sound than your average listener.

Elton John

The famous British musician has been photographed with several fancy sound systems throughout his career.

One photo from the early 1970s shows John with a mostly Sony system in his living room. It has a TA-1150 amplifier, ST-5150 tuner, PS-2310 turntable, and TC-161SD cassette deck, plus AKAI ASE-20 headphones.

Another picture comes from a Pioneer Electronics ad. John posed with a QX-646 quadraphonic receiver, four “Project 100” speakers, and a PL-10 turntable.

Even though the four-channel “quadraphonic” technology didn’t catch on with buyers, John’s involvement in the ad shows he was interested in the newest sound technology of his time.

John Lennon

The Beatles co-founder and music pioneer surrounded himself with quality sound equipment in his homes.

Many photos reveal Lennon’s systems, including one probably from 1980 showing him relaxing with a guitar.

Nearby, you can see gear that includes a Sansui AU 9900 amplifier, Sony STR-6120 receiver, and Diatone LT-3 (also called the Mitsubishi LT-3) turntable.

Yamaha YH-1 headphones can be seen in the cabinet below.

Other photos from the 1970s show Lennon and Yoko Ono with a system using the same Sony receiver along with a Thorens TD-125 turntable and Koss Pro4/aa headphones.

The fact that he had expensive equipment in different homes suggests Lennon wanted quality sound wherever he lived.

Matt Berry

Though most people know him for comedy acting, Berry’s real love is music production, where his audiophile side clearly shows.

Berry strongly prefers analog equipment and doesn’t like digital effects or sampling. His love for analog tape recording and old synthesizers shows he values the warm sound and character these older technologies create.

His collection includes a Yamaha CS-60 and other analog synthesizers, which he likes for their hands-on feel with knobs, dials, and sliders. Berry records quickly and naturally, avoiding too many takes to keep the real quality of the performances.

His albums have a unique vintage sound that mixes different styles with retro and psychedelic touches, showing his dedication to sound quality and analog realness.

Oh, and his record collection is the stuff of dreams.

Snoop Dogg

The famous rapper and producer has spent a lot of money on high-quality sound equipment, especially for his studios.

Snoop’s Beach City Music complex in Inglewood, California, has top-level gear including a 64-channel Neve Genesys Black console and an amazing Augspurger Quattro monitor system.

This custom-built setup puts out up to 10,000 watts of power through parts that include two monitors (each with four 15-inch drivers and a 4-inch compression driver with beryllium diaphragm) and two subwoofers (each with two 18-inch drivers).

The system runs on four SXE-3D series three-channel Class D amplifiers, each providing 2500 watts for bass, 1000 watts for midrange, and 250 watts for highs, with computer processing for the best sound.

This professional equipment lets Snoop hear music with incredible clarity, depth, and power.

Quentin Tarantino

The celebrated director’s way of using music in his movies shows how much he cares about sound quality and song selection.

Tarantino sees music as an important part of telling stories, not just background noise. He starts picking songs early when writing scripts, using his large record collection to personally choose each track for his films.

For “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” he used real recordings from a 1960s Los Angeles radio station, showing his dedication to authentic sound.

Online forums also mention his love for vintage music and hi-fi equipment, suggesting he’s an audiophile in his private life too.

Robert Fripp

The founder of progressive rock band King Crimson is known for his creative approach to music and sound experiments, with a special love for analog sound equipment.

Fripp owns a Sony TC-850 professional reel-to-reel tape recorder, prized for its great recording and playback quality. This machine uses tape speeds of 7½ and 15 inches per second for excellent accuracy and low distortion, with three motors and three heads for reliable use.

His setup also has a Dual 1229 high-quality automatic turntable from the early 1970s, with a 12-inch aluminum platter with vibration control and a precise tonearm with adjustable anti-skating.

A classic Harman Kardon receiver completes his vintage system.

Beyond just collecting equipment, Fripp’s careful attention to sound quality in King Crimson recordings shows his audiophile nature.

His work in mixing and mastering helps create clear, faithful recordings. His solo projects, meanwhile, deliver mesmerizing soundscapes.

Martin Freeman

The star of “Sherlock” and “The Hobbit” has loved vinyl records and quality sound equipment his whole life.

Freeman’s system includes a Garrard turntable (probably from the 401 series) and a Naim Audio Nait 1 integrated amplifier—the company’s first model, released in 1983. Though small, this amp puts out 15 watts per channel with a special sound quality that many sound enthusiasts love.

Freeman started collecting records when he was young and strongly prefers vinyl over digital formats.