are audiophiles different than non audiophiles ?

I do have a habit of checking the build quality of everything, no matter how cheap or small. I do like everything done right if possible.

Elizabeth:

The terms/adjectives you listed ("detail oriented, nervous disposition, high strung (though may have the appearance of laid back barbeque, inside they are a taunt bow), finicky, demanding, precise in some ways, utter slob in others, strong focus in areas of interest, ignore other areas") would have described 9 out of 10 of my former law school classmates.

i have been curious as to what determines one's interest in equipment, sound and music.

Many times, what determines an interest in any endeavor centers around an individual's exposure at an early and impressionable age. I remember many years ago hearing a Sansui multi speaker system. That experience changed me forever. That day, I heard what was possible in home music reproduction. Sometime later, I walked into a store and saw top shelf McIntosh and Sansui gear. The look of the equipment and the sound was so much like real music. So impressive... I'd say that if more people at an early age were exposed to high quality sound, music, and equipment, they would develop an interest in the "equipment, sound and music." It just doesn't happen in early childhood development for the majority of people (and is impractical for many). We'd have many more audiophiles if it did.

RW,,,,Please ,,,,take your meds!

There are different types of audiophiles. Some are Music people and some are Gadget people. And some are both but lean more one directrion or the other. I thought I was an audiophile, until I joined this site. Now I know I'm just a guy that loves music and wants to hear it without audible noise or distortion.