are audiophiles different than non audiophiles ?

the word audiophile is made up of "audio", and "phile".

in the greek language, philos means love.

thus audiophile means lover of sound, not lover of equipment.

audiophiles vary in their criteria and designation of excellence of sound.

so, the essence of what distinguishes audiophiles from non audiophiles, is a preference for sound quality (audiophile), as compared to an indifference to sound quality (non-auidophiles).

the important question is why do some people favor one form of sensation -- sound over another ?

as people have different hobbies that emphasize different senses, e.g., sight, taste or touch, the difference between audiophiles and non audiophiles can be observed.

i suspect the essence of these differences is partly genetic and partly phenotypical. can't say which is more important.

if you consider that some people enjoy activities with movement, while others enjoy activities of taste, you will see in action the multiplicity of expression of hobbies that rely on a refined sense of something.

wine tasters and food lovers (epicures), obviously favor their taste buds.

our senses are the source of pleasure.

audiophiles get a greater percentage of their pleasure from their sense of hearing than others. that's about it.

An audiophile, from Latin audio[1] "I hear" and Greek philos[2] "loving," is a hobbyist who seeks high-quality audio reproduction via the use of specialized high-end audio electronics.[3][4] Audiophiles prefer to listen to music at a quality level that is as close to the original performance as possible using high-fidelity components. These specialized components include turntables, digital-to-analog converters, equalization devices, preamplifiers and amplifiers. Both high quality solid-state and vacuum tube amplifiers are used. The quest for audio perfection can also include horn loudspeakers or electrostatic speakers, power conditioners, subwoofers and acoustic room treatment.[5][6]

Audiophile values may be applied at all stages of music reproduction: the initial audio recording, the production process, and the playback, which is usually in a home setting. High-end audio refers to expensive, high-quality, or esoteric products and practices used in the reproduction of music. Electronic gear used by audiophiles can be bought at specialist shops and websites.[4] Audiophiles can purchase special recordings made with extra attention to sound quality, some being special audiophile-oriented reissues, as well as recordings in high-resolution formats such as Super Audio CD or DVD-Audio. Many modern audiophiles also take advantage of lossless file formats such as WAV, FLAC, WMA Lossless, and Apple Lossless.

Orpheus10, I am not sure wether you disagree, or not, with anything I have stated, but I agree with you.

Mrtennis (and Orpheus10), my point is that a "keen interest in" music, is not necessarily a criterion for defining an audiophile. I know many audiophiles that care much more about the equipment than the music. And their interest in music is almost peripheral.

The music is much more important than the equipment for me. It is because of the music that I have the equipment.