"I have not met an audiophile who hasn't been an @sshole."

First of all, I don't consider myself an audiophile. However, I admit that, like audiophiles, I am extremely picky when it comes to many things whose quality can be somehow intangibly measured, such as buffalo sauce, hi-def TV picture quality, and the degree of realism in Microsoft Flight Simulator. I came across the above quotation while reading a Maximum PC article on whether or not different MP3 bit rates have a measurable effect on the quality of the converted source material (the article was mostly inconclusive as far as I could tell). Below the article, as is the current trend these days, there was a space for "ordinary people" to leave their comments. Some of the posters had gotten into a discussion about whether or not vinyl records were of better quality than CDs. Apparently one reader became fed up with the discussion. Here is the full comment:

"I have not met an audiophile who hasn't been an @sshole.

they like all other tech cultists, (Apple devotees, and Volkswagen cultisti just to name a few) are insufferable to be around.

if you actually can hear the difference between them....good for you....you must be a miserable human to be constantly disappointed in life."

The comment made me laugh, even though it made out to insult some personality traits that I possess. Though I am by no means an Apple devotee, the VW part ironically reinforces the fact that I could be lumped into this group. Therefore, as one of these "insufferable, miserable human beings," I feel it is my duty to clear some things up for the rest of you.

My brother knows that I actually spend more time tweaking my PC and my game settings to make them "just right" than I do actually playing the games themselves. My wife and other close family members see how I get when things do not meet my expectations, and they know it when they hear me sigh. I'm sure it bothers Abee the most, since she has the most exposure to it. She probably wonders how a person could possibly live life like this, and probably stays awake at night pitying me.

So, to Abee and to all who pity and otherwise think that I (and other perfectionists) lead a miserable existence: don't worry! We actually like being this way! The mild (yet frequent) disappointment that comes each and every time our expectations are not met, is far overshadowed by the satisfaction and pride we feel when everything falls into place. In addition, you should be thankful that there are those like us out there, who keep pushing to make things better, because there is no such things as "good enough." Without us, how would you know that your home theatre receiver is in the wrong surround mode, or that the tires on your car appear to be about 2-3 psi too low, that your desktop wallpaper is incorrectly sized in proportion to your computer monitor? You wouldn't even know half of the things that you are missing, or how to make them better. We've done all the hard work for you. So, on behalf of perfectionists everywhere, you're welcome.