HOW MUCH DO NON-AUDIO FACTORS INFLUENCE YOUR AUDIO PURCHASES?

It’s never made sense to me why you can’t have audiophile sound right along with beautiful gear. No offense, but the all black, dust and fingerprint grabbing electronics so common today may sound great, but they’re an eyesore to me. Also, how can anyone consider a power amp without big, gorgeous meters that glow so magnificently in dimly lit rooms. Nope, with all due respect, as long as there are gorgeous silver faces with meters that sound like heaven, I just don’t get plain black equipment. Probably biased from growing up during the watt wars of the 70’s with so much eye candy and wonderful sound !

I like black and I like silver.  I would love it if everything was available in either one.  As for meters, well, I think they're cool, but I also think they can be  distracting.  I grew up in the 60's and 70's too.  Remember SAE?  Sexy and black!  But it's all good!!

This has been a nice thread. Thanks everyone for the air in which the discussion has been conducted. 
This is not the easiest question to answer, because I think there are many conflicting criteria that I have. Sound quality? Of course. But having stuff fit in with space the family uses is important. My wife and I are negotiating that right now after some work done in the listening room. 
I like beautiful design, and at the same time I don’t want to have a system that screams excess. So I have sometimes chosen the best sounding equipment at a price that also has some visual subtlety to it. For example, I appreciate that my Totem speakers have no branding on the front. I think Parasound’s Halo line is fantastic quality for the dollar and am pleased with my JC designed phono stage. It is also completely nondescript visually and sometimes unattractive to my eye. No money spent on industrial design there. 
At the same time, I chose the Naim Uniti Atom both for its sound and its industrial design. I was comparing it directly with another brand which had maybe a 1% better SQ (yes, a ridiculous statement) and I went with the Atom because it was more beautiful and had a smaller foot print. 
One of my turntables, the Bryston BLP-1, is matte black. Very low key. On the other hand, my Thorens TD124 has a beautiful wood plinth which says “look at me.”  I think because it is vintage, and because the aesthetics are wood based and thus timeless, that is ok despite my other visual concerns to not telegraph cost. And I have that table not purely for SQ—though it is heavily modded and sounds great—but also to have a piece of vintage reference sound and to own a piece of audio history. So that is an audio factor but not a pure SQ factor. Now that I am in the market for an amp, many of these issues are rising up for me again. 
Also, build quality matters. If something sounds a cut above, I might hold on to it for a very long time. 
In conclusion, I am a bundle of impulses and my stereo shows that. 

Regarding non audio factors. Question: is the “nothing made in China” policy based on quality for most people? Or ideological/moral? A bit of both? A lot of the stuff going on there is really bad and I am seriously considering a Chinese DAC. the first made in China piece of gear I have considered. But I also want to sleep at night. It brings up some serious reconsideration for me. I am sure I have plenty of non audio items made in China in my home. So does one go all in and change the entire lineup of all items purchased or limit to high dollar items like audio gear? Is it even possible to eliminate Chinese made items from your entire life? Lots of audio tubes are made in China. Maybe even parts like sockets and wire or knobs. Switches. How do you know if every little piece is domestic or non Chinese? Do you control what you can control or do you go obsessive? Should I buy the Denafrips Venus or not?!!

edit: I have oppo gear. Chinese. Didn’t even realize...

I would prefer to avoid goods from the PRC, but actually doing that is very difficult if not impossible.  So I don't fret over it.  What a handful of audiophiles do probably won't make a difference, anyway.  Plus, the old saying about cutting one's nose off to spite their face comes to mind.  So, I think every individual has to determine for themselves the degree to which they want to pursue a boycott...if at all.  I don't make judgements yay or nay over it.