I, too, think about this a lot, but more with respect to "...why me???" There are many individual variances between folks, and how they respond to different factors. Myself, I've never eaten exceptional amounts of any trigger foods, have been vegetarian for nearly 30 years, don't drink coffee, tea, soda, or smoke...yet I still came down with GERD/LPR.
More to your specific question, it's possible that, aside from the severity and sheer quantity of reflux reaching the throat, much of how it affects individuals could be related to sleeping habits. If someone is more prone to sleeping on their side or stomach, then, the main quantity of reflux will be directed towards the vocal cords and bronchial tubes. If they sleep on their back mostly, then perhaps the symptoms could be more dysphagia, burning in the back of the throat, getting in eustachian tubes, sinuses, etc.
Also, there could be individual variances on how the upper pharyngeal muscles are shaped, and clamp down, which directs the reflux differently. Or, individual tendencies and susceptibilities to acid to begin with...thinner tissues, less mucous, etc. Women have smaller voice boxes than men, thinner vocal cords, etc.
It's common for those with LPR to also have NERD, or no visible sign of erosions, etc. Another factor with those who suffer from LPR is that the acid can aerosolize and travel as a vapor into the throat and lungs. I assume that the same can happen with non-acid components, which is why it's also not unusual for those with LPR to have limited benefit from PPIs or H2 blockers.
Consider how headaches affect different people: some have "tension" headaches, "clusters", sinus, etc. Pain mostly in forehead, top of head, back of head, etc. We're all just put together differently...
-Bruce